2.2.1 Demographic Profile of Biographical Narrative Interview respondent Pre-study
The section discusses the demographic profile of respondents interviewed using the BNI. In order to protect the identity of research participants which is an important ethical concern, the researcher used pseudonyms for all the participants. The respondent’s profile was selected on the basis of their age group and educational qualification. The researcher decided the age range of respondents from 25 to 40 years for BNI. The decision was taken for two reasons. Firstly, the age of completing higher education for an average Indian woman is 25 years and the average age of marriage for average Indian women is also 25 years (Desai and Andrist 2010). The majority of Indian women are settled in their first married life with a child at the age of 40 years. Secondly, women in the age group of 25 to 40 years are prospective victims of violence (Johnson and Johnson 2001). The researcher categorised women respondents from age range of 25 to 40 years into three different levels of education- the primary education, the secondary education, and the higher education and interviewed two women each from these different educational levels. The demographic profile describes age, marital status of a respondent along with the rationale for selecting for the pre-study field work of the current study. Each respondent is introduced with a phrase which describes the rationale for a respondent’s selection.
Group of Women with Education above Post Graduation
• Tolerated and tolerating abuse, making it a habit: Yukti: - Yukti is a 26 years old single woman pursuing Master in Philosophy in German literature (M.Phil.) from University of Pune. Yukti is born in a nuclear family and has a younger brother. She lives in Pune with her mother. Her father has a managerial position and works in Delhi and her brother is studying for a post- graduate degree in the United Sates.
Yukti is from a modern and well-educated family, and her family had liberal values (society specific) such as gender equality. However, in her childhood, she faced sexual abuse from a known person. Sexual abuse tolerated in the past led her to tolerate many incidents of
sexual violence in her daily routine life. The researcher chose her as a respondent to understand her life course, socialization and personality shaped over time.
• Rationale for division of labour as scientific: Saraswati:- The respondent is a 28 year old married woman, working in the Information Technology sector and pursuing Master in Philosophy in German Literature from University of Pune. Saraswati has an older brother and her marriage has been arranged by her parents to a man working in the I.T sector from Pune.
Saraswati comes from a conservative Hindu family. She attended a Hindu fundamentalist school in Pune. The respondent studying German literature. Saraswati’s socialization and personality development due to her education from Hindu conservative school to western German literature made her a suitable respondent for the current thesis.
Group of women completed Graduation
• Touching body is dirty: Chitra: - has completed a bachelor’s degree in Medicine from University of Pune and is at present working in a reputed hospital in Pune. She is 28 years old and married to an engineer, the marriage was arranged by her mother.
Chitra was selected as a respondent due to her experience of domestic violence. Due to her childhood experience, where she is taught to consider touching sexual organ as dirty. The meaning associated with sexuality and sexual purity has prevented her from divorcing her husband. The interview session revealed her past experience of sexuality along with dowry harassment by her husband’s parents after marriage.
• Dowry is illegal yet paid: Chandra: - is 29 years old, has a Bachelor’s degree in commerce, married, had an arranged marriage and has a child.
Chandra’s exposure to the women’s social movement after marriage led her to spend time with introspection on patriarchal values and experience with violence. Her objective
analysis of experience with violence such as she had paid dowry and she could not oppose it due to parent’s pressure, made her a suitable candidate for the interview.
Group of women completed primary education
• Husband is everything: Madhu: - She is a 25 years old housewife born in Maharashtra and had an arranged marriage. Madhu has four older sisters, a younger brother, and a sister.
Madhu could get basic school education and is married in the last seven years and has a six- year- old child.
She was the first respondent of the lower education group. Her interview revealed for a lower class/caste woman, societal restraint is a less controlling factor than other higher education group’s respondents’. Though she did lack introspection due to lower education, adherence to patriarchal values such as husband as supreme were seen from various incidents shared by her.
• Violence from natal to nupital: Sarita: - Sarita is 25 years old daily wage labourer at Pune University and completed school up to the ninth grade. Sarita has two elder brothers and a sister. Sarita had an arranged marriage.
Sarita’s is victim of violence before marriage and after marriage, made her a suitable candidate for the interview. Sarita’s reflection on her childhood and family revealed about her rebellious personality. Her interview revealed her rebellious personality empowered her but offended her husband who exerted violence on her after marriage.