The urban dead end ? Pattern of empoyment among slum dwellers. International Council on Social welfare.

Unplanned urbanisation has created shortages of shelter, water, basic health services, and education. Nowhere is this more evident than in the city slums across the developing Third World countries. The process of development in the Third World countries has been too rapid to allow gradual development of social infrastruc ture to deal with the transformation. The resultant social stagnation and economic frustrations have grown into tensions, poli tical and psycho-social which threaten to rip apart the social fabric. Bombay pro vides a conspicuous example this situa tion in the most pronounced manner. It has earned the dubious distinction of having possibly the largest and some of the worst slums in Asia. These slums typically re present the ultimate limit in squalor; the Urban Dead End.

The book presents a study of employ ment and income generation among slum dwellers of Dharavi, Wadala, Cheetah Camp and Jogeshwari. This study claims a greater attention from the housewives, school drop-outs and the youth. It brings into sharp focus questions like: Can un employment and poverty in slums be re defined in the social context? What is the level and nature of this poverty? How can we upgrade slum-dwellers' income levels? Does lack of supportive services keep women in these dwellings out of gainful work? The book has been financed by Inter national Labour Office, Geneva.