UNIT - 1

GENDER ROLES IN SOCIETY

Gender - Meaning and definition - Difference between gender and sex - Gender roles in
society: family, caste, class, religion, culture, the media and popular culture, law and the
state (film, advertisements, songs, etc.)- Reasons for gender inequalities - Gender-just
education outside school Settings
Gender Role
The world Gender role was coined by John Money in 1995. The world health
Organization defines Gender roles as socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and
attributes that are given society considers appropriate for men and women. Gender
roles are based on the different expectations that individual group and society have of
individuals based on their sex and based on each society values and belief about
gender. Gender roles are the product of the interaction between individuals and their
environment.
The men worked outside for family income, and women stayed at home cared
for children, so the men were dominative in early days, but today gender roles have
completed altered. Today men are more likely to stay at home dads that even before
more women are now working outside of the home. And taking a higher position in the
workplace women how days actively participate not only in their family affairs but also
in said and political activity in the community.
The occupations that were earlier monopolized by men are gradually being
cared for by women. Similarly, various professional courses like engineering
Architecture and allied disciplines are also studied by women. India has been many
famous film stars, both male and female, achieve political prominence. In 1966 Indira
Gandhi became Prime Minister of India at a time when fue western nations would have
accepted a women head of state.

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Gender Meaning and Definition
Gender refers to a person self-representation as male or female or how that
person is responded to the social institutions based on the individual's gender
presentation gender means the attitudes, drama, feelings and behaviors that are given
culture associates with the person's biological sex. Gender refers to the economic social
and cultural attributes and female and a particular point of time. Culturally constructed
difference between men and women that varies from place to place and time to time.
Definition
Gender refers to the cultural socially constructed difference between the two
sexes. It refers to the way a society encourage and teach us the two sexes to behave in
different ways through socialization.

Characteristics of the Gender:

Gender characteristic has always been stereotyped.
❖ Females are at home, and Kitchen males are the breadwinner.
❖ Females are emotional males are unemotional
❖ Females are listeners males are active
❖ Females are weak males are strong
❖ Females are submissive males are Spontaneous
❖ Females are depended males are independent
❖ Women earn significantly less money than men for similar work
❖ South Arabia men are allowed to try cars while women are not

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 Difference between Sex and Gender

No Sex Gender

1 Sex refers to the biological differences Gender refers to the roles of the male
between males and females. or female in society.

2 It includes our genetic make up our It refers to social expectation about

hormones and our body cards, how we should think and act as girls
especially our sex and reproductive and boys and men and women.
organs.
3 Sex is challenging to change. (we are Gender can be changed since gender
born male or female) identity is determined by society.

4 Throughout history and across At different times in history and diverse

cultures sex differences exist societies, gender roles are different.

5 Policies respond to sex differences in Policies can respond to gender-

areas to do with the physical body. stereotyped and traditional gender
roles.
6 Sex is natural. It is human made.

Gender roles in society:

Gender roles are cultural and personal; they determine how males and females
should think, speak, dress and interact within the context of society. Learning plays a
role in the process of sharing gender role these gender schemas are deeply embedded
cognitive frameworks regarding what defines mu

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Gender and Class
One of the first problems is we encounter when studying gender stratification in
modern industrial—societies in the relationship between social class and gender-based
forms of stratification. The class structure in India has been interpreted by employing
different theoretical orientation by the Indian sociologist. A sociologist has utilized
Marrian theory while analyzing the Indian class structure in agrarian relation. However
attributes such as income, occupations non-agricultural modes of earning are used to
the studies on caste class is however not substantial.
Based on income
In lower classes, Females earn significant portion of the income, which makes
females the breadwinner. In the higher level, the situation is different. Because the
defined gender roles are although rigid yet comforting. The excess of wealth is often
related to the success of a man as a breadwinner and men are comfortable with their
respective positions of a decisions makes.
Based on education or occupation
Conventional analyses of social stratification in modern societies tend to use
occupation as a primary indicator of an individual’s position in the stratification system.
Traditionally this has handed to mean male rules with female partners being relegated
to either.
a) A development position (as a housewife, for example)
b) A subservient position (as a lesser wage earner within a family group, for
example).
In this respect, Women have hended to the classified in terms of a derived class
position that is a class position determined by the status of their (male) partner.

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Based on Family Culture
The third factor is the existence of nuclear Vs. Joint families. In lower classes,
the presence of joint families. Complicates the situation in a combined family male
sovereignty is unchallenged, there is a pressure of family to give birth to children,
especially in the absence of a male child. All this to poor health.
Gender and Culture
Culture refers to the beliefs and practices of another society. Mainly where
these are seen as closes linked with tradition on religion. Culture shapes the way thing
are done and our understanding of why this should be so. Gender is related to culture
as expectations about attributes and behaviour appropriate to women or men and
relations between women and men and in offer words, gender are shaped by culture.
Gender identify, and gender relationshipsare critical aspects of culture. Because they
form the way, daily life is lived in the family, but also the wider community and the
workplace.
Gender role in society media
For more dangerous than the overtly obscene advertisements are the sexual.
Stereotypes that are found in different media. The Indian versions of the sex
stereotyping would have all women behaving like mythological Sita and Savitri, docile,
submissive, sacrificing, sentimental superstitions and incapable of rational action their
primary duty being wives companions and devoted mothers films are the most extensive
disseminators of stereotyped images. They have a packaged formula for women. The
latter is shown as traditional, indeed Indian women who are devoted son producing
wives etc. So far, women’s protects and criticism have not had much effect on the
commercial Hindi film industry. Television also perpetuates sex stereotypes. In it is a
woman’s world, all that has happened is that the traditional Sita and Savitri have given
way gracefully to a different creature. Who is a new role model for the Indian woman
who has the best of both worlds is economically independent,

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progressive ambitions are very feminine? What is being pedaled here absurd caricatured
western lifestyle which is quite far removed from the averaged Indian woman’s struggle
to survive to neglect and never questioning her reality? Even though 60% of women are
involved in agriculture, radio programmers for rural areas are only directed to men.
Women’s programmers rarely discuss technology, banking, facility new laws or any such
issues.
Gender role in society-popular culture
Popular refers to what has gained popularity regardless of its style,
discrimination. It was widely liked by many people. Popular culture is particular through
media or technology, and one of the most significant concepts is gender. Popular
culture might also be defined as a place for creating a new form of expression of
culture. It was also known as culture jamming. It means to rewriting or reimagining of
media such as advertisements in a way that subverts or overturns taken for granted
ideas. Gender roles are not biologically determined they are culturally produced.
Gender inequalities result because women and men are socialized into different
positions. We are exposed to gender discrimination by developing technology and
increase the use of social media.
Gender role in society law and state
Law and state play a vital role in the distribution of rights and resources among
women men across all sectors. The most significant achievement was the law against the
practice of Sati. Indian constitution provides for positive efforts to eliminate gender
inequality.
Article-14 -> Equality before law (Men, Women)
Article-15 -> no discrimination between citizens
Article-16 -> Equal opportunities for employment
Article-17 -> Equal pay for equal work for men and women.

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Reason for Gender inequalities
Gender inequalities refer to unequal treatment or perception of individuals
based on their gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as
well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure and hormonal differences.
Women are traditionally considered by society as the weaker sex. She has been
accorded a subordinate position to man. She has degraded violated and discriminated
both in our homes and in the outside world.
The most critical causes of gender inequality are Poverty, illiteracy, lack of
employment facilities, Social customs, Beliefs and Practices, Social attitude, Lack of
awareness of women.
Reason for Gender inequality in India
Education
Most of the people in India are not literature. Which is a major cause for gender
inequality?

Religious Beliefs
Most people have faith in religion, so they stick on to old tradition and
superstitions.
Weaker Sex
Females have treated a weaker section in Indian society. It makes their positions
still soft.
In a rural area, female lack awareness about their rights concerning health
hygiene, nutrition and education. In India, girls are considered a burden in the family as
parents have to be the burden of dowry and meet out many unreasonable demands of
their in-laws which create problems for the girl’s parents.

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Remedies for Gender inequality
1. Awareness about new policies, rights of citizens.
2. Removal of bias against the birth of a girl child in the family.
3. Illiteracy among the girls and women, especially in rural areas, backward and
tribal communities should be eradicated.
4. A narrow outlook of society concerning male gender and female gender should
be removed.
5. Development of positive behavior in male gender towards female.Gender
through social interaction social functions and their education

Gender Equality Present in India

Women in India now participate in all activities such as education, sports,
politics, media, art and culture service sectors, science and technology.
Article 14 (Equality before law) Men and women
Article 15 (1) No discrimination between male and female
Article 39 (d) Equal salary for equal work (men and women)
Article 15 (3) Special provision to be made by the state in favour of women and
children. After independence, the governments have made new policies and
programmes under the constitution which enable both girls and women to join political
groups and parties.
Gender Just Education System School Settings
The formal education system can emerge as an essential means to achieve social
transformation because a large number of students stayed longer time in educational
institutions.
Learning opportunities outside formal structure others them the possibility of
thinking and sharing of thoughts. This outside knowledge provides insight on
alternative ways to produce a change in social relations of gender.

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 Non-formal education and informal learning emerge as fundamental practices
that feminist organizations employ to promote individual and collective change.
Outside the states gaze gathering in a friendly and supportive environment,
women benefit from non-formal education programs provided by women’s and feminist
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO). These organizations can create settings
where new ideas may be expressed, and a plan for action may be established without
opposition by the most negatively affected.

Unit II Gender identity and socialization process

Gender identity and socialization practices in family, school and organization -
Role of school, peers, teachers, curriculum and textbooks in challenging
gender inequalities or reinforcing gender parity - Actual gender roles and
responsibilities assigned in schools and classrooms –Measurement of gender
identity - discrimination of gender in the classroom interactions, rituals and
school/ routines - Processes of disciplining techniques for boys and girls -
Analysis of sex-roles stereotype.
Gender Identity and Socialization process
Gender identity is defined as a personal conception of oneself as male or female.
This concept is indeed related to the idea of gender role, which is defined as the
outward manifestation of personality that reflect the gender identity.
Gender identity is one’s sense of one’s gender. It is the result of socialization,
but it also has a biological basis. Gender identity refers to each person’s intimate and
individual experience to persons.
Gender identity is self-identified as a result of a combination of inherent and
extrinsic or environmental factors. Gender role, on the other hand, is manifested
within society by observable factors such as behaviour and

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appearance, for example. If a person considers himself a male and is most comfortable
referring to his gender in masculine terms, then his gender identity is male. However,
this gender role is male-only if he demonstrates typically male characteristics in
behaviour dress and mannerisms.
Sexual differentiation which encompasses the physiological processes were by
females and males became male begins naturally. The differences brought about by
physiological processes, ultimately with social learning influences after birth.
Socialization or the process was by a child learns the norms and roles that society has
created for their gender plays a significant role in the establishment of their sense of
femaleness or maleness.
Socialization
Socialization is the process through which the child becomes an individual
respecting his or her environment law norms and customs. It is the process in which we
learn the norms and values of the society we live in.
Socialization is a two-fold process
1) The process by which the society, the culture or group teaches individuals to
become functioning members
2) The means by which the internalize the values and norms of the group
Two primary goals of socialization
❖ It teaches as members the skills necessary to satisfy basic human needs, and two
defined themselves against danger.
❖ It teaches as the individual the norms and values and believes associates with their
culture and provides ways to ensure that members adhere to their share of life our
own.
Types of Socialization
1) Natural socialization occurs when infants and youngest explore, play and
discover the social world around them
2) Planned socialization occurs when other people take actions to decide to teach
or train others began from infancy on

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 3) Positive socialization is the type of social learning that is based onpleasure and
exciting experiences
4) Negative socialization occurs when others use punishment, harsh
criticism or anger to try to teach as the lesson.
Functions of Socialization
1) To develop the skills and discipline which are needed by the individual
2) To instil the aspirations and values and the design for living which the
particular society process
3) To teach the social roles, individuals must enact in society
4) Socialization transmits culture to succeeding generations
5) Socialization plays a very vital role in personality function and
development
6) Socialization is an essential two sex-role differentiation.
Gender Identity and Socialization process in Family, School Organization Family
The family is the first agent of socialization. In family parents, siblings and other
relatives serve as the earliest role models. Social learning theory suggests that babies and
children learn behaviour and meanings through social interaction. In family,the child
interacts with parents and a small number of others. A child learns to think to speak to
know gender roles norms believes and values of the society.
Parents encouraged children to participate in sex-typed activities such a playing
with dolls for girls and playing with trucks for boys. Socialization in a family is affected
by the social class of parents parenting role and psychological health of parents. The
family is the first environment of learning for the child were the acquisition and values.
Types of Family
1. One Child Family

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 One child appears to be bright and prosperous, Self-confident, resourceful and
popular with other children. Theprimary reason for this baby that only children have
a closer relationship with their parents. Who exerts more pressure for mastery and
accomplishment.
2. Large Family
Children of tremendous family experience different conditions from those who
are in smaller or one-child families. Children in large families have the advantages of
having relationships with siblings. These relationships and interaction give then the
opportunity to have companionship emotional support and assistance while they are
growing.
3. Single Parent Family
They are divorced parents and widow parent. In this family, only one parent
involved in the activities of child life.
So the family situation can cause a lot of emotional distress for the child to
adjust the environment. Early years of one’s life, parents play a primary influence on
gender role development. In family boys and girls dressed differently receive different
boys from playing with and sleeping in bedrooms that are furnished different parental
power has a significant impact on sex- typing in boys, but not in girls feminity in girls is
related to the fathers masculinity his approval of the mother as a role model and his
reinforcement of participation in feminine activities. Because the father plays such a
critical role, his absence has been a related disruption in gender typing inpre-adolescent
boys and to problems in a relationship with peers of the opposite sex for adolescent
female.
School
School is the socializer of children that teachers are reading, writing, arithmetic,
history, science and so on.School teachers as the importance of listening to wait and to
follow directions. The school helps the child to adapt to social order through the
hidden curriculum and functions to prepare the later for

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the stable adult life. School shapes the child’s understanding of self about others.
Schools and socialize children into their gender roles.
School teach children indirectly to be less emotionally dependent. Adjust
children to their social order school teach as essential intellectual skill, languages and
allows people to communicate with each other. According to the position in society
educational system socialize students to become severalto society, to play meaningful
roles in the complex network of independent status. Education teaches how one is to
behave toward his/her playmates and adults. School teach as how to co-operate with
others.
Gender Identity and Socialization practices at Various Organization
Organizational socialization is defined as a learning and adjustment process that
enables an individual to assume an organizational role that fits both organizational and
individual needs. Organizational cultures shape and reinforce socially appropriate roles
for men and women.

When people start a new job, they make go through follow socialization
programme or “on-the-job” training. They get informal socialization through their
organization values outlook as well as written and unwritten course role of school, peer,
teachers curriculum and textbook in challenging gender. Inequalities or reinforcing
gender purity.
Role of School
Millions of girls and young women across the world face considerable barriers to
education. Gender inequality in India refers to socially constructed differences between
men and women in India
The rural areas girls are less educated than boys. The reason for that inadequate
school facilities. Shortage of female teachers and gender bias in curriculum girls in many
parts of the world are forced to spend hours to fetch water and caring for relatives
unsafe roads, Lack of sanitation facilities, lack of

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security in schools, Sexual violence and discrimination, lack of female role models and a
tradition and culture of not valuing girls education.
Benefits of Educating Girls
Educated women in rural areas are more likely to participate in indecision
making.
Education gives women across to better economic opportunities provides
empowerment and enables women to have control over their lives and exert influence
in society.
Role of Peers
Peer groups are characterized by children who belong approximately to the same
age group and social-economic status. Peers reinforce gender-role norms through play
activity and toys. Peers influence the adoption of gender- role rules through verbal
approval and disapproval.
During adolescence, peers continue to have a strong influence, but parents can
be more influential than peers. Peer group should be considered a primary impact on
gender construction among children adolescents. This influence reinforce activities
involved in a play, academic success popularity, body image and chess and continues
throughout the life cycle. Peer groups have potent effects on gender construction and
reinforcing gender roles.
Role of teachers
Teachers play a vital part in the early upbringing of the child, and their ideas
and beliefs can change the thought patterns of young students. A teacher must,
therefore,always be aware of the fact that his or her actions/attribute/behaviour
perspective approach, Manner outlook mindset will help to shape a child’s gender role.

Teachers are required to the serious about the gender issue. For the teachers to
bring about a change in society, they should be given pre-hand knowledge over the
subject. Teachers need not only gender-sensitive curricula

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and textbooks but also gender equality education. Teachers can serve as role models for
the students.

Role of Curriculum and Textbooks

Textbook
It is essential reading material. Textbooks are an integral aspect of the
curriculum and a crucial influential mechanism through which children are exposed to
ideas about gender. In Pakistan, the majority of female students saw textbook images as
models for themselves. In most of the textbook, men and women are generally
portrayed in stereotypical roles and professions. Women are staying at home, engaging
in domestic and caregiving task while men are represented in more leadership or
professional positions. In the textbook, men are described as brave and strong while
women are seen as passive, generous and caring children.
Curriculum
The curriculum is the central or essential part of the whole educational process
without curriculum; we cannot conceive any educational endeavour. Curriculum
determines the purpose and content of education provide guidance materials for
educators regarding how learning outcomes should be accessed.
National curriculum can be a vehicle to promote positive messages about
equality between women and men and to integrate human rights in education.
Segregation in the curricular subject is the primary concern for the educators. Across
the globe boys and girls continue to choose different fields of study. Men are over-
represented in science, agriculture and engineering while women are concentrated in
health and education studies. Various subjects are associated with masculinity and
feminity. Teachers read different material or treating differently according to whether
they are teaching girls or boys.

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A technique to remove gender inequalities in textbooks and curriculum
❖ Removing gender discrimination from textbooks
❖ Removing gender discrimination from curriculum
❖ Setting curricular goals
❖ Gender-based topics (including gender as a separate section or unit in classes like
civics or social studies or as the fours of different courses

Actual Gender roles and responsibilities assigned in schools and classrooms Gender
socialization is the process of learning where children are told to behave and articulate
gender-specific norms. For example, girls are encouraged to be soft-spoken, and home
bound playing with dolls and kitchen toys while boys are encouraged to be
aggressive by playing outside with cars and guns. Schools continue to reinforce such
gender stereotypes by offering home science to girls and sports to boys. There are
ways in which teachers can consciously develop gender natural teaching material and
encourage girls and boys to be high achievers. The teacher should take the first step to
make a parallel world in
the classroom.
Measurement of Gender Identity
Measuring gender identity, the measuring instruments developed to access
feminity and masculinity. The personality traits selected for these measures were more
stereotypical of one sex than the other. Two devices incorporating the
multidimensional nature of masculinity and feminity have dominated gender identity
research: the Bem sex role inventory and personal attributes questionnaire.
Both Instruments categorize individuals as either being
1) Sex typed (Males report themselves as identifying primarily with the masculine traits
female report themselves as identifying primarily with feminine traits)

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2) Cross sex-typed (Males report themselves as identifying primarily with feminine
characteristics, females report themselves as identifying primarily with masculine
characteristics)
3) Androgynous (either males or females who declare themselves as high on both
masculine and feminine traits) or undifferentiated (either males or females who
report themselves as low on both masculine and feminine characteristics)
Twenge (1994) noted that men are generally more muscular than women and
women more feminine than men, but the association between biological sex and
masculinity/ feminity is a warning.
Process of discipline for boys and girls
Discipline is a system of rules that conduct or method of practice. It is about
developing one’s behaviour with instruction and training. It’s about learning or teaching
self-control.
Discipline teaches your child to follow the rules. It doesn’t mean punishing
children when they do something wrong. It means to teach and train your child from
understanding the right from wrong.
Ii’s the process of teaching your child about what type of behaviour is
satisfactory and what is non-satisfactory. The most critical factor in disciplining your
child is how you talk to them as this is turn teaches them how to speak to others and
respect them. The most common ways of disciplining techniques used by parents
may involve time out and light punishments and most essential rewards.

Even discipline in children is essential for

I. Teaching kids value
II. Teaching kids to care and understand others
III. Teaching kids self-direction and self-control
IV. Helping kids from developing a sense of responsibility

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V. Protecting kids from danger and helping them to feel safe and secure
VI. Helping them to adjust well and be happy.
Importance of discipline in children
Parents need to consider the age and developmental levels of the child while
disciplining them. Some parents use discipline techniques like fear, force, and punishments
to teach their kids. Effective parenting doesn’t need physical strength to discipline kids.
If parents set well-defined recalls and explain why the rules and essential and provide
understandable consequences, it works well. Effective discipline techniques for children
The discipline technique you choose would depend on your child’s age, the type
of behaviour your child displays, your child’s temperament and your parenting style.
1) Reward Good Behaviour
Parents need to recalls their child after he or she has done something right. So
that the child is encouraged to repeat that behaviour
2) Create Diversions
Parents need to hell their kids what to do and what not to do so that don’t harm
themselves.
3) Don’t expect perfection
No one is perfect, and it's realistic to expect your child to be well behaved
always. If you expect it so, it might stress your child, and he or she might misbehave
just to ease the lesion.
4) Natural and logical consequences
There are two types of effects. They are:
a) Natural consequences
b) Logical consequences

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a) Natural Consequences
These are the time you let your child know what will happen if he or she doesn’t
behave. The central concept is to make nature runs its course when appropriate.
For example: If a child deliberately breaks a toy or loses it, the toy is no longer
there to play with.
b) Logical Consequences
Which are linked to the behaviour of the child? For example, tell your child that
he or she doesn’t clear the room he or she will not be allowed to play for three days.
5) Avoid physical punishments
Parents need to remember that corporal or physical punishment like bitting and
sparking can harm your kids
6) Present Alternatives
Be a role model and show your child the alternative behaviour that you want
your child to change
For example, if your child is yelling demonstrate as to how he or she can speak
quietly and in a proper manner.
7) Introduce Time Out
Time out, also known as thinking time, work well when needing a break from
your child behaviour or when you know what wrong the child diet. It is a break from
the tension of the modern movement and involves physically removing your child from
a problematic situation. Time outs shouldn’t last longer than live minutes.
8) Use Grounding
This is another effective discipline technique for school giving kids and teenagers,
where you restrict the child to a particular place, like her room as a way to punish him
or her. For example, grounding your child on Sunday right as punishment for breaking
rules on Saturday about something you didn’t like.

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9) Reinforce the positive
Positive reinforcement is better and more powerful than punishment or negative
reinforcement.
10) Take away privileges
This technique is valid only when it is used occasionally. The child should learn the privileges come with
responsibility, and he or she needs to earnit.

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 UNIT – 3
GENDER AND SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Representation of Gender roles in school, Textbooks and curricula – Role of

schools in nurturing or challenging young people as masculine and feminine selves -
Integration of Gender roles in school and curriculum - Gender issues in Diverse
Cultural constraints: Teacher’s role - Developing a positive attitude towards opposite
genders in schools - Gender bias in education - Transgender: Providing opportunities
for Education, Employment and Lifeskills - Developing school curriculum for Gender
Equality.

Introduction
Education for all involves enrolling and retaining boys and girls in school and
educating them up to the age of 14. It also implies developing the innate potentials of
school-age children fully, enabling them to participate in the progress of the nation and
reshaping its destiny.
This also means that and women are empowered through education to
contributes to the national progress and development, equally well as their male
counterparts. For most women, gender inequality pervades in all aspects of their life,
including their experiences in educational institutions. To promote gender equality in
education, gender-just teaching methods and curricular experiences are to be
developed, enabling boys and girls to participate in learning on equal footing. School
practices and curricular experiences gained, particularly those outside the classroom,
like in the playground, library, laboratory, dining hall, etc. affect the learning of boys
and girls. Therefore-gender equally should be the core concern of the curriculum and
teaching methods. Students of bo6th sexes will come to school and enjoy learning if
teaching methods and curriculum

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reflect gender equality. It is the responsibility of the government to frame suitable
policies that promote gender equality in education.
Content Matter that finds Place in-text Books and Curriculum
UNESCO, analysing the content in all subjects at all levels of education in
countries across Africa, America, Asia and Europe, it was confirmed that subject
materials have gender discrimination and gender bias against women. In general,
educational textbooks, the reference about women and their achievements, their
literary and artistic productions, find a place only in a small measure. But they find an
essential position in vocational courses in health-care and social welfare fields. Both men
and women find themselves in the narrow confines of traditional characteristics of
personalities, roles and socioeconomic activities. Names of women, often get omitted,
and they are depicted as homemakers, emotional and dependent. O the other hand,
men are dissipated as healthy in body and mind, having power and authority and
acting independently, UNESCO study reported that most research studies,
recommended that gender bias should be eliminated, awareness campaigns and training
programmes should be conducted on a large scale. Book publishers and writers should
be given suggestions by the government, about the ways to handle gender
equality.
In the school curriculum, history and languages lessons provide more
opportunities for gender inequality being expressed. For example, in Tamil textbooks,
both in poetry and prose, only the works of men find a place more. Only 10 to 20%
of the jobs of women are included. Men writer’s creations, portray men as highly
heroic, brave, wise, fighting for a public cause and dedicated in social service and
general welfare. But women-centric creations by women writers and poets, highlight the
achievements of women. The works of feminist writers portraying girls and women as
brave and courageous, fighting, for social justice and women’s liberation do not find a
place much in language lessons of the textbooks. Even in epics which extol feminism.
The heroines are

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depicted as role models of patience, obedience, devoted to their husbands, and
cheerfully bearing the brunt of family burden.
Curriculum planners and textbook writers do not reveal interest in including the
women achieves and their contributions at appropriate places in the curriculum at
different levels of schooling.
Gender and school Curriculum
The textbook can give a learner a valuable experience of learning and
enjoyment. The content and images depicted in books are sure to influence the
learners; hence it is particularly essential to analysis the gender representations.
The representation of gender roles in textbooks should reflect the development
of society towards equality between both sexes.
Many Linguistic scientists and authors have opined a gender perspective on
language and the teaching of language as well to create a more equal environment
between the two genders.
The language used particularly in textbooks needs a degendering of the
language; English language, which is very much masculine gender-oriented (e.g.) man-
handsome, brave etc.
The language used in highly influenced particularly on yonder children and the
unnecessary working have grown.
Children get the opportunity of studying the discipline in sciences at the primary
level at that gets curved as physics, chemistry and Biology under the brooder rubric of
science. Mathematics at the fundamental level should allow the learners to explore
mathematical concepts through reasoning and logical thinking.
The school curriculum must represent the gender roles of males and females in a
way it will instil and form in learners the fundamental values on which our lives are
designed and constructed in society.

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 The curriculum has several dimensional views in the form of textbooks, learning
materials and pedagogy and also through the classroom and social environments in the
form of the hidden curriculum.
The curriculum form pre-primary to tertiary and gender biases have been
identified in the teaching objectives, the subject choices offered and the teaching
materials.
Teachers Role in developing a positive attitude towards opposite genders in schools
• He/ she should encourage a mixed seating arrangement. It can if wished based
the alphabetical list in the class attendance register.
• Ensure that adequate space exists while arranging furniture to permit free
movement of students.
• Specific classroom spaces should be designed for different activities.
• The bulletin board should be placed at a height for better visibility both boys
and girls.
• All students should be encouraged to display their creative endeavours in the
forms of poems, short stories, paintings, posters etc
• The classroom has proper height and ventilation the teacher can make it a
comfortable space where students enjoy.
• Visual displays in the classroom should be adequately placed so that they are
visible to all children and create an aesthetic and cheerful ambience
• Providing opportunities for girls and boys to work-co-operatively and promoting
sharing in mixed-sex groups must become part of the classroom culture
• Distribute questions equality among boys and girls while transacting knowledge of
various subjects such as languages science and social sciences

Page | 24
 • Girls and well as boys should be encouraged to speak voice their opinion, answer
questions and generally gain confidence by vocalizing their thoughts in a
constructive way
• Rewarding good performances can be made gender inclusive
• Avoiding ridiculing boys or girls for lacking caring behaviour.
Gender stereotypes in school Text Books and Curricula Primary
School level
UNESCO study of teaching materials used in schools of different countries
across the world, found overwhelmingly strong gender bias, In India too, the readers
and text books used in schools at primary education level, contain pictorial illustrations
explaining the gender roles and functions of family members like father, mother,
brother, sister etc. In line with the traditional gender norms. This makes a deep
impression in the minds of young children about what men should do and what they
should not do.
➢ Father reads a newspaper, sitting on the swing
➢ Elder brother is playing with his friends outside the house
➢ Elder sister is washing clothes
➢ Mother is cooking food in the kitchen
➢ A younger sister is playing with dolls in the courtyard
The role and functions of women, their dress code, duties and ideal
characteristics as portrayed in ancient books, again and again, get expressed in the
present-day books also, ignoring modern trends, This makes the girls believe that
their further life centres around marriage, family life, child-care, and home
management only.

Secondary Educational level

There were thousands of queens in the long history of India. Only very few
names are mentioned. Even in literature, women’s name does not find place much. For
example, in the Tamil classic “Silappathikaram”, the names of the

Page | 25
father mentioned but not that of their respectively are Chola, Chera and Pandiya kings
joined together to wage war against “Pari” the king of “Parambu Hills” in Tamilnadu in
their attempt to marry the daughters of Pari. But the names of the girls for whom the
battle took place, did not get a mention anywhere.
➢ Yasodhara, the wife of Buddha
➢ Sangamitra, the daughter of Emperor Asoka
➢ Durgavathi, wife of Harsha
➢ Raiya Sree, sister of Harsha
Higher Secondary Level
Home management, fine arts, handicrafts and social work are considered suitable
subjects of study for girl students. Mathematics, Science, Engineering etc. are taken to
be subjects meant for boys. Similarly, management of most schools, consider cricket,
football, high jump, karate etc. are unsuitable for girls. Even during social service camps,
girls are assigned such work as preparing and serving food, teaching handicrafts to rural
women, conducting adult education classes etc. On the other hand, boys are assigned
task such as road-repairing, propagating the methods of preventing infectious diseases,
conducting environmental awareness programmes, participating in processions to create
awareness on social evils alcoholism drug addiction, dowry menace, female infanticide,
sexual harassment of women etc.
In textbooks and curricula for Std. VI to XII, there is a subtle attempt to make
students realize that the gender roles of boys and girls are different, both in the family
and society.
In a study undertaken on Gender-basis in textbooks by the N.C.E.R.T, it was
found that both genders are given equal importance in most of the books and only in a
few books gender stereotypes are found.
Both the “National Policy on Education” and “National Curriculum Frame
Work” stressed the importance of gender equality in the curriculum.

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 Curriculum researchers have identified six attributes that are to be kept in mind while
developing a gender-equitable curriculum and textbooks. They are:
• Giving equal importance to both genders
• Ideas expressed concerning gender should be unbiased and very clear.
• having positive views and attitude towards both genders
• Giving equal representation to both genders
• Integrating the gender roles of men and women.
• Acceptance of social roles, according to one’s abilities and capacity, without any
gender discrimination.
Role of Schools in Nurturing or Challenging Young people as masculine or Feminine Selves
Gender identity refers to how far an individual personally feels like a male or
female and act accordingly, knowing what it means to be a male or female in the
society in which the individual lives. Femininity and masculinity (gender characteristics)
are socially constructed identities and not based on what it means to be male or female.
(e.g. being dominator submissive, more of feminity. The attributes of feminity and
masculinity are evolved by social norms. But there are possibilities that some women
may feel they have a more masculine identity, and some men may feel they have more
feminine attributes. Those who have more masculine identity should exhibit behavioural
characteristics competitive spirit etc. behaviours as such are not significant by
themselves; what is essential is how behavioural attributes are understood by society.
(G.g. (i) A man feeling shy in the company of other men (ii) A women laughing or
shouting aloud).
Gender identity is developed in an individual right from birth, by various social
agencies like family, neighbours, peers, etc. this is known as gender socialization. Such
gender socialization takes place even in schools. gender socialization that takes place in
our schools make girls feel they are not equal to

Page | 27
boys. Separate seating arrangements for boys and girls, different designs of uniforms,
separate toilets, games and sports events make boys and girls feel that they are treated
differently.
Gender is a complex social phenomenon that shapes an individual’s sense of
personal identity and their interactions with others.
The quality of being feminine (or) processing womanliness is feminist, which is
generally assumed by girls and women who possess the conditions such as tenderness
of softness etc.
Gender identity is different from gender attitudes that are the views of others.
Gender equality policies in higher education have the primary goal of leaving different
choices of courses of study choices of boys or men.
Menes with masculinity are physically more energetic, less flexible have
exceptional numerical and mechanical abilities.
Women with feminist are physically and psychological at an earlier stage. They
have higher and more developed verbal skills and see the world in personal, aesthetic
and moral terms.
A school directly influences and enables children to attain literacy, numeracy
scientific knowledge.
Schools support children in their specific needs while delivering teaching and
learning development.
Parents are welcomes and involved in nurturing programs of schools.
Teachers keep their focus on students renewed regular and solicit more balanced
results for all pupils.
The community gets benefited-from a school which is engaged in establishing
the significance of education.
Role of Teachers in Developing Positive attitude Towards Opposite Gender
Gender issue is prevailing in society, in all areas of life and to reduce them it is
essential to change the mindset of the younger generation as they are those who have
to bring out appropriate changes in the future generations of the

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society, through their ideas, thoughts and practices. To make it possible, we need
teachers in large numbers who have a clear understanding of gender issues and faith in
gender-equality.
At present, in our classroom activities, teachers unintentionally reinforce
traditional gender roles, of which the following are the important ones.
• Teachers have high expectations of boys achieving well than girls.
• In the classroom, teachers put questions only to boys very often.
• When a question is put to a class even though girls come forward and raise their
hands seeking permission to answer it or even when no one in the class comes
forward to answer, teachers more often call a male student, by name to answer
the question.
• While teachers wait for a longer time for male students to answer the questions
put to them, they do not give that much time to girl students to answer.
• The feedback given by teachers to male students is such that it helps to refine
their responses, whereas no such specific feedback is given to female students.
• Teachers remember the names of boys and call them by their names, whereas in
the case of girls, such practice is not followed.
• Teachers generally help boys to complete their assignments by providing specific
inputs, whereas girls are not supported with such information.
• Teachers, while praising boys for the quality of the answers provided and skills
exhibited, praise girls for the neatness of their work and quiet behaviour.
• Teachers who tolerate the shouting of boys in the class, disturbing classroom-
discipline, consider the taking aloud by girls as lacking dignity and discipline.

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Usually, thought-provoking questions are put to boys while teachers ask only simple
factual questions to girls.
Teachers play a significant role during childhood years of children. Their ideas
and beliefs are capable of affecting the though patterns of young children a teacher
should be a role model by his classroom activities and behaviour for students to
develop a positive attitude towards gender equality, research studies report that gender
differences have a direct relationship with the pattern of classroom interaction,
preferential treatment to anyone gender and student’s achievement.
Teachers should impress upon the male students who are misled by
environmental forces and indulge in eve-teasing, give girls mental annoyance and spread
canards about girls, to realise that these activities are very degrading and shameful. Girl
students should also be advised to be cautious not to cross the limit, in moving with
boys and undertaking school activities.
Positive attitude towards the opposite gender could be developed by the teacher
through the following means and methods.
• Treating boys and girls equality
• In the classroom, directing questions equally to both boys and girls
• Encouraging timid and shy boys and girls to answer questions directed to them
with confidence.
• Involving educationally backward students too in the classroom interactions.
• Whatever may be the learning difficulty with which some students may suffer,
even such students should not be snubbed by the teachers; he should instruct
other students also to show some understanding and treat them with dignity.
• In classroom discussions and laboratory experiments, the teacher should
encourage students of both genders to participate actively.

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• Group projects are to be encouraged, and the teacher should ensure that groups
are mixed, consisting of a more or less equal number of boys and girls.
• In school/college functions, programmes are to be so planed that students of
both genders participate equally in different cultural events.
• In the school/college sports competitions though events are held separately for
boys and girls, it should be so arranged that both the genders could take part in
the activities of their choice.
• In group activities, both the genders should be given adequate opportunities and
to participate at equal levels.
• No room should be given for boys and girls to suspect that the teachers are
partial to nay one gender.
• Teachers should serve as a role model for students to shed gender-bias.
• He/she should encourage a mixed seating arrangement. It can if wished base
the alphabetical list in the class attendance register
• Ensure that adequate space exists while arranging furniture to permit free
movement of students.
• Specific classroom spaces should be designed for different activities.
• The bulletin board should be placed at a height for better visibility both boys
and girls.
• All students should be encouraged to display their creative endeavours in the
forms of poems, short stories, paintings, posters etc.
• The classroom has proper height and ventilation the teacher can make it a
comfortable space where students enjoy.
• Visual displays in the classroom should be adequately placed so that they are
visible to all children and create an aesthetic and cheerful ambience

Page | 31
 • Providing opportunities for girls and boys to work-co-operatively and promoting
sharing in mixed-sex groups must become part of the classroom culture
• Distribute questions equality among boys and girls while transacting knowledge of
various subjects such as languages science and social sciences.
• girls and well as boys should be encouraged to speak voice their opinion, answer
questions and generally gain confidence by vocalizing their thoughts in a
constructive way
• Rewarding good performances can be made gender-inclusive
• Avoiding ridiculing boys or girls for lacking caring behaviour

Gender-bias in Education
Gender-bias in education refers to treating boys and girls differently in all school
activities and learning experiences provided, such as the process of socialization,
classroom interactions, textbooks used, curricular and curricular activities, resources
and facilities made available to students etc. generally in most of the countries including
India, girls are considered to be a step below boys.
Gender-bias in Classroom Interactions
Generally, in classroom interactions, teacher’s reactions to students responses
will be any one of the following
• Teacher praises; provides feedback to students response.
• Teacher corrections the response/answers of students; helping students to
elaborate their solutions.
• Teacher comments on the response of the student explicitly states whether the
reaction of the student is correct or incorrect.
• The teacher accepts students response/answer and praises the student.

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Role of Teachers and Parents in combating Gender – bias
Teacher and parents can play a significant role in combating gender-bias. The
first step in this is to get awareness because many a teacher and parents unconsciously
use gender stereotypes. To avoid this, many recommendations are given by
researchers, for teachers and parents to follow, of which thefollowing are noteworthy.
1) Avoiding Gender-bias in Classroom Activities
The write-ups that find a place in pictures and postures displayed in the
classroom are to be examined whether they exhibit any gender-bias, and if they do
such visuals are to be removed. Students should not be divided into droops based
on gender, either for classroom group activities or different genes. In classroom
discussions instead of calling students by name, before the commencement of
debate, each student could be asked to pick any one of the slips contained in a jar
and assign the number in the fall to that student, which facilities are calling students
by number and not by name.
2) Ensuring there is no gender-bias in the curriculum and Instructional materials
The curriculum and instructional materials like textbooks, pictures books etc. are to
examine, to make sure that the names of both men and women achievers find place
equally in examples cited; if not, a teacher should supplement, by adding proper
names. While teaching, the teacher should be careful in using pronouns. For
example, when discussing occupations or presenting storylines or maths problems to
students, teachers should use pronouns for both the genders like “he” and “she”
equally.
3) Selecting text Books free from Gender-bias
Textbooks may sow gender-bias I the minds of students. So, when selecting
textbooks for students, only those who are free from gender-bias should be chosen.
Books which do not praise traditional gender roles are commendable.

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4) Taking Care of Cultural Differences among students
Realising, that cultural differences will have an impact on students ideas on gender
perception. Teachers should tactfully deal with such situations. For example, in
school cultural programmes, such conditions may arise. On such occasions, teachers
should make it clear to students, that different cultural backgrounds should always
be respected, but discrimination and false notion that one culture is superior to
others are unacceptable.

5) Engaging Non-traditional Choices

Girls should be encouraged to opt for subjects like mathematics, sciences,
commerce, accountancy, electronics, etc. at the higher secondary level, which is
traditionally thought to be subjects for male students. Similarly, boys should also be
allowed to choose subjects like home economics, fashion designing etc. which are
usually considered suitable for girls. As children grow up, they should be given
equal opportunities to explore all available occupations so that they could choose a
field and career according to their aptitudes, irrespective of gender.
6) Teachers having equal expectations for boys and girls in Academic Achievements
Teachers should not have the view that girls can not fare well in certain subjects as
boys do. Similarly, teachers and parents should not tell girls that some of the topics
are difficult to learn or not suitable for girls. When providing feedback to girls,
teachers should explain with specific information and that too in a precise language.
7) Allowing equal wait-time for girls and boys to answer in the class Research studies
reveal that girls often think for a few seconds before answering a question, while
boys start answering questions without taking the time. If the teacher. After
putting an item to the class, give students one

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 or two minutes to answer the question asked, girls, will also get equal opportunities
to respond.
8) Creating Conducive learning environment in the classroom
Teachers should create a learning environment that includes both cooperative and
competitive activities. Research studies report that girls learn better in collaborative
groups while boys do well in competitive situations.
9) Avoiding traditional roles to students while assigning tasks
While allotting various tasks to students, traditional roles should be avoided. In the
classroom, both male and female students should be encouraged to use multiple
techniques, including computer. Parents should also give all sorts of household work
to boys and girls equitably.

Transgender: Providing Opportunities for Education, Employment and developing Life

Skills
Transgender: Meaning and Connotation
The word “transgender” or “third gender” refers to those whose identity as
male or females is not evident. As female eunuchs, they are named as “third gender”.
In short, transgender people are individuals who have a mismatch between the
sex assigned at birth and the gender identity they psychologically develop, on growing
up.
Transgender people could be found in all parts of the world. In the U.S.A.
alone, it is estimated that there are 4.11 lakhs transgender people in 2011. In
Tamilnadu there are 22,364 transgenders.
Some females may dress like males, cut their hair short, take part in tough games
aggressively like to have friendship with men and have an unpleasant voice. They do
not conform to any gender norms. As such they are nicknamed as “Tom Boys” and
known as “Trans man”.

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 Transgender who has male sex organ but no moustache, women like walking,
dressing and body movements and habits, and like to mix with women are called “trans
women’ or si8mply, “transgender people”.
1) Twice the rate of unemployment
Transgender people suffer from unemployment at twice the rate that exists in the
general population.
2) Sexual harassment and ill-treatment in workplaces 97% of those surveyed have
stated that they are sexually harassed and humiliated in workplaces.
3) Losses of Jobs/ careers being considerably high
47% of transgender people have stated that they were fired from their jobs or
denied promotion.
4) High level of poverty
The level of poverty among transgender people is twice that exists in the general
population.
5) Lack of adequate housing accommodation
19% of those surveyed had no shelter to stay; 11% were evacuated from their
place of residence, and 26% are staying in temporary shelters.
97% of those surveyed in the study, stated that they were humiliated sexually
harassed, discrimination at workplace including verbal abuses, invasion of privacy
and physical or sexual assault.
Difficulties/hardships faced by Transgenders
• Social discrimination and exclusion
• Living in poverty due to lack of education and employment opportunities
• Difficult to get rented accommodation
• Problems in getting access to educational and medical facilities and public
utilities
• Subjected to sexual harassment and humiliation
• Excluded from social and cultural functions and celebrations

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 • Denied political decisions
• Unable to enjoy the fundamental rights like other citizens
• Attack and ridicule by mates and females I the general public
• Denial of services available for the general public including freebies and
subsidies
• Same-sex relationship being considered as a crime.
Definition of Life Skills
Any skill which is put into use in our daily life is called life skill. The World
Health Organization (WHO) had defined Life Skills as follows:
“Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to
deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life”.
Important Life-Skills
UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO have identified ten core Life Skills.
1. Communication Skills
2. Interpersonal Skills
3. Self-awareness Building skills
4. Empathy
5. Creative thinking
6. Critical thinking
7. Decision-making skills
8. The skill of coping with stress
9. Problem-solving skills
10.Controlling emotions
Categories of Life-Skills
All the essential life-skills have been categories under three categories.
1. Thinking skills: Under this come Creative thinking skill Critical thinking skill decision
making skill and problem-solving skill.

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 Thinking skills result in gathering relevant information regarding the problems
faced, after analysing them taking appropriate decisions, getting the problem
solved. In order words, a person evaluating the future consequences of three
present behaviour of self and others assessing the alternative solutions to the
challenge and them arriving at a solution, are the sub-skills to be mastered.
2. Social skill: Under this category, four sub-skill are listed. Skill of having self-
awareness, communication skills, sociability and empathy.
As a result of acquiring social skills one can be well-versed with:
• Making clear his ideas through speech, writing and gestures.
• Ability to express his feelings gently and also understanding thefeelings of
others
• To solve any problem through negotiation and not yielding to pressure
exerted by others
• Ability to work in a team by seeking the cooperation of others and also
cooperating with them.

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 UNIT - 4
VIOLENCE ON SAFETY OF GIRLS AND WOMEN

Safety of Girls and Women at School, Home and Workplace – Sexual abuse and
Violence: Role of Education in Preventing them – Meaning – Concept of body
Objectification – Combating Female body Objectification: Role of Teachers and
Parents.

VIOLENCE AND SAFETY OF GIRLS AND WOMEN

In the last few years, the safety of women in India has been down, because of
continuous and terrible crimes against women. The Women of India have equal rights
as like as men of this country as they occupy almost hold the population of the country
and involved in hold proportion in the growth and development of the country.
Indian women are continuously facing numerous problems such as sexual
harassment, violence victimization through rape, acid attack, dowry deaths forces
prostitution and many more.
Violence against girls and women, including sexual and gender-based violence, is
prevalent around the world.
Meaning
The United Nations A. General Assembly defines “violence against women as
any act of gender-based violence that results in, physical, sexual or mental harm to
women, including threats of such actions.
Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power
relations between men and women and that violence against women is one of

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the crucial mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared
with men.

Violence against girls and women in India

i) Acid throwing
ii) Child marriage
iii) Domestic violence
iv) Dowry
v) Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion
vi) Eve –teasing
vii) Impact on society
Safety of girls at school
Children’s spend more time in schools than anywhere-making it extremely
important for school authorities, teachers and parents to ensure that every child is sage
inside the school
1) School Route
Many accidents occur when children are community to schools. This happens
because we haven’t yet ensured safety on school routes. Most of the footpaths are in
depleted conditions. Forcing students to walk on the road and invite trouble for them
2) School Infrastructure
Many students have died (or) been injured due to poor infrastructure at the
schools. We should not wait to initiative construction (or) maintenance of roofs until
they collapse and create troubles. Schools authorities should always keep about auditing
the school infrastructure.
3) School Environment
Safety around school premises is essential. Much causality has been reported
when tree branches fall of 9or0 stray dogs attack students. School

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authorities should initiate necessary action for keeping the environment and students
safe.
4) School Bus
A school bus is considered to be the safest commute option for children. Buses
should follow clear mandates including a seat to student ratio, display of emergency
numbers, and tracking system.
5) Road safety education
Safety education should purposefully start from the lower primary level
itself
6) Emergency Numbers
Display of emergency numbers in school will be highly beneficial for students
and staff members. These should include the contact numbers of the local police
station school principal, PTA, ambulance service
7) First Aid service
To provide first aid to students. Injuries can happen at any moment and delay in
proper medical assistance can lead to severe in proper
Some tips about the safety of girls at school
• Don’t allow technology to make you unaware of your surroundings
• Never walk alone at night
• Carry some emergency cash
• Locale the emergency system areas on campus
• Know your way around campus
• Never stay at a party when your friend leaves
• Avoid becoming intoxicated and losing central
• Always have emergency contacts on you or in your device
• Consider carrying pepper spray, a whistle or taking a self-defence course
• Don’t accept rides from strangers

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 • Don’t party too hard
• Don’t let anyone take advantage of you
• Listen to your parents
• Be careful what you post
• Take care of yourself
• Love yourself
Safety of girls at home
1) Don’t accept lifts from anyone
Many girls have been abducted while walking home by people they knew from
their communities such as teacher, shop owners, family friends and acquaintances do
not take a lift from anyone
2) Be aware of your surroundings
Be aware of anyone walking and pay special attention to individuals who change
their behaviour upon spotting you.
3) Change your route and time
Do not walk the same route everyday at the same time as this makes you a
straightforward target. People may begin to notice your routine and plan an attack
change your route and vary the times at which you walk even if only be 20 or 30
minutes sooner or later than the norm
4) Get your keys out early
Do not stop walking to take your keys out, rather have specific compartments
where you keep them and practice taking then out without stopping. Furthermore,
your keys can be used as a weapon during an attack stabbing and hitting the face of an
attacker can give you a chance to escape.
5) Carry a self- defence weapon
To carry the self-defence weapon on you, and make sure that you know
precisely with you make sure that it's available and ready if need be, use a jacket-
pocket(or) even slide it up a loose-fitting long sleeve shirt

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Some Tips for women at home
• Always be aware of your surroundings
• Limit your directions
• Make eye contact
• Walk with purpose
• See something suspicious report it
• Set boundaries and enforce them
• Don’t open your house door without knowing who is on the other side
• Watch your use of social media
• Take a self-defence class
• Carry a weapon only if you are trained and willing to use it
• Close the curtains
• Report suspicious activity
• Research crime in your area
• Get a dog
Work Place
Sexual Harassment
It is one of the broadest spread problems that women have to face
Self-defence techniques
It is the first and thing to which each woman must be aware of a proper self-
defence training for their safety. They must be aware of some effective defence
techniques such as kicks to the groin, blocking punches etc.
Sixth sense
The women are gifted with the sixth sense which they must use whenever they
become in some problem. They should at once avoid any situation which they feel bad
for them

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Escape
It is also an excellent way to reduce some risks of women whenever they
become in a problem. They should never go with an unknown person alone at some
hidden places
Self- defence training
Women must understand and feel physical power, and they never think
themselves weak than men and take some self- defence training
Pepper spray
It can also be proved as a useful self-defence tool. It may not stop the attacker
so women should depend on it’s entirely, and use other techniques too. Some Tips
• Understand the risks
• Reduce workplace stress
• Take regular breaks
• Avoid stooping (or) twisting
• Protect your back
• Know your rights
• Talk your rights
• Talk over any concerns
• Wear a protective environment
• Stay sober
• Talk any concerns
• They should be careful while communicating with someone on the
internet in the cyberspace
• Emergency numbers with them and WhatsApp also if possible sothat
they can immediately tell their family members and police.
• Women’s are alone at home. They must lock all the doors for their
safety

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Sexual Abuse and Abuse and violence
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse is any sort of non-consensual sexual contact. It can happen to men
or women of any age. Sexual Abuse by a partner can include derogatory name-calling,
refused to use contraception, deliberately causing unwanted physical pain during sex,
passing on sexual diseases or infection.
Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse as any sexual act with a child performed by an adult or an
older child. Child sexual abuse could include several actions.
Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse
Parents and Adults can watch for behaviour changes in children that may indicate
sexual abuse.
➢ A noticeable fear of a person or certain places
➢ Unusual response from the child when asked if he or she was touched
➢ A drawing that shows sexual acts
➢ Abrupt changes in behaviour, such as bed-wetting or losing control of hisor her
bowels
➢ A sudden awareness of genitals and sexual acts and words
➢ Attempting to get other children to perform sexual acts

Violence
Violence is also known as abuse and includes any sort of physical aggression or
misbehaves. When force is committed at home, it becomes domestic violence and
involves family members such as children, spouse, parents, (or) servants. Domestic
violence may affect different means such as kicking, hitting, shoving, restrain through
objects. In broad terms, it, includes threats, sexual abuse, emotional abuse,
controlling (or) domineering

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intimidation, deprecation, rape, abduction, kidnapping. Criminal violence, dowry
death, wife battering, sexual abuse, eve-teasing, forcing a young widow to commit sati
etc.

Role of Education and preventing them

It is defined as any sexual act, attempt to a obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual
comments or advances otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion by
any person’s regardless of their relationship to the victim in any setting including but
not limited to home and work.
➢ Rape within marriage (or) dating relationships
➢ Rape by strangers
➢ Unwanted sexual advances (or) sexual harassment, including
demanding sex in return for favours.
➢ Sexual abuse of mentally or physically disabled people
➢ Sexual abuse of children
➢ Forced marriage (or) cohabitation, including the marriage of children
➢ Forced abortion
➢ Violet act against the sexual integrity of women, including female genetic
multination and obligatory inspections for virginity
➢ Forced prost isolation and trafficking of people for sexual exploitation
Proper education through in a classroom. It helps encourage young adults and
that they can have a successful future away from crime and abusive
substances.Education gives girls empowerment and freedom to stand on their own legs.
• Girls must be given formal and informal education that enable girls to
acquire a vast knowledge about life. Develop self-esteem and self- respect
• Teach children the accurate name of private body parts

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 • Avoids focusing exclusively on stranger danger.
• Teach children about body safety and the difference between okayand
not okay touches
• Make sure children know that adults and older children never needhelp
with their private body parts
• Educate children about the difference between good secrets and bad
secrets
Creating Awareness
• The difference between the rightevil and confusing touches
• Body safety rules and what to do if someone makes them fed
uncomfortable (or) unsafe
• To identify trusted adults, they can rely on for help.
• That the abuse is not faulted and telling a trusted adult may help
protect them
• For upper elementary students, additional information on sexual
harassment and media safety.
Meaning and concept of body objectification
• Objectification is the act of repressing an abstract idea as a physical thing.
Body objectification implies the meaning of seeing (or) treating a person,
usually a female as an object but not as a whole human being. Men
practice such a type of body objectification on females, and this attitude
of men centers on sexual objectification which is the act of treating a
female as an instrument of sexual pleasure. Martha Nussbaum (1995)
257 has identified seven feature that is involved in the idea of treating a
person as an object.
• Instrumentally as the treatment of a person as a tool for the objectifies
purpose

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 • Denial of autonomy is the treatment of a person as lacking in
freedom and self-determination
• Inertness involves the treatment of a person as lacking in agency and
perhaps also inactivity
• Fungibility occurs when a person is interchangeable with other
objects.
• Violability is the treatment of a person as lacking in boundary
integrity
• Ownership is the treatment of a person as something that is owned by
another which can be bought or sold.
• Denial of subjectivity takes place when a person’s experiences and feelings
are not taken into account
Rac Langton (2009, 228-229) has added three more features also included
• Reduction to body treatment of a person an identified with their body
or body parts
• Reduction to appearance the treatment of a person primarily in
terms of how they appear to the senses.
• Silencing the treatment of a person as if they are silent lacking the
capacity to speak
Contributing factors for self- objectification
• Media influences
• Relationship
• Societal influences
Media Influences
Self- objectification is influenced by media. The relationship between the body
and sex is unambiguously portrayed in contemporary media, conforming to a thin
body ideal is crucial and sexual attractiveness. The media displays this through messages
in popular magazines films and television

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Societal influences
Girls are encouraged to play with to the close attention given to clothing
fashion, and other bodily adornments females are taught that their body as an object is
a significant factor in how others will judge their overall value. These will judge their
whole. These messages are conveyed important socializing agents such as parents’ peers
and teachers
Consequences of self- objectification
• Depression
• Body shame
• Eating disorder
• Negative self- evaluation
• Not capable of enjoying her life
• Withdraw from life engaging and life-sustaining activities
• Academic impairment
• Attention disorder sexual disfunction
• Stressful attitude
• Self-harming, like cutting, burning to hit orbiting, heaps banging hair pulling,
interfering with would care breaking bones, insertion of toxic o (or) sharp,
objects unnecessary surgeries

Combating Female Body objectification Role

of teachers and parents
• In this era of globalization at all levels can integrate peacebuilding strategies so
that valuing women’s contributions, caring and sharing equality between sexes
tolerance and dignity of labour can be internalized by children from their primary
years
• Conflict management and social tension need to be cross cutting edge, informing
all disciplines, curricula and activities. So that skills of consensus

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 and negotiations become internalized qualities for the personality development of
both boys and girls.
• Agencies such as parent Teacher associations, Mother, Teacher, associations peer
association, and other similar ones can be made productive in providing a
platform for resolving conflicts that children face in schools, family and in society.
• Efforts should be made for undoing emotional and physical violence that children
of all age groups face at different places by strengthening confidence-building
measures. This will ensure that children have an outlet to discuss and conflicts that
they face in their journey of growing up.
• Per service and in-service teacher, training programmers need to consciously train
teachers as problem clovers, counsellors and as mental health workers for dealing
with all sorts of emotional and physical conflicts that children face due to various
reasons. Legal literacy should become an integral part of all training programmers.
• Different pedagogical approaches using carried mediums such as folklore films,
videos, theatres, songs, drams and many more can be innovatively used for
promoting messages that generate harmony between sexes.
Also, resources of non-governmental organizations working for preventing violence
against women should also utilize research studies on boyhood and girlhood to
understand the complexities of growing up, identity formation and conflicts that
adolescent children face in terms of their inner and outer. Self within the overarching
impact of globalization and socialization taking place in different family settings of our
plural Indian societies.

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 UNIT – 5
MASS MEDIA AND GENDER

Gender Roles in Mass Media – Gender Stereotypes in Mass Media - Gender identity
Roles - Positive Notions of Body and Self - Gender in Media: Magazines – Tv shows –
Cartoons – Movies and Advertisements - Gender Equality and Language use

Introduction
Media is a mean to provide useful information to the general public. Mass media
means technology that is intended to reach a mass audience. It is the primary means of
communication used to contact the vast majority of the general public.
The most common platforms for mass media are Newspaper, Magazine, Radio,
Television and the Internet. The general public typically relies on the mass media to
provide information regarding political issues, social issues, entertainment and news.
Gender roles are prevalent in media. In media, women are portrayed as
nurturing, gentle, cooperative, concerned with appearance and sensitive to others. But
are viewed as logical, competitive, independent, assertive, financial providers, skilled in
business and dominant over men. Women in media are represented more negatively
than men.
Types of Mass Media

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 Mass media are classified into three classes. They are
1. Print Media
2. Audio media
3. Electronic Media

Print Media
This media gives information among the ordinary people in the form of
writing and pictures. This includes Newspaper, Magazine, cartoons etc..
Audio Media
This media spread information in the form of audio. This includes Radio
broadcasting, Audio Tapes, Audio cassette and Audio Disk
Electronic Media
This one provides information in the form of video. Television telecasting,
computer and internet are included in this media. Movies, short films, Advertisement
are also using electronic technology.

Characteristics of Mass Media

1. According to Wright mills, Mass media have two components. They are Only a
few people could provide information to a vast number of audiences (ordinary
people)
2. The ordinary people could not interact with any media. They can only
receive information. Mass media are the most one-way communications. Advantages of
Mass media
1. The ordinary people collectdata at the time.
2. Write the help of mass media people can know about the rules and regulations of
the government and also their rights and duties towards the society.
3. People know about Education and hygiene
4. It helps to improve the general knowledge of the people.

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 5. For entertainment people can watch dance, drama, movies etc.
6. It helps the students by giving related educational information.
7. It forms a bridge between the consumers and produces.
8. It acts as an agent for social improvement and Economic improvements.
9. It provides useful information on health control and agriculture.

Disadvantages of Mass Media

1. Nowadays, to improve their business, most of the media are reducing their
quality by spreading incorrect information.
2. There is no guarantee for righteousness. They give importance to
advertisement.
3. The achievement of the ordinary people are not brought into the light
4. Mass media are giving importance for accidents, sexual abuses and murders and
thefts.
5. By spreading false news, government producers and business people can deceive
the ordinary people.
Gender role in Mass Media
Occupation status among men and women in media is unequal. Males are the
most prestigious jobs that women, and also depicted in higher social status situations. In
popular magazines, men were portrayed twice as likely as women in a career setting.
Women were portrayed in more ambiguous, domestic and decorative scenes. Women
in prime-time TV shows were more likely to be portrayed in marital role while men
were portrayed in occupational roles.
The advertisements which are telecasted in media are also reflecting the gender
inequality which is prevailing in our society.

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Gender Stereotypes in Mass Media
Gender roles are prevalent in Media Females stereotypes in Mass Media.
Women’s are portrayed as,
1. Nurturing, gentle, cooperative, concerned with appearance and sensitive to
others.
2. More negatively than men.
3. Women are displayed as likeable, warm, submissive, passive and weak
4. They are likely to display empathic behaviours, such as affection, sharing,
giving and concern for others.
5. Women’s are portrayed as sex objects in media. Even in video games,
women are featured with large- breasted, and attractive. Females are rarely
the main characters.
6. If a woman wants to continue in media, she not only to have a beautiful
body but also to be attractive, young and single.
7. Women are often dressed provocatively, and the high emphasis is placed on
appearance.
8. The main topics on girls magazines are fashion, beauty, food and decorating,
and relationships with the opposite sex. Thus these magazines are promoting
the concept that women should be looking good, and taking care of the
house.
9. The heroines in the movies are always dependent and need a man to help
solve problems.

Male Stereotypes in Media

1. In media, men are viewed as logical, competitive, independent, assertive,
financial providers, skilled in business and dominant over women.

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 2. Men are perceived as hard workers, amusing, directive and physically
aggressive.
3. Men are the problem- solvers.
Adolescents may adhere to traditional gender roles, via pressure from peers, to
attract the opposite sex. Boys are confused by society’s mixed messages and
expectations for being male. By viewing sexy ads, females are urged to express
themselves through their bodies. Females who see media as a means of comparison for
body image are likely to experience body dissatisfaction.
Many societies strive for equal life opportunities for each gender and conclude
that gender roles are mainly determined by the social environment. Women are
allowed more leniencies than men when displaying emotion, permitting men the same
indulgence may pore beneficial to equalizing gender role perceptions and toning down
masculinity on mass media.

GENDER IDENTITY ROLES

Gender identity is the private experience of being male or female. Gender role is
the public expression of gender, everything a person says or does that indicates status
as male or female. Gender role includes social and legal identification.
Self- Identify role of the Female
In our society women are following these as their role.
1. Wearing dresses which are identified as female clothes.
2. Take care of the family.
3. Having an interest in doing the house chore works.
4. Having friends only with their gender.
5. Take time to decorate themselves. Getting married to a male is their life goal.
6. Believing that childbearing and rearing is a boon.

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 7. Following the tradition.
8. Giving importance for the family. Choosing jobs according to the family
environment.
9. Teaching their child and making them follow good habits.
10.Interested in Rituals.
11. Taking care of the health of their family members.
Self- Identify role of the Male
In our society, the following are identified as the role of a male.
1. Wearing dresses which are prescribed for them.
2. Having an interest in getting a job, and helping to improve finance of the
family.
3. They believe that they are the rescuers of the family members.
4. Making friend with their gender.
5. Wanted to get a beautiful woman as their life partner.
6. Doing the works, which needs physical power?
7. Doing adventurous works.
8. Trying to prove their role to the society especially to the opposite
gender.
POSITIVE NOTION OF BODY AND SELF
I. Steps to develop positive Body image
1) Appreciate all that your body can do running, dancing, breathing, laughing,
dreaming, etc.
2) Keep a list of things you like about yourself. Read the list often. Add to it as you
become aware of more things to love about yourself.
3) Remind yourself that’’ true beauty ’’ is not simply skin deep. When you feel
good about yourself and who you are, you carry yourself with a sense of
confidence, self- acceptance and openers that make you beautiful, regardless of
whether you physically look like a supermodel. Beauty is a state of mind, not a
state of your body.

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 4) Look at yourself as a whole person. See yourself as you want others to see you
as a whole person.
5) Surround yourself with positive people.
6) Shut down those voice in your head that tell you your body is not ‘right’ or that
you are a ‘bad’ person.
7) Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your
body.
8) Become a critical viewer of social and media messages. Pay attitudes to images,
slogans or opinions that make you feel bad about yourself or your body protests
these messages: write a letter to the advertiser or talk back to the image or
message.
9) Do something that lets your body know you appreciate it
10) Use the time and energy that you might have to spend worrying about
food, calories, and your weight, to do something to help others.
Steps will help to develop positive body image
II. Steps to develop good self-esteem and keep a positive attitude.
1) Focusing on the right things: you do and spending time concentrating on unique
qualities.
2) Focusing on education: Learning gives the power to make a difference in our life
and in the lives of others.
3) Participating in a variety of sports or activities: This can be a great way to stay
healthy and fit, which adds to a positive body image.
4) Taking up a new hobby or, learning to play an instrument: This will help to find
the hidden talents.
5) Setting and reaching a new goal: Having something to look forward can give a
sense of pride and help to work through different challenges throughout life.
6) Being an inspiration to others.

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Gender in Media
Gender Representation in Mass Media
Media plays a significant role in influencing the younger generation. When
exposed to multiple gender messages children are more likely to endorse the stereotype
than if presented with a counter- stereotype such stereotypes can negatively impact and
restrict opportunities.
Gender Representation in Magazines
Helen Gurley Brown, the writer of American cosmopolitan magazine, says that
women are now equal to men. They are having almost the same strength as men. The
cultured describes women as bold and educated, and they are even ready to say about
their personal life. Instead of the magazines in India, spreading the view, that women
are responsible for cleaning the house, cooking, rearing the child, take care of a parent,
knitting etc.
Nowadays some magazines in India, the magazines like Femina, vanitha, Aval
Vikatan, mangaiyar malar, Snekithi, are trying to reconstruct women hood, feminists
and feminine writers are given respect through these magazines.
Gender representation in TV Shows
Television companies are increasing at present. They are giving newly
programmed on 24 hours. Television has become the most moving object.
Television is a boon even to the uneducated people. The serials which are
telecast in TV are most about family problems, and they are tear-jerkers even though
most of the women like the serials.
Most television programmed are infamous of masculinity. Felinity is showing as
respecting husband, housewife, looking after family and taking care of family
endeavours.
These views are changing in this era. In some television programmed, women
are also participating in adventures equal to men. For example, Atcham Thavir on
Vijay TV.

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 The television shows are ready to show women as self-respected educated,
adventurous, etc. This should be continued to make gender equality in our society.
Cartoons
Cartoons are popular among children. The cartoon stories mostly around the
animals. The pictures like superman, spider-man, are showing the power of masculinity.
In these cartoons, women characters are used to indicate the feminine beauty.
Nowadays, these views are changing rapidly. Women characters are also given
equal importance.
Movies
The movie is the most important media of this era. It is the excellent
entertainment for youngsters and ordinary people. Most of the filmis related to current
problems.
In movies, the hero is given more importance. They are the protectors for the
family and heroine. The heroine always depends on the hero. The hero gets more
dialogue than the heroine.
The heroine must be beautiful, attractive and must have dancing skills. When
comparing the salary, the hero is getting more than the heroine. The producers are of
the thought that a hero is anessential factor for the success of a movie.
The heroine in films always helped by the hero. They will make a living for the
heroine. This shows that women must depend on men for their survival. The heroines
are given less chance to show acting capability.
Advertisements
Advertisement used gender role as a means of promoting products. The
advertisement provides a model for young women, indicating that if they do certain
things or act inspecific ways, they will be sexually attractive.

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 By advertisement thinness and perfection so frequently, viewers, believe that
with enough effort and self- sacrifice, they can achieve this unattainable goal.
Today’s music, television, movies and advertising limits girls development
leaving them traumatized.
GENDER EQUALITY AND LANGUAGE USE
Language is an integral component of culture. It encodes a culture's values and
preoccupations and transmits and disseminates them. It cuts across all disciplines, is
essential to the construction of knowledge and has pervasive and wide-ranging
implications for gender relations. However, it is necessary to examine how gender is
encoded in language.
Asymmetry in the pair of words indicating masculinity and Feminity
The research by feminists in 1960s examines how gender inequality is shown
through language. The language used by the literary writers have unknowingly
differentiated men from women. This asymmetry is of four types.
1. The asymmetry in the pair of words representing masculinity and feminity.
The following examples explain this concept:

Example:
• The words Sir indicate a man and Madam indicate women. Nowadays, the
word Madam lost its purity.
• In the pair of words Lord and Lady. Both words mean highness. The word
lord has the same meaning. But it the 17th century onwards the word lady is
used to indicate the prostitutes.
• Likewise, in the pair word Master/ Mistress, King/Queen,
Gentleman/Lady, the words which indicate feminine gender is losing its
respect in society.

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2. Terms representing female taken as an inversion of masculinity.
Example:
• Actor- Actress
• Waiter- Waitress
• Mister- Mistress
• Headmaster - Headmistress
In these words, the words which indicate women are derived frommasculinity and
show women are bin second position.
3. Masculine words are used to indicate common concepts.
Example:
• Mankind- Instead of this, we can use the word ‘human Kind.”
• Manpower–Instead of this, we can use the word” Human Power.”
• All men are created equal – Instead, we can say as “All human being are created
equal.”
4. Gender Natural words are also showing the gender difference.
The gender natural words like scientist, doctor, person, member of society
mostly seem to indicate men.
This language uses because of gender stereotypes. In most of the countries,
morals and hierarchy show that women are not equal to men. Some examples are
Let the one who bears a son be proud, Let the one who takes a daughter beat
herself – Turkish proverb.
Nothing changes more quickly than the weather and women – Roman Proverb.
This concept shows that gender inequality is a skill prevailing in our society.

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