|| Name: MR Rogan Rome (BALLB-19 Batch-B) || Enrolment No.

L19BALB004 ||

SECTION A

Question 2.

Since ancient times, women have been the victims of numerous domestic crimes. Several
women's movements have sprung up in response to this circumstance and to improve
women's status. Women's movements are believed to be among the most important crusades
in modern social movements. Wherever women's movements have been established,
national organisations and local grassroots groups have worked together to support women
and girls, according to historical records. This includes everything from nineteenth-century
Canadian women's suffrage campaigns to recent direct actions for sustainable development
in India. Differences in gender, colour, class, culture, religion, and sexuality, as well as
worldwide economic and power divisions, all contribute to diverse, even competing
compassions for women's interests. However, the widespread oppression of women has led
to the emergence of worldwide women's movements with shared goals, which are related to
global battles for sovereignty, democracy, and secure livelihoods. March 8th is a day set
aside to honour women all throughout the world. 1

It is regarded as a historic day, a symbol of women's struggle against mistreatment and

oppression around the world for more than a century. It is a day for women to show and
demonstrate their collective strength, as well as to reaffirm their fight for equality and
justice. When discussing the ideology of women's movements, it should be noted that
different understandings of patriarchal oppression and its consequences, as well as different
techniques for combating it, have existed within the women's movement. Some
organisations have small intellectual communities, while others have had a large following.
Some have emerged to support specific causes or to carry out a specific campaign, while
others have been there for years with changing agendas. Radicalism, liberalism, socialism,
Marxism, Gandhianism, and new fundamentalism are all examples of principles. The
women's movement in India has a lengthy history, according to several research. Much
longer than the current'second wave' movement, or even the preceding century's 'first wave.'
Shakti cults date back millennia, and the female power principle, Shakti, has been known
for thousands of years. In this form, the women's movement represents the formation of a
distinct female culture, a positive creative force inspiring men and women alike, rather than
merely an oppositional force fuelled by rage, a rather negative reaction to oppression. The
developments, or rather transitions, that have happened within India's women's movement
have not followed a chronological or linear pattern, but have entailed a collage of local,
national, and worldwide influences at all phases. The social reform movement within the
Hindu fold in the last century is frequently credited as the beginning of modern women's

1
https://www.peacewomen.org/content/conclusion-women-can-be-powerful-actors-peace-security-and-
prosperi#:~:text=Extract%3A-,In%=.
movements in India. Rammohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Mahadev Govind Ranade,
and Behramji Malbari were well-known social reformers who spoke out against the
oppressive religious and social norms that women were subjected to. Their clout influenced
the British government to establish laws against the sati system, such as allowing women to
remarry and ending the practise of child marriage. Girls' education has received a lot of
attention. Even in this century, some of these challenges continue to afflict women. The
distinction is that until the turn of the century, reformers made relatively little effort to
mobilise women for participation in public life in general, particularly around issues that
affected them. 2

Women's political rights, equal voting rights, and legislative representation were demanded
by women's leaders, who were backed by the Congress party (Shah 1984). In the 1920s,
women's groups such as the Women's Indian Association and the All India Women's
Conference (AIWC) arose to promote female education. During the post-independence
period, these groups emphasised comparable problems and implemented social initiatives.
Women's concerns were publicly blustered by social reformers and women's organisations,
which predominantly influenced Hindu philosophy, which was centred on the idea of Vedic
periods. The majority of social reformers believed in the separation of male and female roles
in society. They were not opposed to women working outside the house, but they were
opposed to women having independent professions in the outside world. Women should not
compete with males in all fields, they believed. The reformers continued to demand that
women be pure, firm, and self-reliant. Women's organisations that sprang up as a result of
social reform movements all have a similar worldview. Women's movements are organised
attempts by women's organisations to achieve gender equality and freedom. Many reform
initiatives, both before and after independence, have focused on the situation of women. It
is commonly recognised that Indian society is diverse, with caste, religion, ethnicity, and
gender among the key factors impacting politics and the growth of the country. Many experts
claim that since the inception of British colonial authority over India, gender has been a
major problem in the country's history. Gender and the term "women" have been used to
bring equality concerns to the forefront and to combat them. The colonial authorities utilised
gender as a justification for the rule imposed on India, which they saw as brutal and savage
patriarchal practises toward women. Women's movements in India have used the gender
issue to mobilise against violence and discrimination, as well as for better living conditions
and human rights. Leaders of the Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj, for example, were
concerned with issues such as sati, remarriage, divorce, female education, the purdah
system, polygamy, and dowry. At the micro level, several academics have looked at the role
of women in political independence movements. Following independence, India has seen
the emergence of a vibrant, albeit unequal, women's movement. Women from all castes,
classes, and communities, as well as activists from various political tendencies, parties, and
groups subscribing to various ideologies, have joined in the movement, making it very
varied. Women's movements in India, particularly after independence, have developed a

2
https://www.civilsdaily.com/mains/evaluate-the-contribution-of-the-contemporary-womens-movement-in-
women-empowerment-15-marks/
new sort of challenging movement of social concerns and strive for social equality,
according to the study.
Therefore, we may infer that women can play a significant role in promoting peace, security,
and prosperity. From movements like Chipko movement etc they have constantly proven so.
They may play a crucial role in beginning and motivating progress on human rights, justice,
national reconciliation, and economic regeneration when they participate in peace processes
and other formal decision-making procedures. They can also form cross-ethnic and cross-
sectarian alliances and advocate for marginalised and minority groups. Investing in women's
leadership is thus smart development as well as smart security. 3

Question 3.

Marx's concept of alienation, which he used to develop the consequences of capitalism on

the experience of work in particular and society in general, inspired sociological use of the
term. Marx's theory of alienation was based on Feuerbach's philosophical critique of
Christianity, in which he claimed that the concept of an all-powerful God as a spiritual being
to whom people must submit in order to achieve salvation was a human construct, a
projection of human power relations onto spiritual beings. 4 Christianity cleverly concealed
the fact that it was human power relations, not some higher spiritual reality, that kept the
social order going, thus separating people from the 'truth' of power. In industrial capitalist
civilizations, Marx applied the notion of alienation to employment, saying that workers'
emancipation rested in wresting control from the small, dominating ruling class. Workplace
alienation was first described by Marx in the 1840s and is still relevant today. People were
driven into unfulfilling manufacturing work as a result of the Industrial Revolution, and the
problem lasted throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, particularly in low-
autonomy jobs. Although alienation can be felt and even understood, avoided and even
fought, Marx is not concerned in it solely as a subjective state. In a capitalist society,
alienation is the objective structure of experience and behaviour. It is unthinkable for a
capitalist society to function without it. People must be thrown into a capitalist society, and
even better, they must come to believe and accept that it is natural and good. The only way
to eliminate alienation is to eliminate the fundamental structure of separation between
producers and the means of production. As a result, alienation has both objective and
subjective aspects. Despite the automation of manual labour, today's variables such as
division of labour and the displacement of particular skills lead to alienation. New
technology, on the other hand, contributes to de-alienation through the interactive aspect of
the internet, which creates new options. Despite technological advancements, the key causes
that contribute to alienation remain the same as they were in the 1840s, and can be traced
back to the capitalist system's dehumanisation of work and workers. As a result, the
alienating and de-alienating features of technology in the twenty-first century are important,
but they must be considered in the context of the social and economic framework in which

3
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4
https://revisesociology.com/2017/08/24/what-is-alienation/
they function. Alienation can be defined as a feeling of powerlessness, meaninglessness, and
estrangement as a result of not being able to find fulfilment in one's profession from a
sociological standpoint. The concept was first expressed in Karl Marx's early writings,
which were written during the Industrial Revolution, when the "agrarian, handicraft
economy" was being supplanted by "industrial machine manufacture." Work, according to
Marx, is both a vehicle for people to express themselves creatively and a fundamental aspect
of human nature. Work was more creative and flexible before to industrialization; for
example, craftspeople worked at their own pace and had complete control over what they
made and how they made it. Work on the farm was seasonal and significant because the end
product was food, which was a basic necessity. Due to technical developments and labour
division, factory workers, on the other hand, had little control over the process, work hours,
or ultimate product. 5 To survive, they had to undertake monotonous tasks, producing
something that wasn't necessarily helpful to them but was profitable for their employer.
Because of class separation and rivalry, workers were estranged from their bosses and one
other. Work, according to Marx, had become "dehumanised" and no longer provided delight
of self-realization. Alienation was more pervasive than manual labour in the 1950s and
1960s, according to sociologists, and it was important to modern work, particularly
bureaucracies and service industries with limited independence. Braverman predicted that
technological advancements and increased labour division would result in "deskilling" of
the workforce, which would make workers less valuable and lead to greater
disempowerment. Blunter, on the other hand, claimed that more automation in the workplace
would lead to a decrease in alienation because people would be able to focus on more
fascinating and important jobs instead of boring, monotonous employment. Nonetheless,
some modern critics contend that new technologies have elevated alienation to
unprecedented heights. Employers attempt to boost efficiency through technological
innovation in order to compete in today's marketplaces. The majority of ordinary
manufacturing tasks is now automated. Many information processing and "transactional"
tasks, such as cashing checks and handling phone calls, have been automated or outsourced
to nations with lower labour costs. This is due to modern technology' increased processing
and connection capabilities.

In light of these flaws, it may be concluded that the notion of estrangement has shown to be
a highly helpful and fruitful one. It is now frequently employed in politics, social
psychology, labour and work studies, and other fields. The study of alienation is related with
the early stages of Marx's works for his theory. His philosophical background, observations
of early nineteenth-century capitalism, interest in political issues, and first ventures into a
study of political economy were all brought together in his explanation of alienation.
Alienation is transformed into exploitation and surplus value in the Marxian system, and it
is the latter that the late Marx is most concerned with understanding. Marx's contribution
was to establish a systematic study of alienation, demonstrating how it was materially based
in labour organisation and private property. His theoretical approach is especially visible in

5
https://triumphias.com/blog/alienation-in-the-21st-century-2/
the study of alienation, where he uses a dialectical analysis to combine components from
many other writers while providing a new approach to alienation research. 6

SECTION B

Question 4.

The internet has become a tool of choice for people or organisations wishing to convey a
social message far and wide due to its increasing accessibility and capacity to engage with
thousands of citizens fast. The capacity to interact with a broad audience and, if possible ,
globalise a campaign's goals is one of the most significant advantages of using digital
activism for positive change. Because of the interconnected nature of social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter, activists can post a slogan, a picture, or details about an issue,
share it with friends, connect with like-minded online communities, and distribute
information through their networks in far less time and energy than more traditional methods
like going door-to-door or standing on street corners and asking passers-by to sign petitions.
Some of the most effective movements employ social media and online activities to build
support before combining it with "leg work" on the ground, not only talking the talk but also
walking the walk. The 2019 climate strike movement is a fantastic example of this type of
online and offline activism working together. Beyond getting the message out, digital
activism gives anybody with access to the internet a platform to make their case and demand
change, and it may be especially useful for those who are typically silenced or lack a vehicle
for their message. It also helps to generate a better perspective of what is going on by
allowing ordinary folks to tell their tales – and can compel governments to take action on
subjects that are not generally covered by traditional media. For example, Justice for George
Floyd sparked a digital social movement with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatters, which not
only brought people together in the United States but also drew widespread support f rom
around the world. 7

While there are many significant advantages to internet action, it also has certain drawbacks.
One downside of internet activism, for example, is that it can spiral out of hand. If you
express your thoughts on social media sites, individuals may share them with a large number
of people, and you may face a backlash if other people don't agree with what you're saying.
Those shitstorms can be extremely ugly, and people may be really rude to you. 8 As a result,
before you share your ideas on the internet, make sure you have a solid attitude and that
such shitstorms won't upset you too much. Another issue with internet campaigning is that
people might use nicknames to mask their genuine identities. While this can be advantageous
in some instances, it also carries the risk of someone going too far. People are generally lot

6
http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/s3002.htm
7
https://www.arabmediasociety.com/digital-activism-efficacies-and-burdens-of-social-media-for-civic-activism/
8
https://rampages.us/annafitzgerald/2016/12/03/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-activism/
braver on the internet than they would be in person because they feel a high sense of
anonymity. As a result, because people can hide behind nicknames, social media activism
is frequently misunderstood, and people are frequently treated badly when they share their
opinions. Many people believe that the internet allows them to do everything they desire. In
reality, many people insult each other online because they believe there will be no
repercussions. Fundamentalists may utilise social media platforms for their aims, which is
another disadvantage of digital activism. In fact, because it is so simple and accessible,
individuals from all walks of life utilise those internet platforms to communicate their
thoughts.9 We can disseminate all types of thoughts through the internet thanks to online
activism. While this is easy, it also poses a severe risk to our children because such social
media groups frequently provide access to adult content. In truth, certain information is just
not appropriate for children under a particular age, and it might be impossible to keep
specific age groups from viewing it. As a result, social media activity may pose a threat to
our youth. Hence, it's also a two-sided coin; while there are many benefits, there are also
many drawbacks.

Question 5.

Without a doubt, the British had an impact on the caste system, but this is true of every period
in Indian history. Caste adapts to evolving state technologies and political economies, but it
remains a comprehensive social truth that organises all aspect of Indian society, including legal,
economic, political, religious, aesthetic, and cultural. This is not to downplay colonialism's
heinous nature, or postcolonialism's critique of it. The lower castes were particularly devastated
by British colonialism's brutal destruction of the Indian countryside, which wiped out rural
wealth, killed millions of people in famine after famine, and destroyed craft businesses that
had propelled world trade for millennia. At the same time, British education cultivated both
upper-caste elites who would succeed them and lower-caste thinkers like Mahatma Phule and
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who formulated withering critiques of varna ideology. Colonialism had
diverse consequences on caste, as did all systems of control. It was not, however, created by
the British.10 The puzzle is why this idea continues, given how obviously false it is. Part of the
answer is that postcolonial studies is a self-contained echo chamber. These kinds of works
aren't vetted by drab pre-colonial India historians like myself. Rather, under the enticing banner
of theory, postcolonial historians make broad assertions about pre-colonial India, while having
little prior knowledge of the period. In the course on Indian Government and Politics, we
learned about the caste structure in Indian society. You should also be aware of its fundamental
characteristics, such as its hierarchical and closed structure, as well as the trends and methods
of upward caste mobility. We will discuss the impact of colonialism on the caste system in this
unit. However, before we look at the modifications colonialism brought about, let us have a
look at some of the core characteristics of the caste system. In his authoritative work on Caste,
G.S. Ghurye enumerates some characteristics: Members of a caste ceased to be members of a

9
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10
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23163050
community as a whole as a result of the "quasi-sovereignty of caste" and its governing body,
as a result of which caste members ceased to be members of a community as a whole, insofar
as caste 4as a group with a separate arrangement for meeting out justice to its members. As a
result, it implied a system in which persons' moral duty was first to their caste, not to the
community as a whole; Hierarchy, or the strict ordering of society from top to bottom based on
ritual rank and equally strict definitions of tasks and functions that each group must fulfil;
Interdining and social interaction are restricted according to precise laws that specify what type
of food or drink a person can accept and from which castes; Varied portions of society have
different civil and religious disabilities and privileges, which are mostly manifested through
segregated living and some castes' lack of access to particular regions, streets, temples, and
traditions like as untouchability. There is a lack of unlimited occupational option. Endogamy
is a type of marriage restriction. Colonialism had a major impact on the caste system in two
ways. To begin with, the British implemented a variety of judicial and administrative practises.
Second, through the indirect effect of liberal ideas on segments of Indian society that then took
up cudgels to fight for social reforms. 11

Question 6.
One of the ways in which society marginalises particular groups of people is to ignore them
and pretend that they do not exist. It is now happening to lesbians, gays, bisexuals,
transgenders, and queers (LGBTQ). It occurs in the majority of India and societies around the
world, where LGBTQ persons are not even mentioned. Most of the time, especially in schools,
the only time gay individuals are mentioned is when a student refers to another as a 'faggot.'
While name-calling is unpleasant, social invisibility and silence can be even worse since they
reject someone's humanity. The majority culture reacts with hostility if any LGBTQ people
persist on making their presence known. Physical violence might result from shunning and
name-calling. The consequences are long-lasting and destructive. Stay in the closet and out of
our sight, is the message. Ironically, even when LGBTQ people want to blend in, they are
frequently targeted.12 Discrimination against the LGBTQ community has a detrimental impact
on people' well-being, causes them to endure unfortunate misfortune, and has a bad impact on
society as a whole. In comparison to straight kids, negative views against LGBTQ students at
school put them at a higher risk of violence and illness. According to a nationwide research
conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015, LGBTQ children were
nearly three times as likely as straight pupils to miss school due to safety concerns. On school
grounds, 34% of students said they were bullied, and 10% said they were threatened or injured
with a weapon. Cyberbullying affected 28% of those surveyed. The report went on to say that
being exposed to violence had a negative impact on these students' mental health. "Compared
to 6% of heterosexual youth, nearly one-third (29%) of LGBTQ youth attempted suicide at
least once in the previous year." Unfortunately, school isn't the only location where LGBTQ
adolescents face prejudice. For many, it starts at home, usually the moment they openly discuss
their sexual orientation. Coming out may be a stressful experience for LGBTQ youth, with half

11
https://www.rochester.edu/college/faculty/alexander_lee/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mobilization-ca.pdf
12
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-health
of them receiving a negative reaction from their parents. Thirty percent are subjected to
physical assault, and twenty-six percent are evicted from their homes. In the United States,
almost 40% of all homeless youth are LGBTQ. Growing up on the streets or in shelters
increases the likelihood that these children will miss school, setting in motion a downward
spiral that will make it extremely difficult for them to become productive adults. However,
many LGBTQ people mature into adults, find solid careers and spouses, and strive to live their
lives with the same rights and privileges as their fellow citizens. However, just because they
are good citizens does not guarantee that they will be approved. 42 percent will face workplace
discrimination, resulting in "greater levels of psychological anguish and health-related
difficulties" than employees who do not face prejudice. Worse, it's estimated that up to 25% of
LGBTQ people have been the victims of hate crimes. Those who survive a hate crime—and
many do not—suffer from sadness, anger, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in the
aftermath.13 Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) people
report coping remarkably well with systemic discrimination, and the majority do not suffer
from depression or other mental illnesses. Discrimination and stigmatisation, on the other hand,
might increase the risk of mental discomfort, sadness, and anxiety. People are frequently under
pressure to conform to society's preconceived notions of what it means to be male or female.
Those who don't match the mould may be mocked, intimidated, or even physically abused.
Despite growing societal acceptance and more exposure in the media and public life, many
LGBTIQ+ persons continue to face discrimination, harassment, and assault at work, school,
and in social circumstances. Discrimination can take the form of overt acts of prejudice and
discrimination (e.g., denying employment or promotion to someone who is open about being
transgender), as well as more subtle, but no less harmful, discrimination that reinforces
negative stereotypes and feelings of difference (e.g., using the term "gay" as a derogatory term).

13
https://florinroebig.com/lgbtq-discrimination/
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