Gender and Development LAB
Introduction to Course
Term : I (PGDM-RM43)
Credit: One & Half (Sessions 10)
Type: Core & Value Added
Facilitator: H.S. Shylendra
What is Gender?
Some Common Gender Roles and Norms
Female
Male
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Men do productive work
Can Plough Land
Has been voting
Can hold property
Can hold all military positions
Boys can climb Tress
Boys can study upto any level
Men are decisive
CEO posts to be held by Men
Men are Rulers by default
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Household work main responsibility
Should not Plough Land
Could not vote
Cannot hold property
Cannot be a soldier in Combat
Girls should not climb Trees
No college; better get married
Women to be submissive
Women fit the bill of secretary, nurse etc.
Women are rulers by chance
Understanding Gender
• Why these difference between male and female?
• Roles like giving birth to child (motherhood) by female or differences
in physical features because of sex are understandable
• But most of the commonly suggested or expected roles of male and
female apparently have nothing to do with their Sex or biology
• The differences and categorisation are apparently more than
biological which need clear explanation
• Understanding gender will help us dissect the differences between
men and women going-beyond-sex; and to draw implications.
Sex is Biology; Gender is Social
Sex:
• Sex is the biological difference between male and female (and transgender)
• There is presence of different reproductive organs/genitalia in men and women
• There are differences that emerge because of sex: Motherhood for women;
higher stamina and height for men
Gender:
• But differences observed in various roles assigned are due to Gender
• Gender is the social differences between male and female.
• Gender is a social categorisation of men and women in terms of expected role,
attitudes and behaviours.
• Gender is a Social-Construction based on socio-cultural norms and beliefs
• Gender emerges as a category like class or caste
Gender as a Category
Category
Male
Female
1. Biology /Sex Male;
Female;
Chromosome (XY); Chromosome(XX);
Male- Reproductive Female Reproductive organs
organs
Biological Role Mate/Spouse,
Father, Male Child,
Third-Sex (LGBT+)
Intersex; Transgender;
Mix or hazy organs
Mate/Spouse, Mother,
Daughter, Female Child
Spouse /Mate
Trans-Child,
Husband, Wife, Partner
Son, Daughter,
2. Gender
Social Role :
Husband, Father,
Son, etc
Wife, Mother, Daughter, etc,
Behaviour:
-Head of Household
-Property Owner;
-Key Earner
-Independent
Masculine / Manly
-Home-maker
-Care giver
-Supplementary earner
-Dependent
Feminine/ Womanly
Status &
Perception
Superior; Powerful, Inferior; Impure; Deficient,
Decisive; Complete, Powerless; Submissive,
??
Mix ? / Invisible;
No Recognition;
Powerless; Criminalised;
Gender as a Category and Implications
• Gender therefore comes up as social categorization of men and women based
on social norms and constructs
• It is these categorization that leads to stereotyping of roles, gender
discrimination and disparities
• Though gender includes both the sexes (third also); generally, gender debates
focus on women’s issues as it is the women who are the major victims of the
gender categorization and discrimination.
• Why Gender as a Category, why and Gendered World?