Sense and Solidarity: Jholawala Economics for Everyone

Sense and Solidarity is a book by Jean Drèze that offers unique insight into issues of hunger, inequality, conflict, and the evolution of social policy in India over the past two decades. It spans critical social policies, including education, health, poverty, nutrition, child care, corruption, employment, and social security, and argues for an approach to development economics where research and action are complementary and interconnected.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Jean Drèze, a renowned economist, possesses a unique and insightful understanding of the Indian economy and its intricate connection with the daily lives of ordinary individuals. Through extensive travels in rural India and rigorous fieldwork, Drèze has undertaken research that few economists have dared to pursue. In his book, Sense and Solidarity, he offers a distinctive perspective on pressing issues such as hunger, inequality, conflict, and the evolution of social policy in India over the past two decades. Drèze delves into historical legislations and initiatives, examining their impact on the right to food and the right to work, as well as the passionate debates that often accompanied them. Jholawala, a pejorative term used by activists in the Indian business media, has become synonymous with those advocating for social change. This book firmly establishes the value of collective action in conjunction with robust economic analysis. In his comprehensive introduction, the author advocates for a holistic approach to development economics, where research and action are seamlessly intertwined. Sense and Solidarity encompasses a wide range of critical social policies, including education, health, poverty, nutrition, child care, corruption, employment, and social security. Additionally, it addresses less predictable topics such as the caste system, corporate power, nuclear disarmament, the Gujarat model, the Kashmir conflict, and universal basic income. By expanding the boundaries of social development, Sense and Solidarity seeks to foster a broader concern with the kind of society we aspire to create.

Weight: 558g
Dimension: 145 x 223 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198833468