Challenging the NGOs: Women, Religion and Western Dialogues in India

Development agencies are recognizing the importance of anthropology in the critical evaluation of grass roots NGOs and development practice in general. Here, anthropology, development, and religion are uniquely combined in a manner that has practical significance for how NGOs carry out their work. Tamsin Bradley examines the interfaces between religion, gender, anthropology, and social development and focuses on the operation of grassroots Non-Governmental Organizations. She argues that these agencies need to adopt a new methodology if they are to increase efficiency. This is made clear in a series of ethnographic case studies documenting the experiences of three Rajasthani village women. This book constructs a new approach to development practice, incorporating ethnographic techniques that are designed to encourage development workers to listen to the needs of those they seek to help.