Raising a Humanist Conscious Parenting in an Increasingly Fragmented World
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Manisha Pathak-Shelat is Professor and Chair, Centre for Development Management and Communication, MICA, Ahmedabad. She believes in a scholarship that is socially engaged, accessible and global in scope. She considers her work in academia a way to make meaningful contribution towards a better world through teaching and writing. It is also her space to meet interesting people, have enriching conversations and engage in stimulating collaborations that often transform into deep friendships. She has a PhD in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and a PhD in education from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. She has taught and worked as a media consultant, communication trainer and researcher in India, Thailand and USA. The common thread that connects her work is exploration of how ordinary citizens engage with media and use communication to experience agency, explore identities and participate in social change. Manisha has published her work widely, presented it to audiences globally and received prestigious awards and fellowships. Her other books include a co-edited volume titled The Handbook of Media Education Research, Communication for Gender Sensitization: The Value Discussion Approach, a set of 12 energy and environment stories for tribal children of Gujarat and a co-authored book with Kiran Vinod Bhatia titled Challenging Discriminatory Practices of Religious Socialization among Adolescents: Critical Media Literacy and Pedagogies in Practice. She loves working with and writing for young people. She chooses to take the scenic route to life, savouring small joys and adventures. Travelling, gardening, reading, listening to music and dancing are her de-stressors and, of course, long family vacations. Kiran Vinod Bhatia is a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. A critical digital ethnographer by training, her scholarship largely explores the links between social networking sites, digital affordances and the global digital cultures of young people in India. Her work has been published in the Journal of Children and Media, Journal of Youth Studies, Journal of Communication Inquiry, Asian Journal of Communication, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy and Contemporary South Asia, among others. She has worked with school students, village/town communities and high school teachers in several parts of Gujarat, India, co-creating/conducting media education classes with them. She has co-authored a book based on this project, Challenging Discriminatory Practices of Religious Socialization among Adolescents: Critical Media Literacy and Pedagogies in Practice (2019). Her research draws force from the desire to dismantle systems of oppression and violence in our societies. She believes that critical education and thinking have the potential to change the ways in which we engage with others and our lived realities.Pathak-Shelat and Bhatiaâs new book Raising a Humanist: Conscious Parenting in an Increasingly Fragmented World provides a much-needed exploration of how adults can guide children to become empathetic, tolerant and critically reflective humans in an ever-changing technological landscape. As scholars and parents, we applaud the authors for delving deep into some of the most challenging questions of our times in a rigorous and thoughtful yet accessible manner. Concepts are carefully unpacked, illustrated with âreal-worldâ scenarios and framed in ways that adults and kids can talk about together. Especially well done are the calls of the authors to move outside our echo chambers and genuinely engage in dialogue and active listening. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in parenting in these politically complex and technologically disruptive times.
- Christine L. Garlough and Dhavan V. Shah, Professor, Department of Gender & Womenâs Studies, Head of the Folklore Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Louis A. & Mary E. Maier-Bascom Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Raising a Humanist is a must-read, especially for parents, educators and concerned citizens who are hungry for a radical vision of the world that we will leave for our children, not driven innately by fear and suspicion, but from the point of well-being, empathy, pleasure, curiosity and engagement with rich and diverse people, platforms and places. This book is a refreshing departure from the tiresome âhow toâ books imposed on caregivers, as you see guilt and fear taking a rightful back seat to more nuanced, critical and creative conversations that generate excitement for how we would like to see the world turn for the better.
- Payal Arora, Professor and Chair in Technology, Values, and Global Media Cultures, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Author of The Next Billion Users: Digital Life Beyond the West
As a scholar who reflects on contemporary media discourse, as an academic leader who is responsible for shaping young minds and as a parent who is raising a child, this text had me at its title. The book addresses key questions and concepts informing the experiences of parents. It mainstreams the power of initiating difficult conversations and discussions, guided by a strong yet sensitive rationale at its core. A must-read for everyone, academic or non-academic, for we all raise ideas, beliefs and people. The book will not only make its readers more self-aware of their personal and social ecosystems but will also extend itself to being a reference, sometimes even a toolkit, to negotiate with questions and everyday practices in their journeys of raising tolerant youngsters.
- Ruchi Kher Jaggi, PhD, Professor and Director, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication India
Pathak-Shelat and Bhatiaâs book Raising a Humanist comes handy in this VUCA world to parents when the pandemic has added to the parenting pangs. The lucid case studies and the real-life examples in the book make an interesting read. The book not only sketches the social divide but also remediates it by addressing its concerns. The book talks of the nuances of religion and prejudice in the most succinct manner. One cannot miss the imagery drawn through the use of the concept of âecho chambersâ. The book also suggests a few simple practices to refurbish the social fabric, which, if adopted, would ease the process of raising conscientious and empathetic children. Debunking some of the parenting myths with reality-check exercises is a frosting on the cake. The spaces provided for pausing compels one to introspect, which is very crucial for a parent. The question is, âShould you rock the boat or not?â Do read this book to find that out. I assure the ride is worth taking.
- Dr Heena Rachh, Educationist and Thought Leader, Principal at Global Indian International School, Abu Dhabi
The book Raising a Humanist: Conscious Parenting in an Increasingly Fragmented World aims to help parents debunk stereotypes, biases, mental conditioning about gender, caste, religion and class. Children from a young age are conditioned into stereotypical and biased ways of thinking if parents are not alert. The book not only raises the right questions but also offers solutions by providing a deeper understanding of popular culture and the role of the media in gender, religious, caste and class portrayals! Most importantly, the authors tell us how to unlearn and re-learn as parents first so that we can raise children who can walk through life with confidence and compassion. This book should be in every parentâs must-read list! I strongly recommend this book not only to parents but to anyone who wants to shape young minds in meaningful ways.
- Falguni Vasavada, Professor and Chair, Strategic Marketing Area, MICA, Ahmedabad
Professor Manisha Pathak-Shelat and Kiran Bhatia bring to the subject of âparentingâ a lens which is both deep and accessible. It is a book that speaks to one of the most pressing issues of our timeâhow to raise a child in this polarized and conflicted worldâand does so with insight and wisdom. As academics, the authors use a lens that is scholarly in its multidisciplinary sweep while never straying too far from rooting the book in everyday experiences.
- Santosh Desai, Columnist, Media Critic and Bestselling Author; Managing Director and CEO, Futurebrands India