Family Planning Communication in India: The Actors and the Acts

This book explores the history of family planning communication in India, tracing the development of a technical health communication process and its impact on the discourse on India's population problem. It discusses the role of censuses, Five-Year plans, and the Ford Foundations in institutionalizing the communication process, arguing that it led to the obliteration of cultural, ethnic, geographical, and economic specificities of India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate historiography of family planning communication in India, providing a systematic exploration of its development. It traces the historical trajectory of the creation of a highly technical health communication process, shedding light on the intricate interplay of factors that shaped this crucial aspect of public health.

The book delves into the core of the development dialogue, which was spearheaded by the British colonial administration, with a particular focus on the discourse surrounding India's population problem. It examines the pivotal role played by censuses and Five-Year plans in shaping the public discourse on the population "explosion" in India. Furthermore, it critically assesses the leadership of the Ford Foundations in institutionalizing the communication process, emphasizing their significant impact on shaping the nation's population control strategies.

At its heart, the book makes a compelling argument that population control communication played a pivotal role in perpetuating the notion of a homogenized nation, an "ideal Indian woman," and an "ideal Indian family." This pervasive narrative, driven by the goals of population control, sought to erase the cultural, ethnic, geographical, and economic distinctiveness of India as a country. The book serves as a valuable resource for scholars and researchers interested in public policy, media and communication studies, Indian politics, modern Indian history, and South Asian Studies. It offers a deep understanding of the historical context and societal implications of family planning communication in India, contributing to our collective knowledge of this important chapter in the nation's history.

Weight: 610g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032436326