Christmas in Calcutta

Anglo-Indian Stories and Essays
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-81-321-1348-5
Verlag: Sage Publications India

Buch, Englisch, 268 Seiten, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 423 g

Calcutta has one of the largest Anglo-Indian populations in the world. This is a community with members who occupy a wide range of socio-economic positions and who live a variety of lives that are always nuanced by their being Anglo-Indian. However, the community has been conveniently stereotyped by the media. Christmas in Calcutta goes beyond the stereotype and delves deep in this study of the Anglo-Indian community in Calcutta.

The book comprises life stories, memoir pieces and essays on issues of contemporary interest. It is organised into four sections: ‘Identity’ focuses on the origins, characteristics and the constitutional definition of the community; ‘Faith’, or specifically the practice of Christianity, is the subject of study in the second section; ‘Education’ points out some of the failings of the education system for the community; and the final section, ‘Community Care’, talks about Anglo-Indian care and the consolidation of their community through this care.

By drawing on the vital lives of real individuals, the author hopes that there is a change to the lens through which these people of India are viewed.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Andrews, Robyn

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Regionalwissenschaften, Regionalstudien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword Irwin Allan Sealy
Preface
Introduction
I: IDENTITY
Angeline: Typically Anglo-Indian
Essay: Culture and Identity
Irene: Questions of Identity
II: FAITH
Dulcie: The Kindness of Strangers and an Everyday Faith
Essay: A Christian Community in Changing Times
Jane: God-given Opportunities
III: EDUCATION
Peter: The Less the Education the Fewer the Opportunities
Michael Robertson: Education and the Community
Essay: Reflections on Dilemmas in Education
Philip: With Education Comes Success
IV: COMMUNITY CARE
Philomena Eaton: Social Service Convenor Extraordinaire
Essay: Community Care and Consolidation
Barry O’Brien: Charismatic Politician
Meryl: Life, Last Days and Care
Final Words: Reflections on Research and the Community
Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Andrews, Robyn
Robyn Andrews is a Senior Lecturer in the Social Anthropology Programme at Massey University, New Zealand. She completed her PhD in 2005 which was based on ethnographic research of Calcutta’s Anglo-Indian community. The author’s main research interest is in Anglo-Indian studies. She is a recipient of several grants from the University towards this area of research. She continues in her research involvement with the community with a focus on the diaspora, life-story collection and ageing in particular. She was awarded a Massey University Women’s Award in 2009. Andrews has published numerous articles in prominent journals and has several published articles in edited volumes.