Teaching Filmmaking as a Praxis for Social Justice

Guest Blogger: Rafael Angulo, Associate Clinical Professor

The Chilean documentary filmmaker, Patricio Guzman quipped about the relevancy of the documentary format when he stated that "a country without documentaries is like a family without a photo album." When we almost meditatively examine our own family photo albums, we are deeply moved by the context, memories and the emerging feelings associated with the images. The photo album provides a glimpse (as if looking through a window) into our developmental history and the relational resources that were available for our growth and maturation. The picture of our mother when she was 22 years old is not just an image created by light. It contains the deeper and most noble of struggles to be human.

The documentary also provides a glimpse into the soul of a country. Who are the heroes and heroines? What are the events that most impact a nation? Who holds power and who is fighting for power? What are the values that drive a nation forward or backward?

However, the doc is also a tool for purposes of breaking the illusion of our separateness. The students who attended the Global Immersion trip to India had the opportunity to focus the camera on the other and recognize that we are in deep relation with each other. Perhaps not be creed, geographic area, SES, or language but by the drive for human liberation. Our approach is somewhat similar to what the great Russian director, Sergei M. Eisenstein called "cine-dialectics" - the use of images to stimulate thought. Whereas Eisenstein used this method to promote a sympathetic sense of the Bolshevik revolution, our purpose is to illuminate the deep-seated drive for liberation within individuals and groups in different types of socio-political systems. The first step in any liberation process is the adoption of a critical stance, an awareness of what must be changed or abandoned.

For our social work students, their filming of the rural and urban problems in the largest democracy in the world creates an imprint in their individual and collective soul a healthy "shock of recognition" of what is both beautiful about the Indian people and what are the structures that reinforce oppressive systems of injustice. In the Mexican film, 'John Reed: Insurgent', we view the growth in political awareness of an American journalist who, while in Mexico to report on Pancho Villa and the revolution, gradually became convinced of the injustice of the uprising and dedicated himself to similar causes around the world as an international correspondent. From being a "participant-observer," John Reed grew to take a stand 'in' history, not alongside it. His story is a fascinating study in the psychology of conversion.

From my conversations with students, this conversion also took place while both observing and filming. They were able to view the structural issues that impact a nation and a people and at the same time what entertains one person can educate-even liberate-another.

Note: Please know that a documentary film of this trip will be available in early October 2010.

It Takes a Village-The Banjara Tribe

Guest Blogger: Olivia Carrillo, MSW '10

As we continue to learn about the caste system and the many ways the people of India define the system we hear that there is a group of people that do not belong within the schedule caste system, but still hold lower status in society and have historically been marginalized – the Nomadic Tribal people or Banjaras. Without land and traveling from season to season to different areas to bring their cattle, to entertain towns, or to sell handicrafts the nomadic tribes people live in a world often untouched by outsiders. However, we had the chance to venture into the world and lives of a people of rich culture, warm hearts, and resilience. The mystique of nomadic peoples is their way of not following the daily structures of Indian society and for this reason they have been stigmatized by being branded as “The Criminals”. For hundreds of years the Banjaras have been accused of being thieves and untrustworthy because of a title that the British had bestowed upon them that ultimately keep the Banjaras from integrating into the larger society. They stand under the radar with no citizenship and no formal education, but continue to remain in the consciousness of others on the outside. You see their tents lining the roads to get to the marketplace and the many children playing within their designated home for the next 4 months. Some Banjaras have settled, which has allowed others to enter their world in efforts to understand the communities in addition to helping them find ways to develop sustainable occupations and to continue to thrive in a tradition of self-sufficiency.

We had the opportunity to have an festive welcome from the Mulegaon Tanta village where the men and young children had lined the streets and upon entering the village we continued to be presented with curiosity and hospitality of the people as the school aged children sat in rolls on the ground and the women sat on the sides of the open space in their traditional attire. The colors of the women's dresses illuminated the approaching sunset and the smiles from everyone brought an immediate smile on my face. They continued to welcome us and show their rich culture by individually greeting us with red pigment and rice on our foreheads and a fragrant bouque of yellow and red flowers (USC colors!). Then the women and girls performed traditional dances from the region. In addition, we saw how the Banjarasas have been successful in an independent business of making alcohol. Although considered illegal by the government, the settled Banjaras make their living on the insatiable appetite for alcohol in the local communities. They began this business because they had no other training and experience in other occupation sectors, so the distilleries were hoisted and then the production of alcohol from sugarcanes started. The community of Mulegaon Tanda has shown outside society their ability to be self-reliant, which allows their children and community to thrive. The system that they have works for them and together they work together to resolve issues of alcoholism, domestic violence, and illiteracy. They have the hospitality to invite foreigners in a manner that allowed me to feel the most present and connected throughout my stay in India. I was a spectator in the ceremony that they held, but the connection with the people affirmed my desire to work with rural and indigenous people. Seeing the resiliency of a people that have been stimatized and their ability to develop as a sustainable community will forever be imprinted in my mind when I think of the beauty of India.

A Glimpse of Rural India

Guest Blogger: Wendy Reynoso, 2nd-Year MSW Student

Namaste Tuljapur! We have just arrived to the rural campus of Tata Institute, which took us an overnight train to get to. What a refreshing morning to be greeted with the clean air of this city along with the beautiful greenery on campus. It is a complete difference from the congested area of bodies, structures, fumes and loud horns that overwhelm Mumbai. Now don’t get me wrong, Mumbai was fabulous but it was time to slow down and parallel myself to the tranquility of a rural environment. With the cultural presentation and tourism behind us, it was time to attend lectures this morning and what impacting sessions they were! Let’s just say that my perspective about social work was blessed with an alteration.

“So what is a social worker anyway?” Believe it or not, American social workers are not the only ones who get asked this question. Dr. Sampat Kale, who is professor at the TATA institute, admitted to being asked this question years ago by highly intellectual people- mechanical engineers, doctors, and lawyers. He remembers not having a clear answer to the question and instead asked himself the very same thing. "How exactly do I define myself?" Dr. Kale told the class that his answer can only be understood by defining what it means to be a professional.

The general population defines “professionalism” as a career that outputs predictable orientations, outcomes and practices. However, social work is not that. It is not predictable nor is it obvious. It is complex but it is doable- especially in beautiful India, a place in dire need of social workers.
Now let me paint a picture for you. Take 26 million people and give each person $2/day to live off of. Oh and by the way, buying a cup of rice costs more than $2. Take a minute to let that sink in.

I write this not to depress my fellow social workers, or soon to be MSWs, but instead it is to help others reevaluate the field we are in. Sometimes we desire so much to be considered "professionals" worldwide and be recognized as important agents in society the way doctors and lawyers are perceived. Dr. Kale reminded us that what makes us social workers is our ability to connect with people, to listen and to evaluate their needs based on what we learn from them. We should not need to be validated by others who have the “authority” to say we are “professionals”. Instead, the hopeful smiles and increasing capability of an individual to continue on living decently is enough validation to make our profession not only dignified but admired and respected. We SHOULD be PROUD to be who we are.

Now here is a question: What does social work in India look like?

Place yourself in RURAL India. The ground moves. It does not stop and suddenly....Disaster!
What do you do as a social worker when asked to provide disaster management to a rural area suffering after an earthquake? Food is scarce, people have lost their homes, and the community appears to be in shambles. You’re told to provide counseling and some relief and your intention is to do just that. But wait a second. You ask an individual what he or she needs and you expect the answers to command some type of support from you. Preparing yourself to use your social work skills, you receive an answer that leaves you speechless.
Dr. Kale spoke candidly about this exact experience and he will never forget a villager’s response to the disaster. “We’re just used to it.” The villagers acknowledged their vulnerability to such natural disasters and adapted coping methods to continue living. Dr. Kale feels that relief can paralyze these individuals, making villagers dependent on external resources and hindering a community’s progress. They are fully capable people so why should he be there? How can a social worker help?

By the way, these villagers are from the lowest caste system. Next question: Why does that matter?
Understanding the caste systems, the abundance of different tribes, class schedules, and gender roles in Indian society, I began to comprehend the meaning of social exclusion. It is difficult to help someone from the lowest castes when provisions and political and social opinions exist that prevent these people from receiving proper assistance. Provisions and social opinions from those in control decide who gets what in reference to whom gave birth to you. It was painful to hear such truths and our classmates did not stop asking questions during session when exposed to this reality. We all agreed that this really needs to change. Therefore, the place to help begins at the structual level.

In India, social workers need to work outside of the system and align themselves with the client to ask for better treatment. A social movement that encourages change to oppressive structures may be the strongest way to stop the downward spiral of a rural community stricken by disaster, be it natural or man-made. Now this makes sense! The person is not the problem, the structures are. This expanded our understanding of social work in India and our experience with profound lectures continued on throughout the afternoon.

Our days are always a non-stop obstacle course at times and once we finished lunch we got ready for our field visits.
The class visited the Wadgoan Lakh Watershed project and the Wadgaon Lakh Village. The project helps community conserve water for the year and educates them about effective agricultural techniques.The villagers were taught how to properly and effectively cultivate their land to help the village sustain themselves. We spoke with the villagers who use the water from the project and visited their homes. We were taught about how the power structures are not only deeply rooted in historical and political tradition but also how it is present in the way homes are placed in the villages. People from the higher castes were located at the inner most part of the village and the lower caste villagers were located in the outskirts of the village. Around the city, there are flags pinned on the ground that were either green (representing the Muslim population) or orange (representing the Hindi population-think of the color of saffron). In this case, the village had an orange flag.

The class was split up into 5 groups and each group visited a particular family to ask questions and see their home. The interaction was invaluable! They informed us about the self-help group and its effectiveness in their community. The group is held by 15 female villagers and according to them, their husbands are very supportive. After our discussion, we reunited with the rest of the group, grabbed some delicious peanuts the villagers grew themselves, hopped in the car and watched the energetic and enthusiastic children run behind our car waving good-bye.






Days like these make me want to stay longer...I absolutely love India and its people.

A Journey Into Two Religions

Guest Blogger: Heather Halperin
Academic Advisor & Clinical Associate Professor

Today were treated to a day of fascinating education and religious rituals. We began with a visit to one of the Zoroastrian, or as it is also called, the Parsi Mumbai communities, this courtesy of Prof Mandayam's fellow student, Binaifer and her family. They arranged for a walking tour within the Parsi community. The Parsis originated from Persia in the 10th century AD due to the persecution by Muslims in Iran. The largest Zoroastrian population in the world, around 60,000, makes their home in India, with Mumbai having the largest concentration.

As we exited the bus we noticed the significant difference in this community from those which we have driven through since our arrival in Mumbai. The streets were clean. The buildings, although as old as in other areas in the city, were more maintained. Lush green expansive parks, some specifically designated as was the fully equipped park for children, another a park for people to walk their dogs, and then a very large park for all within the community to partake . Our first stop was to view an amazing apartment building made to resemble the ancient Temple in Iran. Each component of the building's extensive facade was carefully explained to us by Tal, Binaifer's husband. From there we walked to the Dadar Athorian Institute a religious and educational facility established in 1919, providing male children of the priests, ages 5-14, religious and secular training and classes in a boarding school environment. In the large hall the Principal advised us that we would get to
witness the fire ritual that occurs daily at the temple. We are not permitted inside Zoroastrian temples but this reproduction allowed us to experience what occurs. Two young priests in their late teens tended the fire and demonstrated the entire ritual. In addition we learned about some of the Zoroastrian customs and traditions. The entire experience was quite enlightening for all.

After a period of questions and answers, a tour of the facility and visiting with some of the young students, we headed off in the bus to the Ripon Club, a Parsi member only lunch club in South Mumbai. There we were introduced to Mr. Khojestre P. Mistree, a Zoroastrian, scholar who educated us on the history and current status of the Zoroastrian people. We learned that the religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster began sometime before the 6th century B.C. in the area that was to become Iran and was the first religion to indicate one God. We learned that the focus is on good. "The Zoroastrian believes in "good thoughts, good words, good deeds" and for a Zoroastrian person to live a happy life, raise a family, help the poor, and combat the evil of the world. We discovered that the Zoroastrian people migrated to India in the 9th century after the Islam take over of the area. They were accepted and have become a integral and significant part of t
he Indian society having made major contributions to the city of Mumbai and all of India. We learned that the Tata Institute was named after a Zoroastrian family. Interesting facts about Zoroastrian beliefs regarding conversion, marriage and death helped us better understand that these are a proud and successful people who are currently in danger of loosing their population due to low birth rate and high emigration. We certainly learned a great deal about this fascinating community.

Following the lecture we were treated to a scrumptious lunch served on banana leaves complete with the most delicious mango iced milk creation. We relaxed in comfortable overstuffed chairs as we awaited our departure to our next religious experience, the Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai. As we bused the short distance, the monsoon rain so familiar to us now began it's descent. In this most crowded South Mumbai business district, we crossed an expansive intersection to be confronted with flowers shops galore selling offerings for the deities. With no cameras allowed and no shoes permitted we entered a series of security procedures that would make any current airport TSA procedure stand up and take notice. e entered the sanctum after being guided through organized lines. There we found an abundant amount of people all vying to submit their offerings. We all managed to go though the process. Guided by Prof. Mandayam we learned how to tell our individual prayer to the large silver
mouse statue.

Two religious learning and experiences opened our eyes and provided us with a taste of the multiple and varied religious practices that take place in this versatile country.

Women, Development & Social Entrepreneurship

Guest Blogger: Kristin Teti, 2nd-Year Part-Time MSW Student, Skirball

Marginalized populations face complex individual, social and environmental barriers to obtaining freedom of negotiation in their lives. In India, the social enterprise model, often in the form of self-help groups, is being implemented to enable and assist such groups, especially women, in gaining the power and capacity to access and use available resources. Self-help groups consist of a group of women who come together around a common purpose. The goal of such groups is to provide women with sustainable financial freedom in an extremely patriarchal society with the hope that this will ultimately shift the economic, social and political culture of local communities and society as a whole.

In a country where poverty is pervasive and many cannot realize their most basic needs, social enterprise can lay the groundwork for a sustainable livelihood. Our visit to Stree Mukti Sanghatana (SMS), an organization established for the purpose of changing the secondary status of women in all aspects of life, offered an example of the power of this approach. Here in Mumbai, many poor women scavenge waste dumping grounds for anything they can sell to feed their families. Unfortunately, these women are often exploited by middlemen who take full advantage of their lack of resources and power. Parisar Vikas, an environmentally friendly program established by a self-help group under the advice of SMS, consists of groups of waste pickers who educate themselves and others on the value of waste as well as healthier picking and disposal practices. This, in turn, empowers them to negotiate with the various obstacles in their lives, including the exploitive middlemen.

At first, one may question (as I did) the value of such social work – how could such a program lead to large-scale change in the status of women in India, especially a woman in poverty? But after hearing from the President of Parisar Vikas, I cannot question the enormous impact this enterprise has on the individual, family and community levels. Without Parisar Vikas, these women are left no other choice than to employ their own children in order to eat. Therefore, obtaining the most basic education and healthcare must take a backseat. Parisar Vikas empowers women to take control over their employment and as a group they are able to establish a line of credit, which ultimately equates to some financial freedom. As a result, their children can go to school instead of pick through waste and they will grow healthier and more educated than the generation before them.

The President of Parisar Vikas spent 20 years of her life picking through waste and never dreamed her daughter would do anything different, but because she came together with women similar in situation, they now celebrate their daughters’ school graduations and see them becoming nurses and teachers. The value of such progress is immeasurable.

The Red Light District Told With Dignity

Guest Blogger: Rosa Diaz, 3rd-Year Part-Time Student, OCAC


“Should the borders of our games become the borders of our mind?”
-TATA Institure Student PSA



Some say that India does not look pretty. In fact, if you drive around Mumbai, you are consistently assaulted with the smells of a city and too many inhabitants for its infrastructure. There are stark differences here. You will often see recently constructed buildings that stand in all their modern glory next to a shanty home. Yet, the starker moments are visible when we visit social service organizations in the community that work with the most dispossessed populations.

To put it into context our course assigned readings reflect on issues such as poverty, women empowerment, etc. We also have the privilege to be taught courses in the morning by esteemed faculty of the TATA Institute of Social Sciences. Every day is different and meant to reinforce our learning process, yet nothing truly prepares one for the multiple layers of existing realities in Mumbai.

We learned about power today and the role of a social change filmmaker in relation to its subject. This filmmaker possesses the power to tell someone else's story while holding the responsibility of representing their subjects with dignity. I began to think about our responsibility to India and its people. We are currently in the midst of discovering the many layers that exist within India’s society, but as the fourth day turns into the fifth I realize we have only touched the surface. Which then leads one to ponder how to best tell these stories of India responsibly without misrepresenting them due to borders we have created in our minds.

Every second in India has shifted and/or erased one of my mental borders. A major shift occurred today when we were introduced to Mumbai’s largest red light district.
We had seen poverty....
We had seen poverty....
We had seen poverty....
Or at least I thought we had.

“Na Hi” (No)

We were introduced to a sub alternative reality in India, a reality that is worth retelling with dignity. The foray into the red light district was intimidating given that it was “almost business hours” and the streets were buzzing with energy. We were escorted by Preeti, the director of programs at Kamthipura Municipal School, at an organization that works with children whose parents are workers in the red light district. Walking through the red light district, Preeti instructed us to never make eye contact with men. Preeti was a tiny bursting light of energy, dressed in a pink tunic, and a dimply smile that would more likely make friends of enemies. As she walked through the district, she greeted women yelling across the street, and it was clear that she was in her territory. I was in awe.

Many of the borders of our mind have told us that women don’t have freedom in this beautiful country. However, we fail to see that freedom’s definition is different given each country’s context. This young woman was living proof that India has taken many steps into a direction; where a young Indian woman runs a Night Care and Education Center for children of victims of Sexual exploitation.

The dynamite within her infused the conversation and made us open our minds to a new reality. Children of victims of sexual exploitation were silent victims too. Unfortunately, the problem of sexual slavery and sexual exploitation remains, even with the best efforts to capture all pimps and madams of brothels. The organization was not looking to solve the bigger problem of sexual slavery because India has many organizations working within this arena. Their main concern was keeping the children with their mothers, educating them and providing a safe place to stay at night while their mothers work. They have thought two or three steps ahead to make sure victim’s children do not get trapped, sold, and/or prostituted out to anyone.

The model of this center made sense. However, why were they the only ones to come up with the idea? Why had no one thought about addressing the situation from this humanistic perspective? I wonder how our misconceptions of what we deem prostitution shapes the borders of how we think of victims and their children. India has given me and my classmates much to ponder.

The beauty of India at the end of the day is that people like Preeti exist. Along with her, there are 140 beautiful children who get serviced everyday by this organization. And of the students who have received help from this organization over the last 20 years, 72% of them have gone on to receive their bachelors degree.

The beauty of India seems to be an existing flexibility in continuum's of time and space. It is a place where red light district kids flourish into college going adults. It may not be what we know. But it is beautiful. It is a positive humanistic change, and India is leading the way.

Slumdog Revealed

Slumdog Millionaire captured it's audience with the corruption and disorder of slum life. It wasn't until today that our students learned about the importance and productivity of Dhavari, the slum in which Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. Dharavi was once a fishing village and soon became the central hub of Mumbai. While many think that slums mainly comprise of disorder and a lack of jobs, we learned that Dharavi not only comprises of 346 acres of residential land, but it also a hub for commercial use with 230.5 acres solely dedicated to commercial businesses and production.

As our students were surprised to hear that Dharavi was booming with business, they were saddened to hear about the actual living conditions. Everyone was at a loss of words to hear that 276 people will share 1 toilet each day. They were also puzzled to hear that people like our security guard, the cooks and other domestic workers that we encounter each day at Tata University most likely live in a slum.

Students were extremely engaged in this lecture while comparing this sort of housing set-up to subsidized housing in America. Our lecturer from Tata University who was an expert on urban planning and global subsidized housing plans explained the Dharavi development plans. There have been many attempts to redevelop Dharavi vertically, which would provide free housing to all individuals who have come to the slum before 1994. This would exclude anyone arriving after 1994. Even if one is eligible, it is very difficult to prove that you have been in Mumbai before 1994. Also, under this redevelopment plan, many multi-member families would not fit into their allotted spaces. The redevelopment plans have gone through many turns with several stakeholders, including real estate developers, the government and UN affiliated organizations.

Our professor ended the lecture by informing us that there is an abundance of jewelry stores located in the slums. Since many people living in the slum have no place to safely store their money, they will purchase gold jewelry and sell it when needed. We will be visiting a slum next week, and our students are anxiously awaiting this visit.