gender studies 13-03-23.pptx

1. Gender Studies Sex, sexuality and gender

2. Learning Objectives Define sex, sexuality and gender gender identity Sexual Orientation Theories on Gender Gender and Media Feminism and Patriarchy Gender Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming

3. Difference Between Sex And Gender Sex ---physical or biological differences between males and females, including both primary sex characteristics --the reproductive system and secondary characteristics such as physical construct, voice, etc.. Gender ---is a person’s deeply held internal perception of his or her or their gender. dichotomous view of gender is specific to certain cultures and is not universal. In some cultures gender is viewed as fluid. the term berdache to refer to certain Native American individuals who occasionally or permanently dressed and lived as a different gender. (Jacobs, Thomas, and Lang 1997). Samoan culture has a “third gender.” Fa’afafine , --“the way of the woman,” is a term used to describe individuals who are born biologically male but embody both masculine and feminine traits. Fa’afafines are considered an important part of Samoan culture. ( Poasa 1992). In due course both sex and gender are actually socially defined variables whose definitions change over time.

4. Gender Identity Develop in the family, Learn acceptable/ unacceptable behavioural patterns, personal experiences of one’s own gender Sometimes it may correlate with one’s assigned sex or it may differ A person’s physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex . heterosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the other sex; homosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the same sex; bisexuality, the attraction to individuals of either sex; asexuality, no attraction to either sex.

5. Sexual Orientation individuals are usually aware of their sexual orientation between middle childhood and early adolescence (American Psychological Association 2008). Alfred Kinsey 1948- Sexual Behavior in the Human Male “Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats … The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects” (Kinsey 1948). Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick expanded on Kinsey’s ----coined the term “homosocial” to oppose “homosexual,” ----- nonsexual same-sex relations. Sedgwick observes---U.S. culture, males are subject to a clear sociocultural divide between the two sides of this continuum, hetero-homo whereas females enjoy more fluidity. Women express homosocial feelings ----through hugging, handholding, and physical closeness. Where as in the U.S. males refrain from these expressions as these expressions violate heteronormative expectation that male sexual attraction should be exclusively for females. . . .it is easier for women violate these norms than men, because men are subject to more social disapproval for being physically close to other men (Sedgwick 1985).

6. Socialization and Gender Internalizing the norms and ideologies Process by which an individual acquires sense of self, identity, learns expectations of the society Agents of socialization ---Family, School, Peers, Media Gender Roles children are introduced to certain roles linked to their biological sex. society’s concept of how men and women are expected to look and how they should behave. These roles are based on norms , or standards, created by society. (strength, aggression, and dominance, ----passivity, nurturing, and subordination) Role learning starts with socialization at birth.  Status and status set Adherence to social expectation/ personal preferences

7. Socialization and Gender Gender socialization Anticipatory socialization Tendency where boys and girls are socialized differently is the process, facilitated by social interactions, in which non-group members learn to take on the values and standards of groups that they aspire to join Through family, school, media messages, peer groups Accepting and incorporating norms and values

8. Gender Identity a person’s deeply held internal perception of his or her gender. The heteronormative people and transgenders have their own individual gender identity Gender Dysphoria is a condition where a person’s gender at birth is contrary to the one he or she identifies with. It involves a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify. For such people there must be a marked difference between the individual’s expressed/experienced gender and the gender others would assign him or her.

9. Gender Stereotypes form the basis of sexism, which is the prejudiced belief that value one sex over another. This discrimination even extent to other levels of social structure--institutional discrimination reinforcement of gender roles and stereotypes superwoman /supermom is a Western woman who works hard to manage multiple roles of a worker, a homemaker, a volunteer, a student , or other such time-intensive occupations . Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, The Superwoman Syndrome , 1984 . term "second shift" describes the labour performed at home in addition to the paid work performed in the formal sector . Coined after Arlie Russel Hochschild's 1989 book, The Second Shift

10. Social Stratification, Inequality, intersectionality a system in which groups of people experience unequal access to basic, yet highly valuable, social resources. gender stratification-caste, colour, income, occupation Evidence of gender stratification is especially keen within the economic realm. coined in 1989 by Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe intersecting and overlapping of race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics

11. Theoretical Perspectives-Gender Structural functionalism conflict perspective Symbolic interactionism Functional Theory- Emile Durkheim Conflict Theory- Karl Marx Symbolic interactionism-George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer Values and Functions based on gender roles Emancipation of women through active participation -patriarchy Interaction of people create symbolic worlds-individuals construct meaning via communication- gender as part of everyday life Instrumental and Expressive roles Gender as organizing society Not domestic labour only Gender distributes power in society intersectionalism These worlds shape behaviour of individuals- Gender in the micro level Strain in the division of labour -Talcott Parson Boys and girls taking complementary traits-stable productive family unit Social placement Society is sustained through such repeated interactions of individuals Dysfunctional Gender binary-western perspective society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change Interaction and behaviour is framed through such shared meaning

12. Sex Education in Indian School Curriculum The ‘Health and Wellness Curriculum’ not ‘sex education’, ---creative ways to teach children about adolescent health and puberty. will be taught safe use of internet, social media, reproductive health, prevention of HIV and gender stereotypes 24 weeks programme through comic strips, role playing, group discussions and classroom activities. 11 modules — growing up healthy; emotional well-being and mental health; interpersonal relationships; values and responsible citizenship; gender equality; nutrition, health and sanitation; promotion of healthy lifestyles; prevention and management of substance misuse; reproductive health and HIV prevention; safety and security against violence and injuries; and promotion of safe use of internet, media and social media. menstruation and nocturnal emissions misuse of social media and internet Gender equality and breaking gender stereotypes

13. Gender and Media Mass media----gaze Videogames---sexual objects Films---- damsel in distress Advertisements---body image, ageing Hyper masculinity---action, danger, macho features, physical violence, aggressive, power Hyper femininity—female stereotypes, submissiveness, timid, silent, passive Laura Mulvey- Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (pleasure in looking and fascination with the human form) - to-be-looked-at-ness, male gaze and scopophilia

14. Changing Beauty Concepts Body Alteration Neck Rings Foot binding Tight Corsets High Heels Barbie---Anorexia Nervosa Eating Disorders

15. Theories of Mass Communication and Sexism Cultivation Theory –Mass Communication Theory -George Gerbner and Larry Gross (1976) Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication -Albert Bandura (1977) Ambivalent Sexism Theory -Peter Glick and Susan Fiske

16. Cultivation Theory Cultivation of attitudes enculturation First (behaviour) Second (viewer’s values and attitudes) and third (change in the observation behaviour)order (general beliefs and specific attitudes) High-frequency viewers of television susceptible to media messages believe they are real and valid. Heavy viewers are exposed to more violence and affected by the Mean World Syndrome, the belief that the world is a far worse and dangerous place than it actually is.

17. Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication Learning from observing others (observation, imitation, modelling) an individual's knowledge acquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and outside media influences

18. Ambivalent Sexism Theory Sexism has two sub-components: "hostile sexism" and "benevolent sexism". Hostile sexism reflects overtly negative evaluations which includes gender Benevolent sexism represents evaluations of gender that may appear subjectively positive but damaging to gender equality (e.g., the ideas that women need to be protected by men, women are wonderful).

19. Gender, Power and Patriarchy Cultural Hegemony---Antonio Gramsci--- H egemonic Masculinity -Patriarchy is a system of male domination. It is cause of various forms of oppression. Gender works within and outside relationships Capitalist and patriarchy have rival interests in women’s labour In capitalist mode many a time, exclusion of women from paid work. Naomi Wolf--- The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used against Women Control of women’s access to paid work, maintained by patriarchal relations in the workplace. This control has happened in different forms: Eg . non admittance of women into schools, universities, and also in getting training and certain occupations Fredrick Engels-The Origins of the Family, Private property and the State -He says women’s subordination began with the development of private property, when the world historical defeat of the female sex took place.

20. Gender, Power and Patriarchy The division of classes and the subordination of women developed historically The material base of patriarchy is men’s control over women’s labour power Why does women remain at home to produce the labour power for her husband? State supporting patriarchal and capitalist interests Exclusionary Practices Stability of family, unequal resource position Economic self interest of men plays an important role in intra family gender relations. Limits to women’s participation in paid work, criminalization of forms of fertility control, support for the institution of marriage Control of female sexuality Marital rape House hold work is characterized as unproductive labour Lack of choices, self denial, bargaining power, social norms

21. Patriarchy Sylvia Walby- system of social structures and practices where men dominate, oppress and exploit women System of power relations which is hierarchical and unequal and men control women’s production, reproduction and sexuality Gerda Lerner- The Creation of Patriarchy (1986) Explains historical evolution of patriarchy as a cultural construct based on her analysis of civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Assyria Emergence of agriculture and formation of kingdoms and construction of legal structures contributed to male dominated societies Women become economically and sexually under control of men, and they were worshipped because of their reproductive capacity Women’s mediation with power was through sexual ties

22. Patriarchy Juliet Mitchell - four social functions of women Members of a workforce and active in production Bear children and thus reproduce human species Responsible for socializing children They are sex objects Simone de Beauvoir -The Second Sex One is not born a woman but one becomes a woman How women are treated historically and how she was oppressed and continued to be treated as the second sex, as the other of man, inferior other Mythical image of eternal feminine tie women to impossible ideals and thus deny their individuality Traps- motherhood as a symbol of true female, no woman is complete without a child, nurturing child as the natural job Gayle Rubin (1984)- “sex/gender system,” or “sex/gender/sexuality system” -“the set of arrangements by which a society transforms biological sexuality into products of human activity.” -the links between biological sex, social gender, and sexual attraction are products of culture.

23. Gender and Labour Labour markets are gendered institutions Labour legislation (Equal Remuneration Act 1976) Trade unions Organization or Production of Work Skill acquisition Standards of remuneration Feminization of labour and collective bargaining Home working as unproductive and invisible

24. Waves of Feminism First Wave 1848-1960, Europe and North America Fight against the idealistic construct “Angel in the house” Education, employment, marriage laws, upper middle class white women Right to vote (1920), Right to practice birth control Seneca Convention 1848 ----Elizabeth Cady Stanton Declaration of Sentiments (68 women and 32 men) Most occupations neglected women, not allowed to enter medicine and law, affairs of church,

25. An Indian Perspective First woman teacher- Savitribai Phule Married at the age of 9, educated by her husband Jyotirao Phule They opened a school for girls in Pune- 1848 1851-School of Mang and Mahar Girls 1853-Home for Hindu Widows and their Children 1852-Mahila Seva Mandal (Organization that aimed at making women more aware of their rights)

26. Waves of Feminism Second Wave 1960-1970 Europe and America Consciousness about sexism and patriarchy, sexual liberation Protest against Miss America Beauty Contest 1968, bra burning Not a unified one, inclusion of race Black feminism, lesbian feminism, liberal feminism, social feminism Working class socialism Personal is political-(social opportunities-spheres of reproduction, sexuality and cultural representation) Commission on the Status of Women Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (employment discrimination based on sex, race, religion, nationality) National Organization of Women (NOW) was formed in 1966

27. Waves of Feminism Third Wave 1980-1990 Extension of second wave with a focus in new directions Opposed essentialization of women (black, native, Hispanic, third world, subaltern) Moved into academic /pedagogic disciplines Political movement to ideology Lipstick feminism Beijing Conference on Women

28. Waves of Feminism Fourth Wave 2012-to the present Women empowerment and social media Liberation, individualism, social mobility Equal pay for equal work and equal opportunities Centred on intersectionality- how discrimination occurs based on a person’s socio-political identities-overlapping social identities Use of digital media and technology Hashtag feminism

29. IMD -19th November and IWD 8th March Focuses on health of men and boys, improves gender relations, promotes gender equality, and highlights male role models. highlights discrimination against men and boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular for their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care Promotes basic humanitarian values. The first International Men's Day was observed in 1999 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, (West Indies). Under the leadership of German Socialist and Feminist Clara Zetkin, women workers in textile factories in New York protested against poor working conditions and low wages. First International Women's Day 1911

30. Gender and Women: Indian Scenario Vandana Shiva- famous works, Vedic Ecology , Staying Alive Interdisciplinary study of science, technology and environmental policy Call for sustainable traditional agricultural practices and seed varieties Associated with the global solidarity movement- alter-globalization movement Challenged the biopiracy of Neem, Basmati and Wheat and started the national movement Navdanya in 1991- to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, native seeds, promotion of organic farming and fair trade Speaks about the close bond between women and agriculture Speaks against the corporate patents on seeds and opposed Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights Global ecofeminist movement- more sustainable and productive agriculture could be achieved through reinstating women-centric farming Pratiksha Bakshi -Public Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in India (2014) Ethnographic study that speaks about the highly subjective process of decision making by legal authorities during the adjudication of rape cases in lower courts Phallocentric notions of justice, her own experiences of patriarchal hierarchy and sexual harassment

31. Gender and Women: Indian Scenario Leela Dube- anthropologist and feminist Introduced women’s studies into mainstream of sociology Major works on Lakshadweep island’s matrilineal Muslim community, deconstruction of polyandry in Himalayan tribes, Khasi tribes of Meghalaya Her works showed interconnections between factors responsible for social construction of women’s sexuality, fertility and labour She contributed to the feminist anthropology in India through her work, Anthropological Explorations in Gender: Intersecting Fields (2001) Bina Agarwal- development economist A Field of One’s Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia Gender discrimination denies women command on land and property, women’s role was ignored in the agricultural growth Gender inequality in land is linked to the women’s lack of bargaining power with families, society and the state, and owning property would increase bargaining power. access to control over agricultural land is of high importance in determining rural women’s economic well being

32. Power/ Women Empowerment Power ------ degree of control exercised by certain people /institutions or organizations over material, human, intellectual and financial resources, dynamic and relational Empowerment----Entails the transformation of the structure or institutions that reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination Redistribution of power Process that enables women to gain access to and control of material as well as information sources Should begin in the household with equality, autonomy and respect Gained impetus from women’s movement, struggle against forces of oppression Individual and collective

33. Gender Empowerment The process by which those who have been denied the ability to make choices acquire such an ability Disempowered-deny the choice Process of awareness and capacity building leading to greater participation in the decision making and transformative action Empowerment entails a change and a transition Control over material (land, water, forest, labour, money) and intellectual (knowledge, information, ideas) Control confers power of decision making Empowerment associated with those who have been deprived / marginalized Autonomy and ability to take decisions Inequality and vulnerability of women

34. Gender Equity Gender Equity is the process of allocating resources, programmes, and decision making fairly to both males and females without any discrimination on the basis of sex… and addressing any imbalances in the benefits available to males and females. ensuring that everyone has access to a full range of opportunities to achieve the social, psychological and physical benefits. It does not necessarily mean making the same programmes and facilities available to both males and females. Process of being fair to men and women Equity leads to equality

35. Gender Equality Gender equality/ sexual equality, ---state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviours, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender. Article 14-Equality to all Indian Women Article 15(1) -No discrimination by the state Article 15 (3)- Special provision in favour of women and children Article 16- Equality of opportunity Article 39-Equal pay for equal work Article 42-Just and humane condition of work and for maternity relief Article 51 (A)-Renounces practices derogatory to the dignity of women National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW)-8th March 2010.

36. Equity/Equality Quality of being fair and impartial Treating each individual according to his/her needs Value individual need and aspirations Quality of being equal Treating everyone equally irrespective of any disparities Equal consideration of individual needs and aspirations

37. Gender Mainstreaming Public policy concept of assessing the different implications for men and women of any planned policy action, including legislation and programmes first proposed at 1985 Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi formally featured in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for men and women of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making men’s as well as women’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic, and societal spheres so that men and women can benefit equally and inequality is not perpetual Ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality for sustainable human development

38. Thank You “You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women” -Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru