Home Institution
Williams College
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Abstract
Indian children have long suffered from some of the world’s worst rates of malnutrition. However, there is an evident mismatch between the macro proliferation of India’s intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and the micro ways in which it is often approached, as established views that place blame on mothers for the poor health status of their children have systematically removed blame from underlying structural determinants of health such as government policies, social inequalities, and economic conditions. Taking a mother-centric approach, this study examines the links between childcare practices and maternal decisionmaking in the context of Dharamshala, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. Interviews were conducted with mothers in rural Dharamshala to gain a complete understanding of their childcare decision-making in their respective contexts, as well as with frontline Anganwadi workers, health workers, and staff members of an NGO working for women’s well being in the area. Results indicate that child health outcomes are profoundly impacted by restraints and responsibilities placed on mothers in the rural, agrarian context, and that the provision of affordable and accessible childcare services through the Integrated Child Development Services program and at government-managed worksites is critical to lessening this burden and successfully ameliorating child health inequalities.
Disciplines
Asian Studies | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Economics | Family, Life Course, and Society | Income Distribution | Inequality and Stratification | Maternal and Child Health | Political Economy | Public Health | Public Health Education and Promotion | Women's Health | Work, Economy and Organizations
Recommended Citation
Rawlings, Arielle, "Daycare, Decision-making, and the Determinants of Health: A Mother-centric Approach to Understanding Childcare and Child Health in Rural Dharamshala" (2017). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2610.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2610
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Income Distribution Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Political Economy Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Women's Health Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons
Program Name
India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community