India K4C Hub (Christ University)

CHRIST UNIVERSITY, KARNATAKA

LOCATION

Bangalore, Karnataka

PARTNERS (UNIVERSITY/COMMUNITY PARTNER ORGANISATION)

Centre for Social Action (CSA)

DESCRIPTION

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) is one of the premier institutes for higher education in India.Christ University became K4C hub through CBPR Mentor Training Fall 2020. Christ university is also part of the United Nations Academic Impact programme that focuses institutional and intellectual social responsibility in promoting SDGs. The key focus areas of the hub in Christ university is mainly on the following SDGs:
1.     Quality Education
2.     Gender Equality
3.     Clean Water and Sanitation and
4.     Partnerships for the Goals

The vision of the University is ‘Excellence and Service’ that complements the strategic goal of the University ‘To emerge as a world-class university of eminence through performance and differentiation’. CHRIST University Nurtures holistic development of students and community development through the Centre for Social Action’s understanding of social issues, application of skills and providing solutions through various projects. It offers several Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses, training, internships, and service-learning which are directly linked to the SDGs.

Besides facilitating curriculum-based courses in various disciplines CHRIST has established the Centre for Social Action (CSA) on the campus in the year 1999 for promoting volunteerism and social responsibility among the student community. Since its inception, CSA has engaged in a range of development issues related to child rights, education, health, socio-economic development of women and youth, agriculture, climate change, and the environment etc. It has partnerships with multiple community-based organizations (CBOs) and Civil Service Organisations (CSOs) for developmental projects such as panchayats, local women SHGs, youth groups and not for profit organizations and working in 4 urban communities and 122 rural communities spread across five states such as Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Kerala.

In alignment with Christ University’s vision and mission, the university encourages, trains and supports the faculty and students to take up innovative and socially responsible programs and activities. Also, CSA of CHRIST University believes in bringing about a positive change in the community. These are the main driving forces behind the establishment of the K4C hub, and remains the motivation for its active participation in various developmental projects and social sensitization programmes. In terms of the hindering factors, we don’t see any other than the covid19 restrictions. Though there are many covid19 restrictions, the university has risen to the occasion and is serving the community in the areas where it has a commitment to change.

Further, the university has MoUs with several international universities and developmental agencies from the USA, Europe, Australia, Asia and Southeast Asia and Africa for academics, research and most important projects for realizing SDGs. Also, CHRIST has collaborated with several ministries of the Indian government and local governments for consultancy and community development projects. Hence, there is no resistance from political and civil society organizations to the university’s activities.

MENTORS

Victor Paul, Christ University
hod.socialworksociology@christuniversity.in

Anekal C. Amaresha, Christ University
amaresha.c@christuniversity.in

Sheeja Remani Karalam, Christ University
sheeja.karalam@christuniversity.in

Theresa Nithila Vincent, Christ University
nithila.vincent@christuniversity.in

PROJECTS OF THE HUB WITH BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CHRIST University and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

The CHRIST university is part of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan program of the Government of India. Through this program, CSA has adopted neighbourhood villages to link them with the government schemes. Hundreds of student volunteers of CSA have been trained to conduct surveys in these villages and identify the needs and create village development plans and link them to these government schemes to avail the benefits which lead to realizing the SDGs. Also, CHRIST has undertaken Swachh Bharat Mission and Social Entrepreneurship, Swachhta & Rural Engagement Cell. As part of these programs, the university has established several cells such as Sanitation and Hygiene, Waste management, Water management, Energy management and Greenery. These cells are managed by the faculty and student groups. They plan for the activities and implementation of these activities in urban and rural areas of the CSA catchment areas.

CBPR Course /Training : A team of three mentees together with the coordinator

· In each hub, the Parties will support trans-disciplinary research partnerships that address complex societal issues and challenges in line with the UN SDGs through participatory approaches to research; provide practical experience for community-based participatory research to students; and co-create and mobilize knowledge to university and community members, and to local, national and international policy makers.

· In line with Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda, the K4C Consortium conceives of education, and in particular higher education, as essential for eradicating poverty, reducing social and economic inequalities, promoting prosperity and well-being for all, and protecting the planet.

· The K4C Consortium will strengthen individual research capacities and professional skills to support the mentors’ transition to the workplace in academic and non-academic settings, using a variety of teaching methods such as online curriculum, professional development workshops, field research and individual mentorship.

CHRIST K4C Case Study

Title: “Women Empowerment- Analysis of Women Participation in Family, Rural Community and Local Governance”

Background

Recent World Bank report suggests that majority of the population in India still stays in rural (65.5%) and there is high prevalence of school drop-outs (2,887,748 in 2015)
India is a patriarchal society. The attitudes of men towards women are predominantly discriminatory (Shukla, 2015).
Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) published by the World Economic Forum in 2018 ranks India 112th among 153 countries
The World Bank identifies gender inequality as a trap which has negative consequences for women at multiple levels at family, communities, and their economies.
The 5th sustainable development goal (SDGs) talks about Gender Equality and the target number 5.5 proposes ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
There are constitutional, legal and economic provisions for the protection and empowerment of women in the community
Ex: Free education, 33% in the local govt institutions, livelihood programs, micro-financing, housing etc (Ministry of Women and Empowerment)
In addition, there is existence of several local women Self-help Groups (SHGs) (Suguna, 2006) to mark their beginning of empowerment.
Despite these the discrimination against women continues to affect on their full participation in the community life (Gailits, 2019).
We would like to present one such case study conducted by us at Bangalore Rural district.

Identification of Community

The project sites were 6 villages of Hosakote, Bangalore Rural District. These include Yelachamanahalli, Appasandra, Doddathaggalli, Govindapura, Gonakanahalli, and Thaggali Hosahalli. These areas where the women’s education is neglected and their participation in community life is minimal. Often, they are restricted to household chores and they assist male members of the family in the agriculture work. Very rarely women are sent for work outside. The women’s voice is not heard in terms of their career choices and even their marriage. Hence, in these villages there was a need to improve the women’s status. The Centre for Social Action (CSA) (CHRIST, 2020) has been working with this community since 2003. This community was selected to see the changes in women’s status because of CSA’s community interventions especially related to SHGs.

Identification of CBPR Partners

Our CBPR partners include:

Centre for Social Action, CHRIST
Chetana Women and Community Development Multipurpose Souhardha Co-Operative Ltd, Yelachamana Halli, Hosakote.

Co-researchers

ASHA- Accredited Social Health Activist
Local Field Coordinators

CBPR Questions
The research questions were discussed with ASHA, Field co-ordinators and SHGs representatives. During the discussions with them they expressed that they would like to understand the
1. How has the CBO or SHG membership impacted their lives?
2. What changes have happened to their leadership roles in the
family, community and local governance?

Designing Data Collection Methods

Post lockdown several visits have been made to the community
Trust was already established through action projects
Discussed with Co-researchers, ASHA, SHG representatives on the procedures. Based on the discussions- informal and in-depth interviews (10 SHG women), photographs, video recordings were used for the data collection.
For creating local knowledge community members decided to use Folk songs in Kannada Language

Field Data Collection and Approaches to analysis

Life history approach was used to collect the data and analysis (Jessee, 2018).
This helped to understand the life stories of women in chronological order.
It was useful to understand the struggles of women, and helped the researchers to preserve the essence of the participants’ stories.
This was typically done using a grid where it will start with a particular time point to the current situation.
The same chronological form was used to create folk songs in terms of life before the SHG membership and after the membership

Co-creation of knowledge

The co-researcher was participated in the identification of key SHG women and interviewing them
The summary of life stories was created with the co-researchers
Later these summaries were presented to the SHG women
The SHG women created a few folk songs based on the research findings given to them.

Co-creation of Knowledge

Research Findings

Theme 1: Life of women before SHG membership

- Monotonous life
- Staying mute on decisions
- Lack of economic freedom
- Ignored lives

“I was feeling like dumb. There was not even one person asking for my opinion related to household finances, children’s careers. But I was given full freedom to make decisions related to cooking. I was the person deciding what to cook. I was given freedom to clean the house (laughs)”

Link for folk song- Women’s life before SHG membership

https://drive.google.com/file/d /12FbQGZF_-_l0tNjtmkcN4UHOCoYaJFIi/view?usp=drivesdk

Meaning of the Folk Song on Women’s life before SHG membership
“Hey woman, is this your life?
Do you have any meaning and purpose in your life?
What is your status in your family?
Is there somebody to listen to you at home?
How can you contribute to your family? By cooking? By cleaning?
Do you have any alternatives to make your life better?
Hey woman…time has come for you to change. Are you ready?”

Life after few years of SHG membership

Found new hope
Voices heard and valued
Participation in local leadership roles

“When I joined SHG, I didn’t have any confidence, I didn’t know the banking system and its functioning. I didn’t know how panchayath works. Since, we have generated a lot of money through SHGs and there was a need for banking to manage the money. Hence, with the support of CSA we have started our own co-operative bank to give loans for farming, education of children, building houses and other agriculture related work. I am also an ASHA worker I do visit every village in the panchayath and closely work with schools and Anganwadis”

Link for folk song- Women’s life after SHG membership
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Su2BVe__0vKGgce7K3RRY5T3w8pMGOD/view?usp=drivesdk

Meaning of the Folk Song on Women’s life after SHG membership
“ Let us form & strengthen our SHG!
Let us achieve
Let us be & learn together
Let us question
Let us end illiteracy and educate our children
Let us mobilize our sisters and mothers”
Mobilization of Knowledge
Local dissemination of Knowledge through Media during Women’s Day 2021

Lessons Learnt

Irrespective of the socio-economic status, educational qualification, patriarchal societal norms, women can be empowered if they are given the adequate training and opportunities to express themselves.
This has boosted their confidence and empowered them to improve their status in the community and ultimately this has led them to establish and successfully run the co-operative bank in the village.
While working with the community, building trust is very important. Though there were a lot of COVID19 related restrictions, the community members were cooperative for the interactions.
CBPR is an ideal and ethically appropriate approach to work with the community. Because community members are part of creation and ownership of knowledge. They are the beneficiaries of their own knowledge. They should be given a prominent role while generating knowledge and disseminating their own knowledge.

References

Shukla, A (2015). Attitudes towards Role and Status of Women in India: A Comparison of Three Generations of Men and Women. Psychol Stud 60, 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-015-0298-6
World Bank. (2006). World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development. Washington: World Bank.
Gailits, N., Mathias, K., Nouvet, E. et al. (2019). Women’s freedom of movement and participation in psychosocial support groups: qualitative study in northern India. BMC Public Health 19, 725 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7019-3
Ministry of Women and Empowerment, (2020) https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID
=1602397#:~:text=On%20this%20index%2C%20India%20ranked,India’s%20ranking%20was%20112th
https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/govt-report-red-flags-gender-gap-in-karnataka-888621.html
Jessee, E. (2018). The Life History Interview. In P. Liamputtong (Ed.), Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences (pp. 1-17). Singapore: Springer Singapore.
Suguna, B. (2006). Empowerment of rural women through self help groups: Discovery Publishing House

OPEN ELECTIVE COURSE

Department: Sociology & Social work School: Social Sciences

Name of the proposed programme: Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Duration in Years: 4 Months Intake: 30

Proposed Year & Month of starting the programme: June 2022 (Odd Semester)

Eligibility for Admission: Graduate from any discipline / Faculty members & individuals working with communities

Selection Method: As per University norms for the open elective course

Placement Potential: This Open Elective course credit will be considered by the institutions offering Community-based courses and working for community-based research projects.

Programme Relevance/ Demand: The course will enable the participants to acquire competencies in knowledge about CBPR, skills in working with CBPR between academia and the community, and personal and social awareness to work with situations of inequalities in an ethical manner.

Departmental Competence: Three Faculty members have done the Mentor Training Programme (MTP) on Community Based Participatory Research, a 21-week course (August – December 2020), supported by the University of Victoria in Canada and the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) in India.

Proposed Fees: As per University norms for the open elective course

Required No. of Classrooms– Min: 1 Max: 1

Classroom Availability / Alternatives: 614, 6th Floor, Central Block
(Mention Room No., Block, Campus Name)

Lab Requirement and Availability (If Applicable): NIL
(Mention Room No, Block, Campus Name)

Faculty Requirement and Availability: One Faculty from the Department will be Coordinating the course

Faculty Seating Facility Availability: 6h Floor, Central Block
(Mention Room No., Block)

Regulatory Approvals required, if any (Give details):

Academic Details
Total No. of Core Courses: 1 Total No. of Elective Courses: 1

Total Credits Per Semester: 2 Total Credits: 2 Total Max. Marks:100 CIA %: 70

Course Structure:

Course Code: MSW0—-
Course Title: Community Based Participatory Research
Total Credit: 2 Total hrs: 45
Course Type: Open Elective

Course Description:
The course is designed to provide a learning opportunity for students, faculty members and community-based researchers to develop a collective set of CBPR theories and practices, and to acquire newer CBPR skills and to design or redesign their own local training programmes. The course will be conducted in both virtual and classroom mode.

Course Objectives:

To learn the theory and practice of CBPR
To acquire skills to practice CBPR
To learn to co-create local knowledge using CBPR methods.
To conduct case studies using CBPR knowledge in local/national languages and contexts

Course Learning Outcome: At the end of the course the participants will be able to

Demonstrate understanding of the theory, practice and teaching of CBPR
Apply personal and social skills critical for working in CBPR
Demonstrating application of CBPR skills while working with communities to co-create local knowledge
Conducting and creating case studies in local or national languages which can be used as training materials in the future for local training in both virtual and classroom mode

Units	Content	Hours
Unit 1	Course overview Knowledge about CBPR History and Development of Community Based Participatory Research Research Partnerships and Field Study Steps in Participatory Research and Modes of Inquiry Arts-based Approaches to Participatory Research Knowledge and Power	10
Unit 2	Knowledge Mobilization Ethics and Values Skills to practice CBPR Personal and social awareness to work with community participation Developing a Case study Adult Education and Experiential Learning Reflections and Mid-course Feedback	10
Unit 3	Field Study Individual Case Study Progress & Presentation Creating CBPR materials in local language for future trainings	25

Assignments and Methods of assessment*

CIA 1- Field visit to nearby community and understand the community issues and reflections

CIA 2- Reading CBPR material and writing review of case studies and reflecting on them
CIA 3- Conducting Minor CBPR case study research

Essential Reading

Etmanski, C., Hall, B.L., & Dawson, T. (Eds.). (2014). Learning and Teaching Community-Based Research: Linking Pedagogy to Practice. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, ON.

Holkup, P. A., Tripp-Reimer, T., Salois, E. M., & Weinert, C. (2004). Community-based participatory research: an approach to intervention research with a Native American community. ANS. Advances in nursing science, 27(3), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1097/00012272-200407000-00002

Jull, J., Giles, A., & Graham, I. D. (2017). Community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation: advancing the co-creation of knowledge. Implementation Science, 12(1), 150.
Margaret W Leung, Irene H Yen, Meredith Minkler, Community based participatory research: a promising approach for increasing epidemiology’s relevance in the 21st century, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 33, Issue 3, June 2004, Pages 499–506, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyh010

PRIA-logue 3rd Edition (2015). Participatory Research in Action: Where is the Future? A dialogue between Dr. Budd Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon. Part 1

PRIA-logue 3rd Edition (2015). Participatory Research in Action: Where is the Future? A dialogue between Dr. Budd Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon. Part 2

Trickett, E. J. (2011). Community-based participatory research as a worldview or instrumental strategy: Is it lost in translation(al) research? American Journal of Public Health, 101, 1353-1355.
Viswanathan M, Ammerman A, Eng E, et al. Community‐Based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence: Summary. 2004 Aug. In: AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 1998-2005. 99. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11852/

Winterbauer, N. L., Bekemeier, B., VanRaemdonck, L., & Hoover, A. G. (2016). Applying community-based participatory research partnership principles to public health practice-based research networks. SAGE open, 6(4), 2158244016679211.

OPEN ELECTIVE COURSE

Department: Sociology & Social work School: Social Sciences

Name of the proposed programme: Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Duration in Years: 4 Months Intake: 30

Proposed Year & Month of starting the programme: June 2021 (Odd Semester)

Eligibility for Admission: Graduate from any discipline / Faculty members & individuals working with communities

Selection Method: As per University norms for the open elective course

Placement Potential: This Open Elective course credit will be considered by the institutions offering Community-based courses and working for community-based research projects.

Proposed Fees: As per University norms for the open elective course

Required No. of Classrooms– Min: 1 Max: 1

Classroom Availability / Alternatives: 614, 6th Floor, Central Block
(Mention Room No., Block, Campus Name)

Lab Requirement and Availability (If Applicable): NIL
(Mention Room No, Block, Campus Name)

Faculty Requirement and Availability: One Faculty from the Department will be Coordinating the course

Faculty Seating Facility Availability: 6h Floor, Central Block
(Mention Room No., Block)

Regulatory Approvals required, if any (Give details):

Academic Details

Total No. of Core Courses: 1 Total No. of Elective Courses: 1

Total Credits Per Semester: 2 Total Credits: 2 Total Max. Marks:100 CIA %: 70

Course Structure:

Course Code: MSW0—-
Course Title: Community Based Participatory Research
Total Credit: 2 Total hrs: 45
Course Type: Open Elective

Course Description:

The course is designed to provide a learning opportunity for students, faculty members and community-based researchers to develop a collective set of CBPR theories and practices, and to acquire newer CBPR skills and to design or redesign their own local training programmes. The course will be conducted in both virtual and classroom mode.

Course Objectives:

To learn the theory and practice of CBPR
To acquire skills to practice CBPR
To learn to co-create local knowledge using CBPR methods.
To conduct case studies using CBPR knowledge in local/national languages and contexts

Course Learning Outcome: At the end of the course the participants will be able to

Demonstrate understanding of the theory, practice and teaching of CBPR
Apply personal and social skills critical for working in CBPR
Demonstrating application of CBPR skills while working with communities to co-create local knowledge
Conducting and creating case studies in local or national languages which can be used as training materials in the future for local training in both virtual and classroom mode

Units	Content	Hours
Unit 1	Course overview Knowledge about CBPR History and Development of Community Based Participatory Research Research Partnerships and Field Study Steps in Participatory Research and Modes of Inquiry Arts-based Approaches to Participatory Research Knowledge and Power	10
Unit 2	Knowledge Mobilization Ethics and Values Skills to practice CBPR Personal and social awareness to work with community participation Developing a Case study Adult Education and Experiential Learning Reflections and Mid-course Feedback	10
Unit 3	Field Study Individual Case Study Progress & Presentation Creating CBPR materials in local language for future trainings	25

Assignments and Methods of assessment*

CIA 1- Field visit to nearby community and understand the community issues and reflections

CIA 2- Reading CBPR material and writing review of case studies and reflecting on them

CIA 3- Conducting Minor CBPR case study research

Essential Reading

Etmanski, C., Hall, B.L., & Dawson, T. (Eds.). (2014). Learning and Teaching Community-Based Research: Linking Pedagogy to Practice. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, ON.

PRIA-logue 3rd Edition (2015). Participatory Research in Action: Where is the Future? A dialogue between Dr. Budd Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon. Part 1

PRIA-logue 3rd Edition (2015). Participatory Research in Action: Where is the Future? A dialogue between Dr. Budd Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon. Part 2

Trickett, E. J. (2011). Community-based participatory research as a worldview or instrumental strategy: Is it lost in translation(al) research? American Journal of Public Health, 101, 1353-1355.

Viswanathan M, Ammerman A, Eng E, et al. Community‐Based Participatory Research: Assessing the Evidence: Summary. 2004 Aug. In: AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 1998-2005. 99. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11852/

CONTACT DETAILS OF THE HUB COORDINATOR

Victor Paul, Christ University– hod.socialworksociology@christuniversity.in