Gender Religion & Caste Summary Class 10 Social Science Chapter 1

Gender Division

• Sexual Division of Labour: A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family while men are expected to work outside to earn money.
• This belief is not based on biology but on social and expectations and stereotypes.

Feminist movements

• Social movements that aim at establishing equality between men and women are called feminist movements.

Women’s Oppression in various ways

• Literacy Rate: The literacy rate among women is only 65.46% compared with 82.14% among men.
• Jobs: There is very low percentage of women in the high paid and high value jobs as just a few girls are encouraged to take up higher education.
• Wages: Despite the Equal Wages Act, women in all areas are paid lesser than men, be it sports, cinema, agriculture or construction works.
• Sex Ratio: Most parents prefer boy children to girl children. Female infanticide and feticide are common in our country. This has resulted in unfavourable sex ratio.
• Social Evil: Society in general and urban centres in particular, is not safe for women. Dowry harassment, physical abuse, sexual harassment are routine tales.

Women’s political representation

Women’s political representation in India is very low. For the first time, the percentage of elected women in the Lok Sabha has reached 14.36% of its total strength. Furthermore, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act, 2023) ensures 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.

Religion, Communalism and Politics

Religion Differences in Politics

• Human rights activists allege that people from minority religious community suffer a lot whenever there is communal violence.

Communalism

• Extreme and partisan attachment to one’s own religion is called Communalism. 

What is Communal Politics?

• Problem in the society begins when one religion is pitted against the others.
• The problem becomes serious when demands of one religious groups is formed in opposition to other religions.
• The problem becomes very acute when the Government uses its power to fulfil the demands of only one religious group.
• This kind of using religion is politics is called Communal Politics.

The Theory of Communal Politics

• This theory suggests that religion is the main basis for social communities. 
• Followers of a specific religion are seen as part of one community with shared fundamental interests.
• Communalism can manifest in various political forms.

Why is theory of Communal Politics wrong?

• Not all individuals of the same religion share identical interests and goals. Each person has multiple roles and identities.
• Every community has diverse voices that deserve recognition. Efforts to unify followers of one religion in contexts outside of religion often silence many of these voices.

Steps taken to combat communalism

• India is a secular state without an official religion. Individuals are free to practice any religion.
• The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion.
• While a secular Constitution is essential, it is insufficient alone to counter communalism. Everyday prejudices and religious propaganda must be challenged, particularly in politics.

Caste and Politics

Caste Inequalities

• Members of the same caste group formed the social community that practiced the same or similar occupation, married within the caste group, and did not eat with members from other caste groups.

Why does caste system still persist?

• Most people prefer to marry within their own caste or tribe.
• Untouchability has not ended a completely.
• The caste groups that had access to education have continue to do well.

How Caste Influences Politics

• When parties choose candidates in elections, they keep in mind the caste the composition of the constituency.
• Political parties and candidates appealing to the caste sentiment of the people. 

Caste alone cannot determine Indian Elections 

• No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. 
• No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste our community.
• If that caste group has many to choose from, the other caste groups have none, if they were to vote only on the basis of caste.
• The voter’s attachment to his party and the party ideology can be stronger than his attachment to his caste group.

The Outcome of Political Expression of Caste

• The political expression of caste has created opportunities for disadvantaged groups to claim their share of power.
• It has also aided in the fight for social justice.
• Relying solely on caste identity in politics is unhealthy for democracy.
• This focus can distract from crucial issues like poverty, development, and corruption.
• In some instances, caste divisions can lead to tensions, conflicts, and even violence.