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3. Sexual Division of Labour Gender Discrimination in Schools
Certain kinds of labour are considered to be What degree do the schools contribute to chan-
women’s work even if women gets low neling people into narrow roles according to
wages and are less valued. For instance, gender?
teaching and nursing are concerned to be 1. Curriculum : Home economics, business
job the of women considered and extension education, shop classes and vocational
of nurturing work women do at home. agriculture have traditionally been segre-
4. Natural Difference gated by gender. Reflecting society’s expec-
Women are considered to be manually tation, schools teach girl children cleaning,
weak. But, they do the heaviest of work- washing, cooking, sewing and secretarial
carrying loads of water, grinding corn, skills. Boys on the other hand are taught
carrying head-loads in construction and mechanics, wood working and other voca-
mining work. However, when women are tionally oriented skills.
hired for manual labour they are underpaid.
Gender differences, therefore, play an
important role in creating differences in
society. It leads to inequalities as women are
given a subordinate role and are exploited.
The partriarchical relations have made the
society-male-dominated, leading to Sati.
Evil practices like sati, dowry, female
infanticide, child marriage, domestication of
women have been the results of the norms
of society. Hierarchical relations based on 2. Teacher-Student Interaction : Even
the role of the patriarch have kept women when girls and boys are in the same class-
subjugated for centuries. The gender role room, they are educated differently.
needs to be rejuvenated and reassured on Teachers react differently to girls and boys,
the basis of the changing needs of society. they have different kinds of contact with
SOCIAL ASPECTS OF UNPACKING them and different expectations for them.
GENDER ROLE Girls and boys have to act differently to get
Gender Role attention from their teachers. Girls who are
physically close to their teacher receive
Gender roles develop through internalisation and
more attention than the boys and the boys
identification during childhood. This internalisa-
who are aggressive receive more attention
tion of gender norms can be seen through the
than did girls who are aggressive.
example like which types of toys children are
typically given While “feminine” toys often 3. Counselling : A fundamental task of
reinforce interaction, nurturing and closeness, the school guidance personnel is to assist
“masculine” toys reinforce independence and students in their choice of a career. High
competitiveness. Education also plays an integral school guidance may channel male and
role in the creation of gender norm. female students into different field and
activities. Gender stereotyping is common
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