Notes: Unpacking Gender | Social Studies & Pedagogy Paper 2 for CTET & TET Exams - CTET & State TET PDF Download

Introduction

The term gender is used very often but not understood correctly. People use this term without understanding it completely. Our understanding of gender is based on socialisation that we have gone through in family and society. Later, education also contributes to this understanding. Gender has been largely understood as something which is concerned only with women. When we say ‘gender’, it simply presents a picture of women. 

Actually, gender includes all aspects of it and incorporates boys, girls, and the third gender, which may include homosexuals, eunuchs, and so on. This chapter will try to redefine the meaning of gender in a broader sense, where it is not only restricted to women but also provides a better lens to perceive gender beyond radical feminism.

• One may find the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ being interchangeably used. This interchangeable use is not correct. We need to understand that sex is biologically determined and gender is socially perceived. We are born with a sex and society put us in the category of gender, which should not be associated with one’s biology. Sex is related to sex chromosomes, hormones, reproductive system, etc. 
• Sex is used to identify whether a person is male or female, but gender is a complex phenomenon which is socially constructed and can be understood with reference to relationships of individuals with the society. Biology, sense of being male or female, and expression of behaviour relate to one’s sense of feeling male or female. They give a better understanding about one’s gender. They provide information on how one perceives himself/herself and how others also perceive them.
• It is important to understand that we cannot understand gender as a binary system like 0 and 1, where both are distinct from each other. We have to understand gender as a multiple array system. When we talk about 0 and 1, refer to sex organs, and when we refer to multiple arrays, multiple aspects and dimensions of social, political, cultural, and economic aspects which actually construct the notion and idea of gender are being discussed. One may not agree, but there are multiple arrays that provide better space and scope to understand gender as a multiple construct which is beyond sex. Saying that ‘gender is a social construct’ also limits it in a very narrow sense.
• The kind of socio-economic and political scenario around us and the environment develop our understanding of gender. Family, parents, peers, school, curriculum, and policy have their roles to play in shaping the idea of gender. It is also important that the developed idea of gender is reinforced by society in one way of another. From pre-natal period to death, everything is categorised under gender and that too, under male or female. For example, toys, clothes, education, colours, social behaviour, and interpersonal relationships are all gendered. Gender role is taught to kids from very first day they take birth and this continues till they die.
• This role division also creates a kind of hegemony of one gender over other, which is commonly known as patriarchy. Here, one gender is considered superior and others are the subordinates. This superiority and subordination can be observed in all spheres of the life and this gradually becomes a tool for exploitation. What is more interesting to know is the movement which originated about women rights and equality and has also failed to evolve from the epistemological boundaries of the existing dominant idea. It started a struggle to become a man, which led it to fights on the line ‘woman can do all what a man does.’ This statement troubled the entire discourse equality, where men were considered as an aim which need to be achieved by women.
• The agency, authority, and equality which should be the base of such movement were undermined. Though there are evidences which show that women struggle for being the way they are, such handful of work could not overcome the idea of making men and women equal in scenes what a man can do and what a woman can also do.
• Another idea which needs to be shared here with reference to gender discourse is that the work done by women was degraded by feminist movement and it was tried to prove that the work done by women are of a lower level. Thought patriarchy also contributed to this idea. However, the argument which is more important is that the movement which originated to establish equality suddenly changed to become like a man. This is a root cause for a genesis-based problem in the feminist movement.
• We are discussing all these issues of genesis of feminist movement to provide a better base and foundation to understand gender.
• There is no second thought with regard to the idea of equality among genders. However, it is also significantly important to think and work to achieve the objective rather equating one’s identity with others. The objective of such movement needs to be changed towards developing self-identity, which is not dependent on others’ approval.

Gender Beyond Male or Female

• Stereotypical thinking can limit gender with reference to male or female. We must know that this category does not represent the gender in its complete sense. There are people of third gender, and within the third gender, there are various sub-categories. The whole idea of gender must also talk about the people of third gender. It includes people who belong to categories such as eunuchs, homosexuals, transgenders, asexuals, and so on. These people have their own issues and their concerns must be addressed under the discourse of gender. Therefore, gender discourse is a very vast discourse.
• In this regard, we also need to understand that this variation in gender is a normal part of human lives across the world and history has evidences to prove the same. This variation is due to biological, social, and social reasons. However, the larger agenda should be equality of all people, irrespective of their gender and sexual orientation. 
• The very debate of natural or unnatural orientation should not suppress a person’s right to be the way he/she would like to be. The division of work, preference for a colour, or talking in a specific way does not make a person culprit. Associated stereotypes need to be questioned. This very thinking needs to be imparted because an ill-thinking process will create hurdles in the path to equality.
• It is also important to understand that there are various privileges given to one gender over another; such privileges create unwanted discrimination in all spheres of life, in family, and in public places. Can we consider every one equal without such biases or is it beyond applicability? These are two fundamental questions which need to be resolved. If we are already working with the notion that an existing situation and gendered thinking cannot be changed, there will be hardly any effect for all the efforts taken. If there is optimism in the working style and thinking pattern, there will be some changes. Therefore, one has to think which idea he/she belongs to.

Terms Related to Gender

Gender has become a vast discourse and many terms, ideas, and phrases are being used. Some are needed, some are enforced, and some are used politically. Some use gender issues as a platform for professional development. Here, we will be discussing commonly used terms in gender discourse.

• Sex (Biological): Sex is a biological concept, which is directly related to reproductive organs and makes the first distinction between a man and woman. It is purely physical and has no direct relation with the society. Some studies show homosexuals as a result of socialisation. A majority of studies are in favour of the biological determination of gender. The sex of a child is determined at the time when it is conceived. XX chromosomes produce a female child and XY produce a male child. The third sex—eunuch—is also a biological construct. Here, we are not talking about transgenders.
• Gender Identity: What a person thinks about oneself as a male, a female, both, or nothing; he/she is constructing a gender role identity. It is important to know that gender identity is not developed completely alone rather all possible aspects (political, social, economic, etc.) contribute in one’s understanding of gender identity. Generally, people develop their gender identity according to their biological sex, but for some, it is not the same. They develop their gender identity different from their biological sex.
• Expression of Gender: Expression of gender refers to the way people represent and express their gender identity to others. This expression can be done through hairstyle, voice, behaviour, and so on. The expression of gender is also related to one’s gender identity. Sometimes, people do not feel comfortable to behave as per their biological sex and they behave opposite to it. Sometimes, they suppress their feelings as the society does not accept them. We have gender classified as per our biological sex, second, we behave opposite to our biological sex, and third, we suppress our feelings and do not behave the way we want to do. Social pressure, expectation, systems, and structure enculturate a person to behave in a certain way and the opposite behaviour is considered unhealthy. The expression of gender has become so strong and powerful tool to label a person that there is hardly any space outside or beyond this categorisation.
• Gender Role: Gender role represents the kind of role expected by the society. Each gender has been assigned a role and one has to behave accordingly to fit in the system. Therefore, it has become an important aspect that we must adopt. These assigned roles are somehow gendered. A specific role is expected from a male and a female. Masculinity is associated with man and femininity is associated with female. Any role beside these will not be acceptable as healthy in the society. Such people may be called eunuchs, transgenders, or homosexuals. Transgender is generally used in a broad sense and any person whose interest falls beyond or outside the interest of male or female are labelled as transgenders.
• Orientation towards Sex: There are two clear categories in the society about sexual interest. These are called heterosexual and homosexual. Homosexuality is not considered natural and not legal in many nations across the world. On other hand, heterosexuality is celebrated with pride and legalised. Some may have not sexual orientation and will be called asexual people. It is important to note that other than heterosexuals, all other sexual orientations are not seen in good spirit across the world. However, they do exist and have their own way of living.
• Fluidity in Gender: This is a term which represents gender in a more open and flexible manner, which also opens the cage of fixed gender notion like a good boy and nice girl orientation. It provides fluidity in sexual and gender preference. At one time, one may feel like a boy and at other time, like a girl. It appears as if one may live life the way he/she would like to live without any kinds of forced restrictions. It is neither based on any kind of consensus about gender identity, gender role, etc., which is generated forcibly.

Issues and Challenges in Gender Equality

Over a period of time, gender has become a sensitive issue, not because there is some problem which pre-exists, rather, because of the way it has been interpreted and understood. It provides a rationale to enfold the realities of gender issues as far as there are concerns. A few of such issues and challenges are discussed here.

• Inequality: Inequality with reference to gender prevails across the world. Unequal status, unequal rights, unequal salaries, and unequal lives are features of gender inequality. From birth till death, one sees countless fixed notions about male and female, where women have to suffer as they are expected to look after homes; similarly, the baggage of running a family is on the shoulder of men. The ideas of inequality in gender are not intended to show one gender better than the other, rather, it is concerned with the kinds of role that have been defined to discriminate between genders. Yes, we all have to understand that there will be a huge difference between men and women in rural and urban areas. All such issues create problems between genders and become a cause for inequality.
• Accountability and Responsibility: It is important to understand that whether rights are given or not, until they are not exercised, they do not make any effect on people’s lives. Whatever rights have been made to promote equality for men and women, there are hardly any monitoring systems to ensure that these rights reach the right people. There is a clear lake of impunity with reference to women. This happened because of the poor judiciary system in India which provides space to exploit women. The process gradually became a part of any social system. There is a need to develop a specific kind of a stricter system where everybody is held responsible. Therefore, in the absence of clear accountability and responsibility, the whole idea of gender equality is misunderstood by common people and academicians.
• Perceiving Women’s Contribution: There is a specific way which has emerged and evolved over a period of time to develop a linear perspective about women’s contribution in various sectors of social, political, and economic lives. This linear thinking perceptive gradually starts expecting a specific role by both the genders (excluding the third gender). Women’s contribution was seen in family and later in markets, but is largely seen with reference to family. This means that women working outside were mostly associated with work which is more related to house-related work. Gradually, their direct contribution in the market was recognised. 
  • However, they are largely associated with a few professions such as teaching, nursing, and so on, where there is less scope for men. Moreover, even after working outside, she was not exempted from family work or household work. In this way, the human rights of independent, working women were prohibited. It is also important to know that financial contribution to promote women’s education, jobs, business, and so on need to be strengthened with reference to women.
• Policy-level Issues and Poor Monitoring: If we really want equality among genders, we have to work on a multi-sectorial approach, which includes education, health, legal, social, and economic sectors. Policies must be developed keeping women’s issues and challenges in view. Generally, policies work on a standalone basis where an individual gets defeated and is not facilitated. Policies are made in favour of the capitalist world, where social justice, equality, and all such issues are not dealt effectively. Irrespective of whether policies are working properly or not, there are implementation-level challenges and other such questions and concerns that are not taken care of. People must be made aware of these policies. Hardly, any work is done in this regard. There are countless policies that people are not aware of. The monitoring system is equally poor at national, regional, and local levels.
• Inappropriate and Insufficient Research: It is an important point to highlight that the kind of research in this field is mislead, misguided, and one-sided, where one gender is always seen as an exploiter that exploits the other gender. The focus needs to be given on gender equality than gender rivalry. This rivalry leads to a kind of opposition, which, in reality does not help either gender and creates a kind of tension. Therefore, there is a strong need to generate a healthy research and discourse as far as gender equality is concerned. In the absence of such discourse, research conducted would present a limited and a one-sided perspective, which will not help in the long run to develop an egalitarian society.  
• Unattended or Neglected Field and Issues: There are various issues and concerns that are unattended, untouched, or touched very superficially. The government has also made polices, rules, and regulations but there is very little obvious impact. Such issues include female foeticide, marginalisation, sexual violence, public health, education, and so on. All such issues need to be addressed on priority. 
• A Little Demand by a Person Who Gets Exploited: Our society, particularly India, has many kinds of stigmas related to certain actions. Women and other oppressed sections do not dare go to the police or avail any such services, which are developed for them. It may also be seen that social pressure becomes more effective than legal one.
  • The oppressed are bound in a moral dilemma through socialisation and as a result, they do not dare question the social system. On other hand, we know that the judicial system in India is not so active so as to automatically take cognizance of such issues.
• Such social pressure and stigmas demotivate a person to raise voice against the social system. Such stigmas include the following:
  • What will people and the service provider feel about me? 
  • Native or biased perspectives about certain issues such as women should not do this or that task. 
  • Socialisation through morality such as, if a woman is raped, her life is finished.
  • Aspiration for life and expected role to be played in the future. 
  • Threat of economic dependability.
  • Hierarchical system of decision-making.
  • Poor legal knowledge.