Exclusion from safe water and basic sanitation destroys more lives than any casualty . As an 'instrumental' exclusion it reinforces the deep inequalities in life chances and life styles that divide countries and people on the basis of spatial, wealth, gender, caste and other markers for deprivation. The works emphasizes that the idea of sanitation is a buzz word for various development policies and planning ensuring community participation. Intricacies of sanitation urgently need to be tapped in a holistic framework. The book presents the issues of sanitation in a jacketed configuration as follows: “I n a broader sense sanitation implies management, operation and maintenance of human/social ecology involving 'greater hygiene' and referring to scientifically derived people's capability to achieve their primal physical, biological, psychological, philosophical , social and economic needs and entitlements. It involves the well-being of individuals through exclusion or neutralization of elements (social or physical) dysfunctional to them and their community. Good sanitation is a 'way of life' and an effective tool for progress of one's mind, body and surroundings in terms of health, scientific temper , secular behaviour in an acceptable, affordable and sustainable way” . The present compilation modestly attempts to broaden the horizon of sanitation beyond physical and environmental cleanliness and hygiene. The social science academia needs to encompass sanitation discourse on diverse juxtaposed issues such as justice, empowerment, subaltern, multiculturalism and social inclusion. This book is a critique and systematic documentation of the experiences and discourses of the 'sociology of sanitation' across global world in general and South Asia in particular. Present stimulating inter disciplinary dialogue makes a more meaningful attempt towards theoretical orientation on the idea of 'sociology of sanitation'. Appropriating a considerable reader on sociology of sanitation across disciplines, this book provides deeper insights about inevitability of sanitation entrenched across contemporary developing and underdeveloped nations and provoking the advocacy for sanitation of individuals, society and the environment. Finally, this book will be tempting and pertinent to academicians, practitioners and scholars interested in development, health, social reforms, subaltern, inclusive policies, sustainability and overall well-being in South Asian perspective.

About the Author

Ashish Saxena is engaged in teaching and research for over last fifteen years. Currently he teaches at Department of Sociology , University of Allahabad. Formerly, he was Associate Professor at Department of Sociology, and was also Director (I), Ambedkar Studies Centre, University of Jammu. He has been the author of Shifting Manifestations: Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir (2009); Marginality, Exclusion and Social Justice (2013) and penned innumerable articles and reviews in prestigious journals on the broader issues pertaining to developmental studies , subaltern communities and rural issues. Apart from his penchant for writing, he supervised several M.phil and Ph.D and has made a mark in piloting some important research projects funded by J&K State Resource Centre, Srinagar , ICSSR, New Delhi; N.I.A.R - LBSNAA, Mussoorie on the diverse issues related to land reforms, SSA, PRI's, MGNREGA, urban studies and others. He has attended national and international events at premier organizations like UNESCO, Korean National Commission, Bussan, IIAS, Shimla, ICIMOD, Katmandu, IGRMS, Bhopal, GBPSSI, Jhusi, V . V .Giri National Labour Institute, Noida. He is also actively engaged with academic bodies lik e I.S.S, Delhi; N.W.I.S.A, Chandigarh; and E.F .C.S, Lucknow. He is member , north zone promotion council for sociology under aegis of Indian Sociological Society and member of Editorial Advisory Committee of E- Journal of Sociological Bulletin. Recently he was awarded with prestigious UGC-DAAD exchange of scientist programme in Humanities and Social Sciences (2014) at University of Heidelberg, Germany .