Bridging the social divides: a school-based model from India

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the transformative potential of a school-based model in India that makes middle class students active stakeholders in the well-being of underprivileged children.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a qualitative case study method, data were collected through a survey – containing close-ended and open-ended questions – that was administered to all students in grades 6 through 10.

Findings

Overall, the data suggest that socialization with underprivileged children had a profound impact on the views of middle class children about social inequalities and their own agency in addressing them. While younger children observed more manifest differences between them and the poor children they engaged; the older children articulated those differences in terms of inequalities of opportunity and violations of rights.

Research limitations/implications

The research was based on a single school where the intervention was conceived and implement by its visionary leader. It would be important to examine the robustness of the model in a broader sample of schools.

Social implications

The study demonstrates that with purposive strategies and intentional organizational culture, schools for privileged can promote social inclusion of all children.

Originality/value

This paper makes the counter-intuitive case – analytically and empirically – that for social policies designed for poor children to be a force for social transformation, they should be purposively conceived in conjunction with the educational and developmental imperatives of children from more privileged backgrounds.

Citation

Chattopadhay, T. (2015), "Bridging the social divides: a school-based model from India", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 35 No. 3/4, pp. 222-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-04-2014-0029