Towards Inclusive Societies

Towards Inclusive Societies: Psychological and Sociological Perspectives focuses on the importance of building inclusive societies and communities for global human welfare within psychological, social, political, and cultural realms. It discusses the engagement of psychology and other social science disciplines on the need for building both cultural sensitivity and interdisciplinary dialogue. The volume presents the issues and consequences of globalization and diversity in the social and psychological domains and their role in shaping the physical and mental health of people. It systematically examines the various parameters of inclusivity such as equality, equity, social identity, social stigma, and coexistence of differences in socio-cultural behaviour. The volume focuses on the developments towards building inclusive societies in the South Asian countries including, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It also highlights the challenges and possibilities in making social-psychological discourses more inclusive. This book will be of interest to students, teachers, and scholars of psychology, cultural psychology, gender psychology, social psychology, sociology, and political science and social work. It will also be useful for psychologists, sociologists, social scientists, social workers, political scientists, and Gandhian philosophers.

Dharmendra Nath Tiwari, Ph.D., has an academic career in psychology spanning over a decade. After a brief stint at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, he moved to the University of Delhi, where taught at some colleges before joining the Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College. Additionally, he serves as the Director of the Center for Psycho-Social Resource Development and Training (CPRDT) at the same college. He has authored and published research papers, book chapters and reviews for national and international journals. His research interest includes social well-being, social interest, and prosocial behaviour. His academic contributions have been included in the Journal of Human Values, Contributions to Indian Social Science, Indian Educational Review, and Trends in Psychology.

Introduction. Section 1: Globalisation and diversity 1. Social and psychological consequences of globalisation and diversity 2. Comparing protestors: A political psychology of contestation Section 2: Developments in the discipline 3. Towards a culturally sensitive psychology 4. Discovery of Indian psychology and methodology: A personal journey Section 3: Social issues and psychology 5. Risk seeking or risk aversion? 6. Dealing with denial of community history: The case of Adivasis in India 7. Evolutionary association between self-awareness and self-control Section 4: Towards inclusive societies 8. Leadership that promotes social inclusivity: Research evidence for Adlerian theory and practice 9. Towards building inclusive societies: Some conceptual clarifications and practical suggestions with special reference to India 10. Inclusive societies: Can political psychology help move us forward? 11. Paradigm shift to professional psychological practices towards creating an inclusive Society 12. The science and ethics of intervention programmes in family and child welfare: Towards building an inclusive psychology for social justice 13. Exclusion of acid attack victims and inclusion as a countermeasure 14. Increasing inclusivity of health psychology: potentials and prospects 15. Gender-related inclusiveness in the organisational context: The challenge of sexual harassment 16. Pursuing Inclusiveness through Shared Spaces: Some Glimpses from Social Interactions in Delhi 17. Epilogue: Complexities and challenges in imagining inclusive social sciences