Varsha Maheshwari

Identity Representations and Social Exclusion of Women in India: an Identity Discourse Varsha Maheshwari

This book views negative perceptions, representations and attributions of identities by individuals and social groups critically dispose them to disability experience in psychological and social realm of life. In fact, such perceptions, representations and attribution enable individuals and groups to realize and cherish ?who we are?? and ?where we belong to?? But when these attributions and perceptions are well connected to a recent history of subordination and servitude and an ongoing restriction on, or deprivation from meeting basic needs, it leads to negative non-dominant identity representations. This would in turn results in stigmatization and discrimination of individuals and groups in the contexts of family, neighbourhood and communities. Non-dominant identity representations further results in structural exclusion of such individuals and groups from fundamental social institutions such as educational, health, religious and justice institutions. From this background this edited volume discusses how negative non-dominant identity induces and maintains social exclusion of women who hold multiple discrediting social identities in India.