Theatre as a Vehicle for Social Change

People’s Theatre

The theatre is thus a medium, a method, a technique, an art and, above all, a new language in which imagination, discussions, dialogues, lamentations, laughter, Union, dancing and music are elements which shape the creation of the new voice - the voice of the people.  Theatre is efficient and effective methods of achieving  participation.  There are elements among the people that can provide the means, the interest and the individuals for the tasks of self-expression and social change that are involved. A people’s theatre does not mean an art of lower standards, but an art deriving from the people because it is concerned with them.  It is not an exotic art or one speaking for minorities.  It speaks to the basic human being who struggles to gain his/her daily needs and whose life or death is decided by that struggle.   

CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE THEATRE. 

The  base of the theatre must  to ensure that the material and spiritual riches of this earth reach those who should receive them. We can divide popular theatre into three categories. 

• Theatre produced by a theatrical group but oriented toward the people. This involves a group of actors, directors and dramatists producing for the community a play which inspires social change. Their objective may be didactic, that is  trying to bring to the people some educational message that encourage the audience to tackle the problems that their community faces. 
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• Theater organized by and for the people, with spectators. A group of people drawn from trade unions, cooperatives and other popular organizations without professional expertise and without departing from its daily tasks, sets up workshops for the peoples theatre. Their social drama and theatrical presentations contain elements drawn from the community and use people from the community.  It should analyze the local and national problems, trying to obtain as much information as possible and to provide interpretations of actual events.  The work may or may not be written, according to the interests and needs of those concerned. Music, humor, songs and dialogue are used to stimulate the emotive and critical reactions of the spectators. 
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• Theatre organized by and for the people without spectators. This is a ‘theatre informant’ in which the participation of the public creates the work performed, and in which the action gets through to the spectator and stimulates him/her into becoming an actor and dramatist. This can be done by the members of the community being asked to recount a real sequence of events for which the solution is difficult. 

“Theatre is the first art to confront conflict, shadows and silence to make words, movement, lights and life surge forth.”

Theatre as a Vehicle for Social Change There is a growing awareness on the part of theatre workers of the value of theatre and performance art in relation to social change and development.

Theatre as a Vehicle for Social Change

There is a growing awareness on the part of theatre workers of the value of theatre and performance art in relation to social change and development. Theatre is increasingly being used as a tool for communicating information and ideas and to spur debate, discussion and bring about conflict resolution.In recognition of the role that theatre plays in development, World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on 27 March. 

This day was created in 1961 by an international NGO called International Theatre Institute (ITI).  ITI’s aims, namely, promoting the, “International exchange of knowledge and practice in theatre arts in order to consolidate peace and solidarity between people.”

 To facilitate development, theatre can be used as a tool when broaching sensitive socio-economic issues in a non-threatening and non-intimidating manner.  Ultimately, theatre iis used by the oppressed person as a means of enacting their marginalisation and oppression.  “Theatre is a rehearsal for life.” 

Theatre can be an effective tool in development programmes: 

1. As an entertainment: Can attract and hold the interest of large numbers of people.

 2. As an oral medium in local languages: Can involve the poorest groups and classes who are often left out of development activities because of their illiteracy or lack of understanding of other languages. 

3. As a dramatic representation of local problems: provides a codification of reality which can be used by the participants in analysing their situation. 

4. As a collective expression and communal activity: Creates the context for cooperation rather than individual thinking and action. It creates the possibility for horizontal communication or peer learning rather than topdown one-way communication. 

http://www.hakikazi.org/papers01/am01.pdf

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‘Community’ Radio'

In terms of reach and access, India’s print and broadcast media is strong:  Approximately 60% of urban Indians and 25% of rural Indians read print media on a regular basis, and 96% of the country is reached by radio”. An essential component of community media is community . Sociology defines community as a space where a group of interacting people live. Community radio, thus is a type of radio service, that serves a particular community either geographical or communes and are also run by that community. An essential feature of community media is that since it is completely free from the clutches of the market, profit motive  community radio derives its genesis from the fundamental principles of democracy necessarily entailing equal and active participation in civic affairs and freedom of speech and expression. 

Community radio therefore caters to the interest of the deprived or the socially marginalized of for that matter the tribal groups. It is thus obvious to the point of banality that the low level of literacy rates and even lower awareness towards the society is definitely a handicap for them. It is therefore, quite difficult for these people to connect to the larger framework of national and international issues of importance shown in the news channels.

Importance of community Radio

• Community radio is the most viable option  that most of them would not be in a position to use the print form of community media. 
• It would  be feasible for them to connect viably with issues pertaining to their own neighborhood broadcast  in their own native language. 
• It provides a platform for the local people or groups to tell their own stories, share their experiences and thus become active contributors and participants of the media.  In this way, people become creators of their own community specific media.
• Social awareness programmes and health care measures can also be articulated to the people by means of community media

 In many parts of the world, community radio acts as a vehicle for the community and voluntary sector, civil society, agencies, NGOs & citizens to work in partnership to further community development as well as broadcasting aims.

The first community-based radio station

. The first community-based radio station, licensed to an NGO was launched on 15 October 2008, when ‘Sangham Radio‘ in Pastapur village, Medak district, Andhra Pradesh state, It was switched on.Sangham Radio, which broadcasts on 90.4 MHz, is licensed to Deccan Development Society (DDS), an NGO that works with women’s groups in about 75 villages of Andhra Pradesh. Thus, community radio acts a source of effective communication  on various developmental works that are on and their implications for the local residents. 

Anna FM is India’s first campus ‘community’ radio

Anna FM is India’s first campus ‘community’ radio, launched on 1 February 2004, which is run by Education and Multimedia Research Centre (EM²RC), and all programmes are produced by the students of Media Sciences at Anna University. The main thrust areas where the campus community radio generally focuses on are issues relating to health, education, career, stress management, interpersonal relationship between parents and children, lectures, workshops etc.

It also spreads awareness among the college students regarding the living conditions of slum dwellers thriving around the campus. The students may broadcast different community based programmes with the help of community based members residing in adopted slum areas and community residing grounds. Students are therefore important stakeholders in carrying out the process of spreading awareness which is an important function of any community radio.The Anna FM 90.4 also airs programs on environment, health and rural development. .

The principal functions of community radio 

• To reflect and promote local identity, character and culture by focusing principally on local content. Culture is how the people of a community talk about their past and their future. Culture is infinitely variable and constantly evolving. Community culture is also artistic expression through local music, dance, poetry, theatre and story telling. Culture is also language, so programming includes the languages of any minority groups in the community. 
• To create a diversity of voices and opinions on the air through its openness to participation from all sectors. Some discord is present in all communities, but the acknowledgement of con- flict is necessary for democracy and for democratic communities. Community radio tries to air objectively all sides of a discussion without itself taking sides.
• • To encourage open dialogue and democratic process by providing an independent platform for interactive discussion about matters and decisions of importance to the community. Community radio provides the forum  to bring democratic decision-making closer to the people concerned.

• To promote social change and development. In marginalized communities people all have their individual perceptions about their situation, but  for change and development need a  collective perception of the local reality and of the options for improving it. This collective perception can only be achieved through internal discussions to analyse specific problems, identify possible solutions, and mobilize the appropriate people or groups for action. Community radio provides the perfect platform for this internal discussion.
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•  To promote good governance and civil society by playing a community watchdog role that makes local authorities and politicians more conscious of their public responsibilities. The community radio gives them a voice to air their grievances and obtain their due rights.
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•  Some other functions of community radio include: sharing of information and innovation; giving a voice to the voiceless, especially to women and young people in some societies; and providing a social service as a replacement for the telephone.

Source: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2011/02/community-radio-for-rural-development/
           http://www.infoamerica.org/teoria_textos/community_radio.pdf

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Important Indian govt Campaign

Make in India is an initiative of the Government of India to encourage to attract the global world as well as domestic, companies to invest and manufacture in India. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 September 2014.  It then became an international marketing campaign.

the web site http://dipp.nic.in/English/Investor/makeinindia.aspx

The major objective behind the initiative is to focus on job creation and skill enhancement in in which the Government has identified 25 major sectors which have the potential of becoming a global leader. . The application for licences was made available online and the validity of licences was increased to three years. Various other norms and procedures were also relaxed. In August 2014, the Cabinet of India allowed 49% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector and 100%  in railways infrastructure. The defence sector previously allowed 26% FDI and FDI was not allowed in railways. People from far and wide are planning to visit the fair, which has ‘Make in India’ as its theme this year, and is soaked in colours of both Indian and international crafts.“ It also aims to allow FDI in the country as well as bring back to health the loss-making Government firms. T

The Make in India campaign is completely under the Central Government,. The campaign was designed by Wieden+Kennedy

Folk artists of Maharashtra create a foot-tapping rhapsody to attract visitors at the state’s pavilion. (Manoj Verma/HT)

make in India Visual

India Shining

India Shining was a marketing slogan referring to the overall feeling of economic optimism in India in 2004. The slogan was popularized by the then-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2004 Indian general elections. The slogan initially developed as part of an Indian government campaign intended to promote India internationally. The target audience of the campaign particularly in urban areas citizen.

The slogan and the associated campaign was developed by national creative director Prathap Suthan, in consultation with Finance Minister Jaswant Singh. The BJP government has spent an approximate cost of Rs. 500 crores for the advertisements campaign during 2004 Parliament. After the election by former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, who described it as "valid," but "inappropriate for our election campaign.  

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The slogan was then used as a central theme in the BJP's campaign for the 2004-05 national elections, a move criticized by the BJP's political opponents, who felt that public money was being used for partisan purposes. In response, the Indian Election Commission banned the slogan's broadcast until after the elections, although BJP politicians continued to use the slogan in other contexts. 

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Hindi: स्वच्छ भारत अभियान, English: Clean India Mission and abbreviated as SBA or SBM for "Swachh Bharat Mission") is a national campaign by the Government of India, covering 4,041 statutory cities and towns, to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country. 

Swacch Bharat Abhiyan refers to clean India campaign initiated by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi. The basic objective of Clean India Mission is to achieve the path of cleanliness and hygiene all over India. Implementing Clean India Mission, also called the Swacch Bharat mission will be an important step towards the further development of India. Swacch Bharat Mission is the utmost way to achieve greatness and success in many spheres of life as well as boost the economy of the country.

It was performed in remembrance of Mahatma Gandhi's words. It is India's biggest ever cleanliness drive and 3 million government employees and school and college students of India participated in this event. The mission was started by Prime Minister Modi, who nominated nine famous personalities for the campaign, and they took up the challenge and nominated nine more people and so on. It has been carried forward since then with people from all walks of life joining it.

Mr. Narendra Modi has time and again reiterated that cleanliness has always been close to the heart of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi longed to see a clean India where people would work in harmony, holding each other’s hand to make ‘Bharat’ clean. Mr. Modi promotes Mahatma Gandhi’s vision through the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. Through this mission The Honorable Prime Minister is asking people from all walks of life to help in creating a cleaner and more beautiful India.

The mission seeks to achieve the goal of a clean and a new India in the coming five years, in a way that the 150th birth anniversary of Bapu can be marked as the day of accomplishment of this mission. As many as nine public figures: Mridula Sinha, Sachin Tendulkar, Baba Ramdev, Shashi Tharoor, Anil Ambani, Kamal Hasan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Team Tarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma – have been invited by the PM to make a contribution towards Swachh Bharat, and the people of India are also to invite nine other people to take part hence forming a chain. People are also asked to share their views on social media using the hash-tag #MyCleanIndia.

Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan was promoted through many mediums but catchy slogans and phrase resulted to be one of the most efficient ways to propagate the missions’ reach. Not to forget the slogan contest winner for the Swacch Bharat Mission was “Ek kadam Swacchhta ki ore”. Meanwhile certain slogans on Swachh Bharat have spread like wildfire. Edcoogle brings you 26 Swachh Bharat Mission slogans that will increase your awareness about this campaign and also help you with your homework.

http://www.edcoogle.com/blog/2015/06/26-slogans-swachh-bharat-mission-help-homework/

This campaign aims to accomplish the vision of a 'Clean India' by 2 October 2019, the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Specific objectives are:^{[citation needed]}

·        Elimination of open defecation

·        Conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets (a type of pit latrine, usually connected to two pits)

·        Eradication of manual scavenging

·        100% collection and processing/disposal/reuse/recycling of municipal solid waste

·        A behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices

·        Generation of awareness among citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health

·        Supporting urban local bodies in designing, executing and operating waste disposal systems

·        Facilitating private-sector participation in capital expenditure and operation and maintenance costs for sanitary facilities

The components of the programme as listed in the SBM guidelines are:

·        Construction of individual sanitary  for households below the poverty line with subsidy (80%) where demand exists.

·        Conversion of dry latrines into low-cost sanitary latrines.

·        Construction of exclusive village sanitary complexes for women providing facilities for hand pumping, bathing, sanitation and washing on a selective basis where there is not adequate land or space within houses and where village panchayats are willing to maintain the facilities.

·        Setting up of sanitary marts.

·        Total sanitation of villages through the construction of drains, soakage pits, solid and liquid waste disposal.

·        Intensive campaign for awareness generation and health education to create a felt need for personal, household and environmental sanitation facilities.

·        End of manual scavenging of garbage.

·        The program plans to construct 12 crore toilets in rural India by October 2019, at a projected cost of 1.96 lakh crore .The government has spent 94 crore only on print, radio and television ads to promote the cleanliness mission that PM Modi launched on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary October 2 last year.  As of May 2015, 14 companies including Tata Consulting Services, Mahindra Group and Rotary International have pledged to construct 3,195 new toilets. As of the same month, 71 Public Sector Undertakings in India supported the construction of 86,781 new toilets. India about garbage issues  via twitter based app.NIT Rourkela PhD students and Sacred Heart School Students,Tumkur have made a short film on Swachh Bharat, conveying the message that Swachh Bharat is not a one-day event but should be part of life, in order for the goal of a clean India to be achieved.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2014 at Rajghat in New Delhi.
Here are 7 facts you should definitely know about the campaign:
1. The national campaign led by the Government of India is covering 4041 statutory towns across India and aims to make the streets, roads and infrastructure clean by October 2, 2019 (Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary)

 2. The mission is estimated to cost around 62,009 crore rupees, of which 14,623 crore rupees will be borne by the Union Government
3. The urban component of the mission is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Urban Development and is India's biggest ever cleanliness drive. Around three million government employees and school and college students of India participated in the event in its initial phase. However, the rural component of the mission will be implemented by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
4. The mission was started by Prime Minister Modi, who, on December 25, 2014, nominated nine famous personalities for the campaign. They took up the challenge and nominated nine more people. Thereafter, it has been carried forward with people from all walks of life joining it. The nine public figures selected by Modi to propagate the mission include:
known fact

 5. The goal also includes the elimination of open defecation, conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, eradicating of manual scavenging and Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM).
Major components of the goal:
a) Construction of individual sanitary latrines for households below the poverty line with subsidy (80 percent) where demand exists
b) Conversion of dry latrines into low-cost sanitary latrines
c) Construction of exclusive village sanitary complexes for women providing facilities for hand pumping, bathing, sanitation and washing on a selective basis where there is not adequate land or space within houses and where village panchayats are willing to maintain the facilities
d) Setting up of sanitary marts
e) Total sanitation of villages through the construction of drains, soakage pits, solid and liquid waste disposal
f) Intensive campaign for awareness generation and health education to create a felt need for personal, household and environmental sanitation facilities.
This would cover 1.04 crore households, provide 2.5 lakh seats of community toilets, 2.6 lakh seats of public toilets and solid waste management facility for all towns.

 6. History:
With effect from April 1, 1999, the Government of India restructured the Comprehensive Rural Sanitation Programme and launched the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC).
To give a fillip to the TSC, effective June 2003, the government launched an incentive scheme in the form of an award for total sanitation coverage, maintenance of a clean environment and open defecation-free panchayat villages, blocks and districts, called Nirmal Gram Puraskar.
Effective April 1, 2012, the TSC was renamed to Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (SBA). On October 2, 2014 the campaign was relaunched as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
7. A Swachh Bharat Run was organised at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 2, 2014. According to a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, around 1500 people participated and the event was flagged off by President Pranab Mukherjee. Participants in the run included officers and their families.

 

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Evolutionary Theories

“Evolution” was one of the most exciting ideas of the 19th century. The naturalist Charles Darwin. Darwin developed the concept of “Evolution” in his “Origin of Species – 1859.” Spencer, who is one of a  sociological giant of the 19th century, was captivated by the idea of evolution. He saw social evolution as “a set of stages through which all the societies moved from simple to the complex and from the homogenous to the heterogeneous.

Meaning of the Concept of “Evolution”:

The term “evolution” comes from the latin word “evolvere” which means “to develop” or to “unfold.” It closely corresponds to the Sanskrit word “Vikas”. It indicates changes from “within” and not from “without”-, it is sponta­neous, but not automatic. It implies continuous change that takes place especially in some structure.

Meaning of “Social Evolution”:

 “Social evolution” is used to explain the evolution of human society or  the evolution of man’s social relations. The theory of social evolution would explain the origin and development of man.

Many different theories were propounded to define and explain social change. Theories of nineteenth century may be divided into 

1. theories of social evolution (Saint-Simon, Comte, Spencer, Durkheim etc.) 
2. and theories of social revolution (Marx).

Evolutionary theories

Evolutionary theories are based on the assumption that societies gradually change from simple beginnings into even more complex forms. . According to them social change meant progress toward something better change as positive and beneficial. 

L.H Morgan believed that there were three basic stages in the process: savagery, barbarism and civilization.

 This evolutionary view of social change was highly influenced by Charles Darwin's theory of Organic Evolution. Herbert Spencer a British sociologist argued that society itself is an organism. He  applied Darwin's principle of the survival of the fittest to human societies. He said that society has been gradually progressing towards a better state. He argued that it has evolved from military society to the industrial society. He claimed that western races, classes or societies had survived and evolved because they were better adapted to face the conditions of life. This view known as social Darwinism got widespread popularity in the late 19th century. It survived even during the first phase of the 20th century. 

Karl Marx was one of the first social scientists to focus mainly on social class. His main focus on social class was that one's social class dictated one's social life.Basically, Marx meant that if one is in the upper class, life was one of leisure and abundance, while those in the lower class lived lives of hardship and poverty.

Marx wanted to better understand how so many people could be in poverty in a world where there was an abundance of wealth. His answer was simple: capitalism.

Capitalism is an economic system where the means of production is owned by private individuals. In this system, the economy and the use of resources are controlled by individual business owners and private companies. A capitalist system is also known as free market enterprise.The main focus of capitalism is profit - businesses exist to make money.  Essentially, the purpose of capitalism is the accumulation of as much wealth for the owners as possible.

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Key concepts in Development

Self Reliance 

Self Reliance can also be defined as the freedom and liberty that a person posses. Self reliance means to depend on  ourself  or trust on one's own capabilities, judgment, resources and independence,and strengths in all situations. .  Self reliance shows a high rate of independence in an individual.  It eliminates the need for external help in their functioning and in their general well being.

Culture Identity

 Culture refers to the customs, practices, languages, values  and  that define social groups  based on nationality, ethnicity, region or common interests. Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.  Cultural identity is important for people’s sense of self and how they relate to others. 

Decentralisation

“Decentralisation refers to systematic effort to delegate authority to the lowest levels from at central points.” —Louis A. Allen.   However, strong cultural identity expressed in the wrong way can contribute to barriers between groups. Members of smaller cultural groups can feel excluded from society if others obstruct, or are intolerant of, their cultural practices. example in understanding of different religious group.Decentralisation can be viewed as an extension of delegation. Decentralisation is just opposite to centralization the degree of decentralisation is determined by Nature of the authority delegated, Under centralisation, authority is mostly concentrated at the top level management. 

Advantages / Importance of Decentralization:

Decentralisation helps to improve the quality of decisions-making at the top level management, Decentralisation facilitates diversification of activities, Decentralisation improves motivation Decentralisation makes decision-making quicker and better,  Decentralisation facilitates quick and result-oriented decisions by concerned persons. Decentralisation provides opportunity to learn by doing,, Decentralisation can be extremely beneficial.

Some disadvantages of decentralisation are: 1. Uniform policies not Followed,,2. Problem of Co-Ordination,  3. More Financial Burden,  4. Require Qualified Personnel, 5. Conflict:

Definition of 'Industrialization

Industrialization started in England with the industrial revolution in the 18th century. It spread first to parts of Europe, and to North America. In the 20th century industrialization spread to most other countries. In most areas of the world, countries have industrialised. Most have economies based around one or more key industries. The rates of industrializations throughout history have differed

Industrialization (or Industrialisation) is a process that happens in countries when they start to use machines to do work that was once done by people.  During the industrialisation of a country people leave farming work to take higher paid jobs in factories in towns.

Industrialization  becomes possible to produce more goods in a shorter amount of time.Characteristics of industrialization include the use of technological innovation to solve problems.Industrialization refers to creation of industries, expansion of industries and use of modern technique of production in industries

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