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Extension Activity on Gender Role Perception
The Department of Home Science of the IIS University organized an extension activity on Gender Role Perception on 15th October 2018 in IIS University campus. The extension activity was organized by Ms. Archana kumari, Assistant Professor, Department of H.Sc, Human Development and students of B.Sc (H) H.Sc Semester III.
The programme aimed at dissemination the knowledge about prevalence of Gender defined Role in Indian society. It is evident in society that there are certain roles placed on boys and girls in accordance with their gender. These gender roles are imposed on children from birth and are taught until eventually they are accepted as absolute truth. Newborn babies are carried out of the hospital in either a pink blanket or a blue blanket depending on gender. Gifts of trucks or dolls are given to toddlers depending on the child's sex. Stories about princesses are read to little girls, while stories of dragons and swords are read to little boys. This socialization of gender roles is reinforced through the family, media, and education system. The rationale of the activity is to create awareness about stereotyped pattern of gender role and how society constructs these roles.
Target Group & Venue:
The target group for this activity was NSS students of the IIS University, Jaipur. The reason behind selecting this particular section was that youth of today have a wide range of ideas and orientations, even about issues as fundamental as gender. Among these ideas, differing ideas about gender can be very challenging, especially if a person hasn’t thought about the issues of growing up male or female and how gender expectations affect day-to-day working relationships. This workshop invites students to think and dialogue on what gender role is and on their own attitudes toward it.
A total of 138 college girls from all the streams attended the activity.
Materials & Methods Used:
The whole activity was planned in four steps namely, preparation of questionnaire on gender role perception, data collection, data analysis and discussion of result with NSS students. Materials were prepared accordingly.
Before conducting the activity preparation was done by semester III students of B Sc Home Science. A questionnaire containing 20 relevant items pertaining to gender role perception was constructed after a long discussion with the concerned faculty. It included items related to coming home late, household chores, participation in family decision making, clothing etc.
After preparation of the questionnaire data was collected from 60 unmarried (30 girls and 30 boys) and 60 people who were married since 5 years (30 women and 30 men). The collected data was tabulated and frequency was obtained through analysis.
Finally on 15th of October the result was discussed with all students. Each and every student participated in the presentation. It was quite an interactive session. As it was based on their day-to-day challenges they face so everyone could connect themselves with the findings.
Impact of the Activity:
Although we say that, society has been changing as far as gender role performance is concerned. There is no stereotyped role performance especially in an egalitarian middle class society where both man and women are equally participating in economic activities. But the result of this discussion proved this perception wrong. Many of the students agreed that they are treated as equal to boys in many spheres but still they face discrimination in their day-to-day life. The survey result depicted that boys wish to be boys in almost all items asked to them except clothing as they do not have much variety to wear. Whereas girls wished to be live like boys in many cases such as going out of hometown for studies, coming home late in the evening and so on. Finally, the people (parents, teachers, peer group, friends) responsible for these existing stereotyped role were discussed. At the end of the activity it was requested to the students for putting efforts in changing the present scenario, as only youth has the potential to bring change in the mindset of the society.
