Examining the Impact of a Family Empowerment Program in Tribal Communities of North Bengal
Category: 2025 Posters
Apr
30
Promita Majumdar, Visva Bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal (India)
Family dynamics play a critical role in adolescent development, particularly in marginalized and tribal communities where socio-economic challenges often lead to strained relationships. This intervention examines the effectiveness of a family empowerment program implemented in the tribal tea garden communities of North Bengal. The program engaged parents and adolescents in 10 weekly interactive sessions designed to enhance family bonding, improve communication, and address social challenges.
Presentation Description:
This presentation bridges theory and practice by integrating family systems theory, adolescent developmental frameworks, and culturally responsive intervention models. The Family Systems Theory (Bowen, 1978) informs the program’s emphasis on improving parent-adolescent communication and reducing intergenerational conflict. Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory highlights the importance of adolescent identity formation, which is supported through structured family interactions in the program. Additionally, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) emphasizes the role of community and environment in adolescent well-being, making the inclusion of local facilitators and community engagement a vital aspect of the intervention. On the practice side, the intervention incorporates innovative strategies such as: Community-led facilitation: Local mentors who understand tribal customs and traditions lead the sessions, ensuring cultural relevance. Experiential learning techniques: Role-playing, storytelling, and interactive exercises help parents and adolescents apply the skills learned in real-life scenarios. Sustained engagement through home visits: Continuous follow-ups reinforce learning beyond the classroom. Expected outcomes for symposium attendees by attending this presentation, participants will: a) Gain insights into effective family-based interventions in tribal and marginalized communities. b) Learn how theoretical frameworks inform real-world program design and impact assessment. c) Understand the challenges and best practices in implementing family empowerment programs in low-resource settings. d) Develop a deeper understanding of culturally specific strategies in social work practice across different ethnic and geographic settings. This will be particularly helpful for social workers working with diverse communities, as they will gain insights into how social work and group interventions look in contexts different from their own. Engage in discussions on adapting similar models for diverse populations facing socio-economic vulnerabilities.
References:
- Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Jason Aronson.
- Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press.
Share this post:
Thank you, Dr. Seck for the comment. Indeed, this work has a strong tie to many important social work theories.
Thank you, Dr. Cohen. I will be in touch and hope to present this very important work in the journal and meetings of IASWG.
From: Carol Cohen, Adelphi University (NY/US), co-chair of IASWG Commission on Group Work in Social Work Education Thanks Promita! Your Poster provided an excellent view of an exciting multi-family group program. It appears to have had some strong impacts on participants (adults and youth), and you have also addressed the challenges of involving fathers. I hope you will continue to develop and implement this model -- and to share more about it with the IASWG and perhps in journals such a Social Work with Groups and Groupwork. There's info about these on www.iaswg.org. Best Wishes, Carol ([email protected]).
Strong theoretical basis as you referred to these authors by including their perspectives.