Voluntary Action in Health and Population: The Dynamics of Social Transition

The twin issues of health and family planning have long been the focus of serious debate since, as is widely accepted, health is a necessary co-efficient of a country’s overall development. This volume argues for a research-oriented approach, where public health care is treated as an integral part of the total culture that is being studied. It stresses the importance of formulating strategies that are in consonance with the concerned socio-cultural milieu and which take into account variables such as food habits, economic status, religious beliefs and social institutions. In this framework, this book brings together fourteen case studies of action research projects undertaken by voluntary organisations in the field of health and family planning. They cover projects in different socio-cultural situations across ten states, each unique in itself, calling for area-specific strategies. Yet, the focus of all the case studies is the same–to understand the patterns and processes of change and their core determinants, consequent to innovative intervention strategies.