CONTOURS OF WOMANHOOD– SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF WOMANHOOD AMONG THE MARGINALIZED FISHERWOMEN IN KERALA
Authors :Dr. Chitra S Nair1
Abstract
Womanhood depends on the capability and capacity of a person to do her roles. When we talk about the roles enacted by women in the society, it doesn’t exclusively mean the roles assigned to them. It also includes their self-perception about which, what and how the roles of women are possessed in relation to time and space. Emancipation and empowerment processes greatly depend upon these real-life experiences. It is the accumulated effect of these identifications that are marked as visible changes in the status of women in society. This village study of fisherwomen community in Kerala used qualitative methodology specially focusing on the gender identity constructions of women in a marginalized community. Comparing social relations of women in three generations of fisherwomen community with the major social institutions, viz; education and marriage, the research tried to understand various forms of social organization and dynamics behind construction of gender identities and how it has evolved through time. Ten families with three generations of women living together were purposively selected. Semi structured interview guide was used. Study showed that the pattern of education received by women was entirely different from that of their male siblings. Marriage and the role of being a housewife gave power to women to voice their opinion in family matters only when they advanced to their Middle Ages.
Key words
Womanhood, Gender identities, social construction, Fisherwomen, Education, Marriage.
