1st Edition
Routledge Handbook of Gender, Culture, and Development in India
Lekha, Kumar M. and their team of contributors embark on a transformative exploration of 'Intersectionality' in the Indian context, where gender, culture, and development intersect to shape the destinies of diverse groups. Drawing from extensive research and nuanced analyses by scholars across the country and a few scholars on India from outside the country, the handbook uncovers the intricate connections between gender inequalities, cultural norms and practices and developmental trajectories that illuminate how these factors intersect and shape the lives of individuals, communities and societies beyond India's borders.
The book encompasses discussions on the category of gender and the practice of gender studies, workspace economy, and technology. It explains the intricate intersections between gender, labour, migration, and informal economies, offering a deeper understanding of the composite factors that shape women as the workforce and its role within the workplace and the economy. It also delves into the multifaceted influences of culture on various aspects of society, including gender roles, language, agriculture, and development. The focus upon the socio-cultural dimensions connected to the portrayal of gender in the media, elaborated on how diverse media platforms, ranging from digital interfaces to televised serials, play a pivotal role in shaping and mirroring gender identities, roles, and societal norms within their specific environments. Most importantly, it critically engages with issues of education, marginalization, inclusion, and sustainable development. Case studies on marginalized communities such as the urban poor, elderly sweepers, and widows contribute to broader discourses on developmental paradigms vis-à-vis poverty and social exclusion.
Academics, researchers and students interested in gender, culture and development studies will find this handbook invaluable in understanding and addressing gender inequities, cultural imbalances and development complexities. Policymakers, NGOs, and activists committed to social progress will appreciate the evidence-based insights enabling them for informed actions and policies that transcend conventional boundaries.
Foreword
Wesley Shrum
Preface
Editors
1. Prologue : A Sociological Tapestry: Intersectionality of Identities, Gender, Culture, and Development in the works of Prof. Antony Palackal
Saji J
2. Introduction: Beyond Boundaries: Intersections of Gender, Culture and Development
Lekha N.B.
Section Introduction: Antony Palackal
3. Gender as a Category and as Practice: Trivial, Dangerous or just Routine
Maitrayee Chaudhuri
4. Beyond the Screen: Indigenous Women in Kerala and the Impact of Television
Muhammed Sihas K.M. & Lekshmi V. Nair
5. Urban Women Working in Modern India: Dynamics of Roles, Responsibilities and Decision making for Women in Informal sector
Yashika Malhotra , Shraddha Kapoor, Nandita Chaudhary
6. Skilful migration for Unskilled labour: The Sojourn of Malayali Women in Gulf Countries
Santhini Paul
7. Living Room Chronicles:Feminine Spaces in West Bengal Television Serials
Soma Dutta
II. CULTURE, FEMINITY AND SUBJECTIVITY
Section Introduction: Antony Palackal
9. A Puzzle within a Paradox: The impact of gender and family structure on productivity, time allocation, and career attitudes in Kerala
Paige Miller and Wesley Shrum
10. Beyond the Life and the World of Widowhood: Precarity of Oppression and Discrimination
Suresh Babu G.S.
11. Celebrating the Feminine: Intersectionality of Nature, Culture and Woman
Lekha N. B.
12. Gendering Labour: A Story of Stalled Revolution
Keerthana Mannayam and Rajesh Komath
13. Gender Identities Redefined - Decolonising Cultures in the Global South
Cristiana Kaipper, Larissa Porto, Murilo Anjos, Fillipe de Queiroz, Vívian Volkmer Pontes and Pina Marsico
14. Freedom in Flux: Transgender Community Shaping New Paradigms in Kerala
Nisha Jolly Nelson
15.Gendered Digital Bodies: Social Norms through Digital Narcissism and Social Activism
Jan Elizabeth Joseph
III. EDUCATION, IDEOLOGY AND PEDAGOGY
Section Introduction: Antony Palackal
16. Doing a Sociology without Hegemony: Region, Language and Comparison
Rajni Palriwala
17. National Education Policy 2020 and the Quest for Justice
Charles Varghese
18. Women and the Institutional Cultures of Sociology in Kerala
Linda Therese Luiz
19. Unmasking Patriarchal Narratives: Gender Dimensions in School Textbooks in Kerala
Ruksana K.
20. Cultural Resilience: Community Initiatives to Preserve Linguistic Heritage of Diasporas in Singapore
21. Identity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence – Sociological Explorations
R. Rajesh
22. Caste, Occupation and Educational Mobility: A study of the Weavers in Telangana Town
Sreeramulu Gosikonda and Nagaraju Gundemeda
IV. DEVELOPMENT INCLUSION AND SUSTAINIBILITY
Section Introduction: Antony Palackal
23. Gender and Mobility: Examining their Interconnection in the Context of SHAKTI Scheme in Karnataka
R. Indira
24. Rites of Cultivation: Women, Development and Cultural Practices
C. Raghava Reddy
25. Diabolic Intersectionality: Tribulations among City Sweepers in Mumbai
P. S. Vivek
26. Gender and Sustainability Symbiosis in SEWA Cooperative: A Case of Holistic Development
Lakshmi A. J.
27. Communism, Parliamentary Democracy and Development: An Analysis of the Political-Theoretical Line of E.M.S. Namboodiripad
K. S. Hakim
28. Inclusive Policies and Exclusive Participation: A Study of Rural Women in the MGNREGS Scheme
Andrew Michael
29. The Quest for Urban Governance Reform in Kerala - An Unfinished Agenda
Pradeep Kumar M.
30.The Never-Ending Tale of Toxic Colonialism: The Case of Vilappilsala Struggle
Vishnu J. Menon
Biography
N. B. Lekha is Assistant Professor of Sociology in Sree Narayana College in Kerala, India.
Pradeep Kumar M. is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at Christ Nagar College, Maranalloor, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
