CHANGING WAY OF LIVING: Signifies change in the way of living, due to “approaching” and
“interfering”.
BOUNDED FREEDOM: Signifies freedom but within traditional boundaries.
SUBMITTING INSECURITIES: Signifies women’s compromise to resolve their insecurities mostly to maintain their economic stability.
SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY:Signifies subjugating values supported by technology.
INTERPRETING KNOWLEDGE: The property signifies exposure to vast knowledge and the masses interpret knowledge to institutionalise the subjugating values.
DEALING AMBIGUITY: The property signifies a tussle between traditional society and the modern individual.
Outline 6: The basic social process of the grounded theory
Masses are unconsciously exposed to various sources of knowledge since childhood such as visual media, educational institutes, preachers and kin-playfellow. These various sources of knowledge are external to the home environment and have a considerable impact on human consciousness. Along with these sources, various strategies adopted by experts are also responsible for making masses conscious of the way of living.
The chapter explains the changes in the way of living and forms of subjugation due to the cumulative effect of strategies and intervening on the way of living. Since it is complex to analyse how this single source of knowledge impacts on the way of living. The researcher demonstrates the cumulative impact of all sources of knowledge on the way of living. The BSP changing way of living signifies a new way of living adopted by masses and a shift in the old way of living. The process of changing old way of living to the new way of living will explain the direction of the empowerment process in the country. The cyclical shift from the old way of living to the new way of living have five different facets which explains the direction and the status of empowerment process perceived by experts.
1.1.1, Bounded freedom
She said, “I am free. I can give you an interview, but not after 9 pm. As my father does not allow it. I need to be at home before 9 pm” (Yukti, in conversation with the researcher.
Original interview in English), she is highly educated and an independent woman. The telephone conversation between the researcher and the BNI respondent indicates that she is an independent woman, but yet bounded to conform the cultural setting which is against a girl who comes late at night. The notion of coming home late is associated with excessive importance given to sexual purity in the Indian culture. The definition of “bounded freedom”
is a freedom bounded to the way of living, the pretension of freedom in a limited sense. The experts claimed that in a modern scenario, patriarchy is stronger in the neo-liberal market than ever.
Various experts such as Sudha, Vibha and Swanad express the view that consumer culture brought freedom for women and endowed them with decision-making capacity. The cumulative impact of consumer culture lies in increasing female education, increasing economic opportunity for women. But are they free in a new consumer culture? Various experts found women are free, but their freedom is succumbed to patriarchal settings131. While giving an example of how consumer culture impacts patriarchy, many experts analysed that women do have choice regarding their partner but now the concept of relationship has materialistic interpretation132. As Sudha, a female expert said:
Young men told me that they must have a motorcycle-If asked why, then the answer was to attract girls or that girls make friendships with such boys who have vehicles--a motorcycle makes life easier. So, this is an egocentric notion of relationship. My point is how consumer culture is making patriarchy stronger. A woman is subsuming her right to say no, for her the wishes are fulfilled by a boyfriend who has money, she falls prey to patriarchal culture as she wants that man to fulfil her wish133. तरुण मुलं मला सांगतात िक त्यांचा कडे मोटोरसायकल असायलापािहजे- जेव्हािवचारला असाकातरत्यांचाउत्तरअसतामुलीनाआकिषर्तकरायलािकंवामुलींशी
मैत्री करायला. मुली अशा शी मैत्री करतात ज्यांचा कडेवाहन असतं, वाहन िन आयुष्य सुखकरहोतं. है खूप अहंकारक कल्पना आहे संबंध ची. माजा मुद्दा हा आहे िक कस ग्राहक संस्कृती िपतृसत्ता मजबूत करत आहे.
131 EIVIBMO 115, EITEMO 107, EIKIMO 101, EIANMO 95.
132 EIVISMO 96, EIARMO 112, EIVIBMO 115
133 Sudha, 11,8-24
बायकाआपलानाहीम्हण्याचाअिधकारस्वाधीनकरतात, ितचासाठीितचाजोपैशावालािमत्रआहेतोचितचा
सगळ्याइच्छापूणर्करतो, तीिपतृसत्ताकसंस्कृतीलाशरणजातेकारणितलाितचाअपेक्षापूणर्करण्यासाठी
पुरुषलागतो.
Consumer culture has no doubt given economic opportunity and increased purchasing power to fulfil their wishes, but they prefer men in a role of provider which is an outcome of the way of living. Such as in this case, as Cole and Crossley (2009) said:
The implications for this changing terrain of feminism are exhibited in many third wave feminists’ embrace of consumerism as both a choice and a source of women’s empowerment.
This is a fundamental problem for feminism, since consumerism, as the cultural logic of capitalism, is the ideological and practical means to reproducing hegemonic domination of the exploitative and oppressive system of global capitalism134.
According to the researcher, Globalization, no doubt, has given choices and preferences to women in order to break their cultural norms but women are socialized to conform to the way of living, thus women always make choices or preferences which are limited to their horizon.
On the other hand, the researcher perceived a limited horizon of the experts due to the way of living. For example, Kirti said in an interview: “If they (women) have money they can spend it on their boy-friend at the same time they are in relationship as their boyfriends have money. So, their relationships have materialistic notions. They (women) can easily change mates as if changing clothes. The meaning of relationship is now associated with money and they are self-centred” जरबायकाकडेपैसेअसतीलतरतेत्यांचािमत्रवरखचर्करतीलआिणतेत्यासंबंध आहेतकारणत्यांचािमत्राकडेपैसेआहेत. म्हणजेयाचाअथर्तेत्यासंबंधहाभौितकवादआहे. तेत्यांचेसोबती
खूप सहजपणे बदलतात. आता संबंध है पैसे आिण स्वाथर् वर िनभर्र आहेत (Kirti, 17; 33-45. Original interview excerpt in Marathi). Choice and preference executed by women is subject to criticism by experts who are working in the gender equality and empowerment field. The expert in the quotation criticised the decision to give self-importance over the rules laid down by society.
134 Cole and Crossley, 2009, Para 13
Unconsciously, even experts associate right-wrong with the way of living and criticise consumer culture for improving women decision- making capacity. On the other hand, male experts talked about how consumer culture has institutionalized the way of living for men.
Milan has analysed it as such:
Indian society treats women as God, but this is not true, society is hypocritical, and at the same time they don’t want female children and we see this connection with dowry. Now-a-days dowry comes up in new forms, because we don’t see marriage in a simple way, we see people waste a lot of money in marriage. People think that the more money they spend on marriages the more happiness their daughter will get in her husband’s home135. भारतीयसमाजहै
बायकाना देव समजतात, पणहै खरा नाही, समाज खूप ढोंगी आहे, त्याचाबरोबर त्यांनामुली नकोअसतात आिणआम्हलात्याचासंबन्धहुंडेशीआहे. आताचायाकाळात, हुंडािननवीनस्वरूपधारणकेलंआहे, कारण आताआम्हीलग्नहैसध्यापद्धतीनेहोणंबघतनाहीआहोत. आम्हीबघतोिकखूपपैसेवायाघालवतात. लोकांना
असंवाटतिकजास्तपैसेलग्नावरखचर्केलेतरत्यांचामुलीजास्तखुशराहतीलनवर्‍याचाघरी.
From a male expert’s perspective, consumer culture has given new forms to dowry.
According to the new way of living, the dowry tradition is further institutionalised with consumer culture. A materialistic notion of relationship can be seen in these new forms of dowry such as various immovable-movable assets, indirectly asking for dowry such as ‘give it (dowry) to your daughter’136, ‘that money is for your daughter’s future’137 or ‘do as per your status138’ are new ways of getting dowry.
In consumer culture, the relationships are materialistic, not only due to dowry but also due to the fact that women are used for gaining monetary resources especially, working women.
Male experts, while discussing about how a husband welcomes a working woman as his wife, analysed how policy makers are happy due to increasing female labour-force participation in the country. But these experts also analysed how these remunerations earned by the female work force are distributed is a question of concern139. As Swanand stated: “You will have a
135 Milan,3,19-26
136 BNICHIMO 120
137 EIMIMO 106
138 BNICHAMO 121
139 EISUMO 90; EISWMAMO 91
husband and wife working together, both earning, (…), so due to the new economic policy, women are coming out and working but there is an emotional stress between husband and wife while, he is controlling her through her money. If they reject men’s power then women become victims of violence” (Swanand, 16; 3-6. Original interview in English).
Thus, women are more prone to exploitation in a consumer market due to their gender ever than before. Beside this the women are more bound due to pressure to balance work-family life. Female experts discussed how males unconsciously internalised the way of living.
The situation is more chaotic due to modernization, such as Anchala said:
I find that now men are confused, that they lack clarity about their future partner. Men want educated and modern women with whom men can go out and they want people to call them a modern couple. But at the same time, from a traditional perspective, women must fulfil all house responsibilities, husbands lack clarity about their role in traditional house chores, and even if they are clear men don’t want to do it. Men don’t want to take responsibility, and due to this the stress level on women has increased140. मलाअसं िदसत िकसध्या मुलांचाडोक्यातखूप गोंधळआहे, त्यांनात्यांचाभिवष्यमध्येत्यांचापाटर्नरकसाहवाआहेत्याबद्दलएकिक्लअरिवचारनाहीआहे. मुलांना एक िशिक्षत आिण आधुिनक स्त्री हवी असते िजचा बरोबरतोच बाहेर जाऊ शकेलआिण त्यांना हवं
असतािकलोकांनीत्यांनाएकआधुिनकजोडीम्हणूनओळखावे. पणत्याचाबरोबर, एकपारंपािरकदृष्टीकोन मध्येत्यांनात्यांचाबायकािनत्यासगळ्याघरचाजवाबदार्‍यापूणर्कराव्यात.आिणनवर्‍यानंत्यांचायापारंपिरक दृष्टीकोनमध्येत्यांचीभूिमकािक्लअरनाहीआहेतआिणजरीत्यांनातेिक्लअरअसलंतरीपुरुषानातेकरायचा
नसत. पुरुषांनातीजवाबदारीघेयायचीनसतेआिणयाचामुलेबायकाचाताणवाढतआहे.
Men enter into a matrimonial alliance with old assumptions, but they expect new roles of sharing the cost of living. According to the researcher, increased female work participation is indeed an indication of freedom but the freedom is not in absolute terms, it is bounded by males controlling economic sources.
In this new form of living, due to increasing costs of living, females are expected to earn, to share the burden with their husband which has given new forms of the way of living.
The next property discusses how women have to compromise to meet increasing cost of living.
1.1.2 Submitting insecurities
140 Anchala, 31, 12-22
The second property that emerged from the data is “submitting insecurities”. This signifies an excessive burden on women to maintain employment stability and insecurities posed due to global competition, consumer culture and economic duress. The traditional way of living does not teach women to agitate additionally burden of saving marriage is entirely a woman’s responsibility. Thus, in order to deal with relationship insecurities women, have to maintain their employment.
Many experts shared that women use their sexuality in order to maintain employment141. Due to visual media, the false body image and subjugating socialisation women present themselves as a commodity for their perceived advantage. Nima an expert working as a counsellor on a helpline, discussed in the interview “Since the beginning, parents have curbed their decision-making power and this limitation becomes a part of their personality resulting in women’s submission, they don’t react. So many times, I have seen women misuse, compromise, and unknowingly present themselves as a commodity”. खूप सुरुवाती पासूनच पालकांनीत्यांचापाल्यचािनणर्यघेण्याचीक्षमतालाअंकुशलावलाआहेआिणहैआताबायकाचाव्यिक्तमत्व
मुळेबायकालवकरशरणजातात, तेप्रितिक्रयादेतनाही. म्हणूनखूपवेळामीबिघतलाआहेिकबायकागैरवापर करतात, तडजोड करतात िकंवा नकळत स्वतःला वस्तू म्हणून प्रेसेंट करतात (Nima, 11; 6-14. Original expert interview in Marathi). It is non-viable to arrest the incidences of sexual favours offered by women for promotion. During BNI, a respondent working in the IT sector, Chandra, narrated an incidence where her female colleague got a promotion by offering sexual favours, though, she later added it as a rumour she heard, and she questioned the character and morality of the promoted girl. While analysing Chandra’s narration, the researcher concluded it as her inability to accept the female colleague’s competency as she said “She was wearing all that sexy dresses so of course the boss would promote her. She just got promoted without talent. In
141 EICHMO 109, EIARMO 112, EINIMO 111
front of the boss, she would show her skin”). तीसगळेसेक्सीकपडेघालतेम्हणूनआमचाबॉसनेितला
प्रोमोशनिदला. ितलाप्रोमोशनिमळालंपणतेितचाहुशारीमुळेनाहीिमळालं. तीमाज्याबॉससमोरखूपमादक आिण शरीराचा भाग दाखवणारे कपडे घालते (Chandra. In first oral interview, 32:13). The respondent’s assertive body language suggests her inability to accept competency or jealousy of her colleague. When the researcher discussed sexual favours given by women with an expert, Sudha, a senior female expert for more than three decades analysed it as such, “if it is happening, what’s wrong with it. It is their way to deal with an exploitation” (Sudha, 6; 11-12.
Original expert interview Marathi/English/Hindi). Internalisation of objectification due to socialization as discussed earlier has shaped a new reality in the form of sexual harassment at the workplace or offering sexual favours.
According to the researcher, sexual favour given by women are judge with moral and immoral value but ignore the fact that vulnerable women either agitate against demand or can submit to it. Agitating is not a considerable option due to cultural and financial constraint, thus, submitting to insecurities are new forms of violence modern educated women are facing in India. In the old “way of living” society treats marginalised castes/classes as available, objectification of women takes place due to their caste and class identity, whereas in the new
“way of living” due to changing economic opportunities not only marginalised castes/classes but also upper caste/class women are objectified. More and more women from all castes and classes come out in public with educational degrees and society treats them sexually available as they are now in public eye, prone to sexual harassment. Women from the upper castes/classes with degrees are prone to sexual harassment due to the fact that scanty employment opportunities are available, thus first to get a job and then to maintain the job, educated women tolerate sexual harassment at the workplace (Bhat and Deshpande 2017).
Chayya, an activist working for the development of marginalised caste women in Maharashtra
analysed that, due to globalisation and new economic policy more and more marginalised castes are entering into an unorganised sector. The peculiarities of an unorganised economic sector are low job security, lack of legal protection provided to employees and more vulnerability. Chayya compared marginalised castes with upper castes and their insecurities as, she stated: “Other than Dalit and tribal women who are working in corporate sectors are also insecure. Dalit and tribal women are more prone to rape and any kind of sexual harassment and all kinds of violence but now we have observed that other women (educated) are also prone to these kinds of violence” दिलत आिण आिदवासी मिहला जे कॉपोर्रेट क्षेत्रा मध्ये काम करतात ते पण असुरिक्षतआहे. दिलतआिण आिदवासीबायकायांनाजास्तधोका असतोबलात्कार िकंवालैंिगकअत्याचार चाआिण सगळ्या प्रकारचािहंसे चापणआम्हीअसं िनरीक्षण केलाआहे िकदुसर्‍याबायका म्हणजेिशिक्षत
बायकापणयासगळ्याप्रकारचािहंसेचाधोकाआहे. (Chayya, 6;18-31. Original expert interview in Marathi).
In the new “way of living”, irrespective of whether upper or lower caste/class, women are prone to sexual harassment at the workplace but with the lower castes, economically deprived classes live with insecurities given by the neo-liberal economy. A poverty trap and old caste culture together force them into trafficking, sex trade and sexual exploitation in society (Rai 2016; Ashalatha 2013).
So far, Indian women deal with public and private violence, but in the new “way of living”, virtual violence has become reality which has cut across geographical boundaries. In public and private violence, a perpetrator is limited to a certain spatial space, unlike in the virtual world, where violence happens across boundaries by known or unknown perpetrators.
The next property demonstrates violence happening in the virtual world in the form of
“supporting technology” as the new “way of living”.
1.1.3 Supporting Technology
The property for the BSP “changing” that emerged from the data is “supporting technology” signifies complex forms of the way of living due to technology. Cultural values shape the meaning of science and technology inventions. According to the researcher, technology has shrunken the world. People, most of the time, connects to the people from similar class. People cherished their in-group solidarity and thus confirm to their class identity.
Thus, the researcher perceived technology supports fragmentation of society by supporting ethnocentric values. Technology also brings caste solidarity and re-establishes caste values among masses.
A human rights activist shared her view that now-a-days it is possible to exert mental violence through technology which is subtle and difficult to demonstrate142. She further added:
“I send an email, a text, and this can trigger an incident of violence. So physical presence is not necessary to exert violence. Complexity has changed now, but in the court, this has become difficult to prove as Indian law has not changed the act of evidence. All technology has changed, people are using it to abuse someone” मीएकई-मेल, टेक्स्टजरीपाठवलातरीिहगोष्टिहंसे
लासुरूकरूशकते. शारीिरकउपिस्थतीगरजेचीनसतेिहंसेसाठी. सगळंखूपजिटलझालाआहे,पणकोटर्मध्ये
खूपअवघडझालाआहेकारणभारतीयकायदामध्येबदलनाहीझाला. आम्हालाखूपअवघडजातंिसद्धकरणं
कारण पुरवा चा कायदा हा बदलेला नाही. तंत्रज्ञान मध्ये खूप बदल झाला आहे आिण लोक त्यांचा उपयोग दुसर्‍याशीगैरवतर्नकरण्यातकरतात (Kshama, 23; 24-28. Original interview excerpt in Marathi).
The invention of technology is a boon for society, as it has helped every section of society to be empowered especially for women (Halder and Jaishankar 2009). It has given women a powerful platform to express their experience to the masses. Additionally, it has
142 EIKSMO 114
broadened women’s understanding of violence especially sexual harassment and obscenity.
Stalking or bullying and sending obscene messages are new forms of living for Indian women (Halder and Jaishankar 2016). But these are not the only forms of violence. Due to technology, cases of (mis)-using technology to take advantage of a woman’s vulnerability are increasing.
Multimedia message (MMS) of a sexual act is being used to blackmail girls or to sell such videos in the black market (Halder and Jaishankar 2016,2014b, 2013). Everyday such news has become a new way of living for Indian masses. Suchit, working in the field of women and health, shared an incident with the researcher: “A boy wooing a girl, taking her to a hotel and getting physically intimate with her, and the boy recorded this entire thing on a mobile and sold this clip as a blue film or to black- mail the girl. User-friendly technology is now used to abuse girls, especially sexually. Abusing girls through an MMS or phone call is increasing” एकमुलगा
मुलीलापटवतअसतो, ितलाहॉटेलमध्येनेणं, ितचा बरोबरशारीिरकसंबंधबनवणंआिणमुलंहैसगळं त्यांचा
मोबाईलमध्ये रेकॉडर्करतात आिण यािक्लप्स िवकतातब्लूिफल्म म्हणून िकंवात्यांनाब्लॅक मेलकरायला. वापरायलासोपीअसल्यामुळेआताहैतंत्रज्ञानमुलींचागैरवापरकरण्यासाठीिवशेषतःलैंिगक. मुलींचागैरवापर करणेएका MMS िकंवाएकफोन कॉलद्वारावाढतआहे. (Suchit, 16; 1-13. Original expert interview in Marathi). As discussed before, a property of the “way of living”, “treating dirty” has shown that cultural positions on sexuality, sexual purity as a gateway to family honour have shaped this new form of violence. Thus, Indian women find it traumatising and anguishing to report violence to the authorities (Halder and Jaishankar 2016).
Many experts elaborated different connections between technology and sexual violence.
For instance, an expert working against child sexual abuse discussed in detail how science and technology proved to be a curse in the Indian scenario. As aforementioned, in the property
“treating dirty” the researcher discussed how Indian society treats sexual organs as dirty and there is a cultural silence around sexuality in India; due to a culture of silence around sexuality
the young population satisfies their curiosity through adult entertainment, an easy access to adult entertainment and considering a sexual act shown in the entertainment as the way of living. These sexual acts support sexual abuse and objectification of women143.
With time, age of marriage for women and men has increased, a conservative outlook on sexuality, a patriarchal way of living and user- friendly adult entertainment, as well as social networking sites have paved the way for some of the complex forms of violence such as an increased use of pornography by adults, their desire to imitate fictitious sexual acts in reality on their sexual partners even without their consent are new ways of living144.
A man in order to subjugate women, now uses applications such as WhatsApp, social media and other social networking applications. Checking his wife’s e-mails, stalking a female on Facebook are new forms of control. Aradhana, a family counsellor, analysed her experience working with the young generation and on how subjugation values are changing145. Anchala shared similar experiences with young couples. Anachala shared an incident in her interview about how a husband speaks lovingly to gain his wife’s trust and exerts control over her through technology: “After marriage a husband permits his wife to check his Facebook and a husband expects a wife to do the same. A husband not only ask for a Facebook password but ATM cards and passwords as well. They used the monitored data to keep a check on them”. लग्नानंतरनवरा
A man in order to subjugate women, now uses applications such as WhatsApp, social media and other social networking applications. Checking his wife’s e-mails, stalking a female on Facebook are new forms of control. Aradhana, a family counsellor, analysed her experience working with the young generation and on how subjugation values are changing145. Anchala shared similar experiences with young couples. Anachala shared an incident in her interview about how a husband speaks lovingly to gain his wife’s trust and exerts control over her through technology: “After marriage a husband permits his wife to check his Facebook and a husband expects a wife to do the same. A husband not only ask for a Facebook password but ATM cards and passwords as well. They used the monitored data to keep a check on them”. लग्नानंतरनवरा