Human Development, Well-Being and Globalisation : Alternative Perspectives

Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. New meanings of development: 1. Dimensions of development. 2. Progress and development. 3. Well-being and happiness. 4. Philosophy and development. 5. New standards of human development. 6. Social values and development. 7. Development as happiness. II. Alternative path for India: 8. Bharatiyata or Hindutva? 9. Indian standards of living and judging. 10. Alternative norms of development. 11. Bharatiya sciences and technologies. 12. Gandhi in modern India. 13. Employment guarantee and its ethics. 14. Women, culture and happiness. 15. Indian women and beauty contests. 16. Sati in Rajasthan. 17. Jodha Akbar and Rajput identity. 18. Call for children's rights. 19. Child labour. 20. Education for justice and peace. III. Spirituality and human development: 21. Individual and social development in Buddhism. 22. Buddhist psychotherapy. IV. Alternative globalisation: 23. Another world is possible: the world social forum. 24. Responsible tourism. 25. Rethinking human rights. 26. Redefining sustainability. 27. Good life and the environment. 28. Earth as a family. 29. Global equity. 30. Gandhi and intercultural understanding. 31. Human development and cultural diversity. 32. An African Safari. 33. Around the world in rain. 34. Olympic culture. Interviews. Bibliography. Index.

"The thematic articles over a period of time on different aspects of human development, well-being and globalization are infused with an alternative, multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. An attempt has been made in this book to rethink concepts, ideas and issues and suggest the need for consideration of broader and multidimensional meanings of development. There is a profound dissatisfaction and confusion about narrow economic and social concepts and indicators of development and social progress. The human development approach associated with Amartya Sen has offered a remarkable course correction in terms of focusing not just on income but on capabilities to enable one to choose and live a valuable life which is worth living. It is argued in the book that capabilities can be even more fulfilling if they lead to real empowerment and multidimensional well-being. Well-being is conceived not as self-centered happiness but more in the sense of human flourishing and virtues. In the context of neo-liberal globalization and its malaise which is manifest in global warming and climate crisis, the present global economic crisis as well as the crisis of meaning and purpose of our common humanity, ideas have been put forth for alternative globalization in the form of the world social forum as opposed to the world economic forum. More ethically sound reconsiderations of old assumptions about integration of the world, our planet's future and global well-being have been explored." (jacket)