Learning from Communities: MSW Students Engage with Coastal Communities in Karnataka

Learning from Communities: MSW Students in the Field

MSW students from the Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences are engaging with coastal communities in Karnataka through the Blue is the New Pink Project.

Learning begins with listening:

As part of their fieldwork, Master of Social Work (MSW) students from the Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SSBS) are engaging with coastal communities across Karnataka through the Blue is the New Pink Project, an initiative of the Center for Women’s Empowerment & Gender Equality (CWEGE).

The field engagement is part of the Karnataka Seaweed Cultivation Project, giving students an opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world community experiences.

Sustainable community development begins with understanding the community itself.

Understanding the Community:

Students are learning directly from communities through observation, interaction and participatory engagement.

• Community Mapping: Understanding local resources, community structures and networks.
• Household Interaction: Engaging with families to understand livelihoods and experiences.
• Women’s Participation: Exploring women’s roles, participation and opportunities.
• Self-Help Groups: Learning from existing SHGs and community networks.

A glimpse into the fieldwork — students engaging with community members, conducting interactions, mapping resources and learning about livelihoods.