"Humans are inherently selfish creatures. So if we help ourselves, we inherently help others by taking care of ourselves." This logic of individual selfishness lies at the heart of neoliberalism. What is interesting about this logic is that I have heard it reiterated among the middle class elites in India in my years of growing up. During many of these debates, when I pointed to anecdotal examples of people that I knew who dedicated their lives to the service of others, the logic came back with the response "helping others is also a self-driven endeavour. When we help others, we do so because we feel fulfilled." Such logics then point to the self-actualization needs of humans as suggested by Maslow to note that helping others help us fulfill our self-actualization needs, which are also selfish in nature. Ultimately then, this is how the neoliberal logic justifies the individualistic greed of neoliberal subjects: You are being honest and being true to what is your fu...
This blog offers Mohan Dutta's reflections on the theoretical framework of the culture-centered approach, examining the interplays among Structure, Culture, and Agency in shaping marginalisation and the ways in which communities at the margins challenge structures. Writings on the blog are continually being revised to reflect the organic analysis of structure and agency.