Development of Integrated Personality Based on Indian Ethos: An Empirical Case Study of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning

-- N Sivakumar, Mallajosyula Omkar and G Sriram

The crisis of the current times highlights the urgent need for the development of integrated personality. Integrated personality refers to a personality which integrates the various dimensions of the personality into a balanced and integrated whole. The integrated personality aims at developing the whole or the total human being. The development of personality has engaged the attention of philosophers around the world from ancient times. The current paper is an endeavor to understand the development of integrated personality from the perspective of Indian ethos. After a review of related research literature, the paper provides guidelines for integrated personality development from Indian scriptures. The paper then develops a framework for integrated personality development based on Indian ethos. This framework is then validated based on a case study of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University). The findings of a survey among the students of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning to show the development of integrated personality are presented. Statistical correlation and regression analysis reinforce the need for integrated practices for personality development. The paper concludes with the lessons that need to be learnt to promote integrated personality development.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Whistling Fans: Reflections on the Sociology, Politics and Performativity of an Excessively Active Audience

-- S V Srinivas

This paper examines fans associations of film stars, a phenomenon that is unique to southern Indian states, to understand the interface between popular culture and democracy. Focusing on the thousands of associations dedicated to the promotion of the Telugu star Chiranjeevi and their close links with caste and political mobilizations in the state of Andhra Pradesh, the paper situates fan activity against the historical backdrop of film viewing in the region. Critically reexamining the scholarship on the links between cinema halls and democracy in India and abroad, the paper then suggests that the interplay between fans’ notion of entitlement and loyalty offers valuable insights into the appeal of star-politicians in south India.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

The Ideology of Exclusion and Cultural Politics in Indian Society

-- P D Satya Pal

The varna/caste system in India is founded on structured inequalities in which the ideology of exclusion permeates all facets of socioeconomic and political life. Exclusion of some castes from the rights and privileges enjoyed by others is enforced by several instruments of social ostracism. This systemic exclusion, the manifestation of which could also be found in gender, class and other areas, is basically conceived by the Brahminical ideology and its rationalization is being drawn from the concept of natural inequality. Those who still act as conduits of all forms of knowledge direct and use it to maintain their control over the system by mediating discourses. Following Michel Foucault, it could be inferred that this kind of cultural hegemony draws support from the power over discourse, the power through discourse and the power of discourse. Persistence of this structured exclusion is rooted in the colonization of minds made possible by the cultural politics aimed at capturing and controlling the social order. Obviously, this ideology of exclusion is incompatible with the ideology of equality and inclusion enshrined in the Constitution of India. So long as this system is operated on such ideologies of inequality and exclusion, it becomes difficult to establish a democratic society. This paper employs the exclusivist approach to highlight the varied forms, levels and manifestations of exclusion inherent in Indian society based on the ideological foundations and argues that methods to tackle such exclusion requires efforts equal to the task.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Urban Destruction in Hollywood Movies of Late 1990s

-- Sumanth Inukonda

Images of destruction of life and property in urban agglomerations are blurring the line between fact and fiction. The destruction of Twin Towers has become an iconic image depicting the ‘war on terror’. Strikingly, similar images have been seen in Hollywood movies. Hollywood has been accurate with not just the images but also the responses brought forth by such acts of terror. How do media narratives emanating from specific cultures weave events and responses within culturally admissible rhetoric? The paper argues through a textual analysis of some contemporary action flicks that there is a discourse of ‘urban destruction’ identifiable in the media narratives through which we interpret events.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Mammy Two Shoes: Subversion and Reaffirmation of Racial Stereotypes in Tom and Jerry

-- Aju Aravind

The character of Mammy or the black female who served the male community has always been the center of heated discussion both in the academia and elsewhere. This paper looks into the question of race in popular cultural art forms like Tom and Jerry by examining the depiction of black character ‘Mammy Two Shoes’, and hopes to open a new discussion on the role, function, and reception of comic strips and animated cartoon like Tom and Jerry.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

BOOK REVIEW

Globalization on the Ground: Media and the Transformation of Culture, Class, and Gender in India

--S V Srinivas

© 2011 IUP holds the copyright for the review. All Rights Reserved.