Education as a Means of Social Change

Education as a Means of Social Change – Study with Regard to
Dhankut, a Group Living In District Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh
By
Alok Chantia, Department of Anthropology, SJNPG College, Lucknow, 226 004, Uttar Pradesh, India
Telephone: 091- 05252-234570; E-mail: alokchantia@rediffmail.com
KEYWORDS Poverty. Illiteracy. Inequality. Opportunity. Mobility. Progress
ABSTRACT
Present study has been done on a group called Dhankut to analyse whether education is a
means of social change with regard to them. Dhankut are mainly illiterate and
economically poor residing in Dhankuttypura, surrounded by Brahmins, Kayastha,
Muslims and Vaish. This group is mentioned as Dhankut in district gazeteer and voter’s
list without any caste description of SC/ST/OBC. It is neither agricultural, occupational
nor service class group. They are engaged in retail work of cereal selling, betal selling
and thela pulling. Dhankut women are engaged in cow dung collection and making of
cow dung cakes. Social change is influenced by many factors, education is one of them.
Education helps in eradication of poverty, class discrimination and gender biasness. It
promotes equality and justice in the society. It provide opportunities for progress and
mobility but with regard to Dhankut Education itself is increasing social segregation and
class discriminations. Study reveals that though Dhankut are aware of importance of
education for improving their social status but still they are not promoting their children
to take education. They feel that education is waste of time and money as it does not
provide them with jobs. Thus with regard to Dhankut. Education has not accelerated the
process of social change.