Philanthropy, Voluntarism, and Women's Education in Colonial India
A Study of the Bethune School, Calcutta
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12499138 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maina Chawla Singh (University of Delhi, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2000 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 65-92 |
| Publication date | 2000-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asian Journal of Women s Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1225-9276 • E-ISSN: 2377-004X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/12259276.2000.11665886 |
| OpenAlex | W2278416534 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
This study focuses on the Bethune School, Calcutta (founded 1849) to examine the interplay between philanthropy, women's education, and nationalist politics in colonial India. First, it analyzes the institution as a venture in collaborative philanthropy in which the role of the local Indian community was crucial and continuous. Secondly, this essay argues how within the historical context of nineteenth-century colonial India, such an institution played a significant role in extending women's horizons beyond the domestic. The institutional culture encouraged student associations and alumni networking, generating new patterns for women's voluntarism and political activism. Finally, situating this within the context of Indian nationalism, this article comments on the life-choices (if some Bethune alumnae who later became social workers and activists. The work of these women facilitates a better understanding of the interplay between colonialism, women's voluntarism, and nationalist politics in India.The question is no longer doubtful, it is not now that we are to say, 'Shall we succeed?' We have succeeded: and the banner which we plant this day, with the blessing of God, shall never go backwards, until its supremacy is felt and thankfully acknowledged in every part of the land (John Drinkwater Bethune's speech, 7 May 1849, quoted in Nag, 1950: 109)
Colonialism · Economic growth · Political science · Sociology · Voluntarism (philosophy · African history and culture studies · Gender Studies · Law · Medicine · Religious Education and Schools · Social and Economic Development in India
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |