Elegant, lucid and funny, this book will appeal to as many readers as there are desires.'--Shohini Ghosh 'The history of desire in India, ' writes Madhavi Menon in this splendid book, 'reveals not purity but impurity as a way of life. Not one answer, but many. Not a single history, but multiple tales cutting across laws and boundaries.' In Bhakti poetry, Radha and Krishna disregard marital fidelity, age, time and gender for erotic love. In Sufi dargahs, pirs (spiritual guides) who were married to women are buried alongside their male disciples, as lovers are. Vatsyayana, author of the world's most famous manual of sex, insists that he did not compose it 'for the sake of passion', and remained celibate through the writing of it. Long hair is widely seen as a symbol of sexuality; and yet, shaved off in a temple, it is a sacred offering. Even as the country has a draconian law to punish homosexuality, heterosexual men share the same bed without comment. Hijras are increasingly marginalized; yet gender has historically been understood as fluid rather than fixed. Menon navigates centuries, geographies, personal and public histories, schools of philosophy, literary and cinematic works, as she examines the many--and often surprising--faces of desire in the Indian subcontinent. Her study ranges from the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho to the shrine of the celibate god Ayyappan; from army barracks to public parks; from Empress Nur Jahan's paan to home-made kohl; from cross-dressing mystics to androgynous gods. It shows us the connections between grammar and sex, between hair and war, between abstinence and pleasure, between love and death. Gloriously subversive, full of extraordinary analyses and insights, this is a book you will read to be enlightened and entertained for years.
Menon introduces rhetoric into the largely medico-juridical realm of studies on Renaissance sexuality. In doing so, she suggests that rhetoric allows us to think through the erotics of language in ways that pay most attention to the frisson of English Renaissance drama.
Two potential developmental costs of high self-esteem were investigated. One was that high self-esteem leads children to act on antisocial cognitions (the disposition-activating hypothesis). The other was that high self-esteem leads children to rationalize antisocial conduct (the disposition-rationalizing hypothesis). Both hypotheses were explored in two longitudinal studies with preadolescents. In Study 1 (N = 189) the antisocial behavior was aggression; in Study 2 (N = 407) the antisocial behavior under focus was avoidance of the mother. There was little evidence for the disposition-activating hypothesis in either study but considerable support for the disposition-rationalizing hypothesis in both studies. Over time, aggressive children with high self-esteem increasingly valued the rewards that aggression offers and belittled their victims, and avoidant children with high self-esteem increasingly viewed their mother as harassing and uninvolved. Results therefore suggest that for antisocial children, high self-esteem carries costs, for both themselves and others.
Menon introduces rhetoric into the largely medico-juridical realm of studies on Renaissance sexuality. In doing so, she suggests that rhetoric allows us to think through the erotics of language in ways that pay most attention to the frisson of English Renaissance drama.
Indifference to Difference organizes around Alain Badiou’s suggestion that, in the face of increasing claims of identitarian specificity, one might consider the politics and practice of being indifferent to difference. Such a politics would be based on the superabundance of desire and its inability to settle into identity. Madhavi Menon shows that if we turn to another kind of universalism—not one that insists we are all different but one that recognizes we are all similar in our powerlessness to contain desire—then difference no longer becomes the focus of our identity. Instead, we enter the worlds of desire. Following up on ideas of sameness and difference that have animated queer theory, Menon argues that what is most queer about indifference is not that it gives us queerness as an identity but that it is able to change queerness into a resistance of ontology. Firmly committed to the detours of desire, queer universalism evades identity. This polemical book demonstrates that queerness is the condition within which we labor. Our desires are not ours to be owned; they are indifferent to our differences.
Stories that Bind: Political Economy and Culture in New India examines the assertion of authoritarian nationalism and neoliberalism; both backed by the authority of the state and argues that contemporary India should be understood as the intersection of the two. More importantly, the book reveals, through its focus on India and its complex media landscape that this intersection has a narrative form, which author, Madhavi Murty labels spectacular realism. The book shows that the intersection of neoliberalism with authoritarian nationalism is strengthened by the circulation of stories about “emergence,” “renewal,” “development,” and “mobility” of the nation and its people. It studies stories told through film, journalism, and popular non-fiction along with the stories narrated by political and corporate leaders to argue that Hindu nationalism and neoliberalism are conjoined in popular culture and that consent for this political economic project is crucially won in the domain of popular culture. Moving between mediascapes to create an archive of popular culture, Murty advances our understanding of political economy through material that is often seen as inconsequential, namely the popular cultural story. These stories stoke our desires (e.g. for wealth), scaffold our instincts (e.g. for a strong leadership) and shape our values.
A tale of parents who won a battle only to realise that the war never ends. Or did it? A tale of faith, love and hope that takes you into the lives of Manoj and Madhavi. A story spanning India and China, it will teach you to embrace life with everything it has and be reborn, as it asks you, to become a believer in the magic of faith and love; become a survivor yourself. A tale of miracles that will make you believe in yourself. A tale that is a miracle in itself!
With the increasing awareness of the importance of English as a global link language and the widespread use of the Internet and the globalization of business and education, the need for learning English effectively is being felt more than ever before. This international awakening has spurred nations like China and Russia that kept away from English in the past to educate their populations in the English language. In India too, there is a renewed interest in learning English for communication. This book takes the most pragmatic and current approach to the teaching and learning of English which offers learners ready-to-use expressions in their day-to-day communication. The book offers conversations in various social contexts, in formal and informal situations, and lists in an exhaustive way all the expressions used within the particular communicative function. In addition, there are exercises at the end of each unit which provide the learners an opportunity to go through the actual use of those expressions, thereby enhancing their confidence to use English. Designed primarily as a text in communicative or functional English, this book should also be useful to all those who wish to improve their English for socially appropriate communication. KEY FEATURES • Provides learners with ready-to-use and socially appropriate expressions through conversations. • Presents a full range of expressions for choice within the language functions such as requests, suggestions, asking and giving opinions, asking and giving advice, and agreeing and disagreeing. • Offers practice opportunity through exercises at the end of each unit. • Brings communication in English within the reach of all learners through steps like read-practice-develop-use.
The primary era of this study - the twentieth century - symbolizes the peak of the colonial rule and its total decline, as well as the rise of the new nation state of India. The processes that have been labeled 'westernization' and 'modernization' radically changed middle-class Indian life during the century. This book describes and explains the various technological, political and social developments that shaped one building type - the bungalow - contemporaneous to the development of modern Indian history during the period of British rule and its subsequent aftermath. Drawing on their own physical and photographic documentation, and building on previous work by Anthony King and the Desais, the authors show the evolution of the bungalow's architecture from a one storey building with a verandah to the assortment of house-forms and their regional variants that are derived from the bungalow. Moreover, the study correlates changes in society with architectural consequences in the plans and aesthetics of the bungalow. It also examines more generally what it meant to be modern in Indian society as the twentieth century evolved.
Studies on architecture in South Asia continue to ignore women in canonical histories of the discipline. This book attempts to recover the stories of the women architects whose careers nearly parallel the development of modernism in colonial and postcolonial India. Writing their experiences into the narrative of mainstream architectural history within the challenge of non-existent archives, it sheds light on seven pioneering women who broke male bastions to go beyond the traditional confines of the era from the 1940s onwards. The author also examines 28 contemporary practices to demonstrate the ways in which architectural modernism in India was shaped by the contribution of women. The book uses a format that weaves together social, professional and biographical factors into a productive account; pluralizes various concepts of design; and redefines the idea of ‘work’ of women through a greater range of activities, including pedagogy, mentoring and activism. Alluding to challenges faced by women, the study celebrates practices in diverse regional settings even as the designers move in transnational contexts in an increasingly globalizing India. Extensively illustrated, featuring drawings and photographs, this book will be a milestone in the modernist narrative of South Asia and will be of interest to scholars and researchers of architecture, gender studies, modern Indian history and sociology.
South Asia represents a region highly prone to natural disasters. Disasters not only disrupt the normal life of the affected communities and the countries but also impede developmental efforts. By and large, the approach of the major stakeholders has been 'reactive' rather than 'proactive'. There is indeed, a dire need for concerted and well-planned efforts to achieve risk reduction through risk identification, and sharing and transfer of information. This edited volume explores how the risk of disasters can be reduced by structural and non-structural measures with detailed, comprehensive and participatory strategies. Twenty-seven contributors, both academicians and practitioners, investigate the challenges that the region faces and how changes can be effected at the community, society, government and non-government levels to foster a culture of preparedness. The overall focus is on risk reduction through prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Some case studies from different settings dealing with various disasters have also been included. Since disaster risk reduction is an area of great concern and there is absolute dearth of literature addressing this issue with regard to South Asia, this volume will be of immense utility and interest to government departments, NGOs, insurance companies, universities, training institutions, professional associates, media, general public, and students pursuing courses in disaster management.
Our new semester series, Rosemary-An Activity-based Integrated Course for Classes 1 to 5, has meticulously followed the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2023. Pramanas, Panchakosha Vikas, and Panchpadi, the three main constituents, have been used significantly through the explanations, examples, and exercises used in this series. It means the focus has shifted to the process of learning. This series envisages conceptual understanding as a continuous process. The books for Classes 1 and 2 include English, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, and General Knowledge. For Classes 3 to 5, the subjects expand to include English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and General Knowledge. In developing this educational series, considerable attention has been focused on creating an engaging and enjoyable learning environment. This approach aims to establish a solid educational foundation for young learners, contributing to their all-around growth and development at every educational level. The series is characterised by several notable features: • Integrates key educational concepts with visually appealing activities, interactive games, and practical real-world examples • Methodically structured and comprehensive exercises, ensuring thorough assessment and understanding • Robust online support, including animated tutorials, interactive modules, subject-specific videos, and digital books (exclusively for teacher use), tailored to meet the needs of each topic ENGLISH: Combines with historical and contemporary elements, it focuses on interest-based selections to engage learners and improve memory retention. It emphasises the four key language skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) with clear grammar explanations. MATHEMATICS: With engaging and thorough presentation of concepts, it is suitable for all learning levels, using a graded and age-appropriate approach. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES: It focuses on analysis and inquiry, encouraging learning through discussion, observation, and conversation. SCIENCE: It offers meaningful learning by connecting scientific concepts to students' everyday experiences and the natural world. SOCIAL STUDIES: In this subject, innovative teaching methods are used to enhance life skills, civic understanding, and prepare students for life's challenges. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: It is designed to incite curiosity and a passion for learning about the world. Online support in the form of animated Lesson, interactive exercises, topic-wise videos and E-books (for Teachers only) as per the requirement of the subject. Teachers' Resource Book (TRB) includes Lesson Plan and Learning Objectives along with the answers of the questions to facilitate teaching. Feedback from students, teachers, and parents is welcomed for consideration in future updates and editions. -The Publisher
SDG8 - Sustainable Economic Growth and Decent Work for All evaluates the rationale behind, and the historical and present implementation of, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG8). The goal aims to 'promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
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