Education as Tool for Community Development in Tanzania
Journal of South Asian Development http://sad.sagepub.com The Rationale of Self-help in Development Interventions: A Case Study of a Self-help Group Programme in Tamil Nadu
Tanya Jakimow JOURNAL OF SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT 2007; 2; 107 DOI: 10.1177/097317410600200105 The online version of this article can be found at: http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/1/107
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Journal of South Asian Development can be found at: Email Alerts: http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://sad.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.in/about/permissions.asp Citations http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/2/1/107
Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009
Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007): 107–124 Sage Publications Los Angeles/London/New Delhi/Singapore DOI: 10.1177/097317410600200105
The Rationale of Self-help in Development Interventions: A Case Study of a Self-help Group Programme in Tamil Nadu∗
TANYA JAKIMOW Australian National University Canberra Australia
Abstract Self-help is often perceived as a valuable, if not essential, element to development programmes. At the same time, as a concept it has generally escaped scrutiny. Two types of claims are made about the benefits of self-help programmes. First, it is suggested that selfhelp empowers its participants more so than other externally directed or implemented programmes. The second less vocal claim is the compatibility of self-help with cost-reduction strategies: both in terms of material costs and costs to the prevailing social and economic structure. This article explores these two claims through a case study of a self-help group (SHG) programme in Tamil Nadu, India. It argues that although empowering outcomes are stated as the rationale for self-help, these are often neglected in
Tanya Jakimow JOURNAL OF SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT 2007; 2; 107 DOI: 10.1177/097317410600200105 The online version of this article can be found at: http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/1/107
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Journal of South Asian Development can be found at: Email Alerts: http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://sad.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.in/about/permissions.asp Citations http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/2/1/107
Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009
Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007): 107–124 Sage Publications Los Angeles/London/New Delhi/Singapore DOI: 10.1177/097317410600200105
The Rationale of Self-help in Development Interventions: A Case Study of a Self-help Group Programme in Tamil Nadu∗
TANYA JAKIMOW Australian National University Canberra Australia
Abstract Self-help is often perceived as a valuable, if not essential, element to development programmes. At the same time, as a concept it has generally escaped scrutiny. Two types of claims are made about the benefits of self-help programmes. First, it is suggested that selfhelp empowers its participants more so than other externally directed or implemented programmes. The second less vocal claim is the compatibility of self-help with cost-reduction strategies: both in terms of material costs and costs to the prevailing social and economic structure. This article explores these two claims through a case study of a self-help group (SHG) programme in Tamil Nadu, India. It argues that although empowering outcomes are stated as the rationale for self-help, these are often neglected in
Citations: http://sad.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/2/1/107 Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 108 SELF-HELP: AN EMPOWERING STRATEGY OR COST-REDUCTION MEASURE? The empowering claims of self-help proponents are based on the idea that the disempowered must empower themselves, with no one able to ‘empower’ another person (Kabeer 1999; Mosedale 2005) Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat 107–124 Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007):Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 The Rationale of Self-help in Development Interventions Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007): 107–124 Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007): 107–124 Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007): 107–124 Downloaded from http://sad.sagepub.com at Universitat 107–124 Journal of South Asian Development 2:1 (2007):Jaume 1 on April 2, 2009 The Rationale of Self-help in Development Interventions