Hindu Men Talk about Controlling Women: Cultural Ideas as a Tool of the Powerful

Abstract

Hindu women's restrictions to the home and limited interactions with their husbands disadvantage Hindu women. These macro gender structures are constituted through microinteraction rituals. The article examines Hindu men's and women's microinteractions as a way of understanding Indian gender structure. Hindu men recognize their self-interest in these interaction rituals—they know that they benefit from women's subordination. Women's strategies of pursuing power and security in their husbands' families, moreover, often lead women into “bargains with patriarcy” that also contribute to the reconstitution of gender inequality in India.

Muslim and Hindu Women’s Public and Private Behaviors: Gender, Family, and Communalized Politics in India

“…Veiling includes using a sari or dupatta to cover one’s face (known as ghunghat among north Indian Hindus), or wearing a burqa among Muslims. Staying away from public places such as bazaars or movie theaters, not venturing outside the home unless accompanied, and not participating in the labor force are some other means of maintaining seclusion (Derné 1994; Mann1994).

An ethnographic account of Muslims in Alighar notes (Mann 1994):

In Alighar, a Muslim woman embodies the honour of her patrilineage … her behaviour can be a guide to the degree of honour that male members of her household maintain.

…”

Gossip, Scandal, Shame and Honor Killing: A Case for Social Constructionism and Hegemonic Discourse

“…The ideology of sexism is to be blamed directly for the ambivalent approach the state and its supporting social control apparatus, including the criminal justicesystem, have taken in regard to honor killing. Some experts perceive this ambivalent attitude as an ideologically motivated and carefully constructed move to not challengethe existingstatus quo supported by old traditional beliefs and cultural practices that haveexistedfor decades (Baker, Gregware, & Cassidy, 1999;Alonso, 1995; Derne, 1994;Glazer & Abu Ras, 1994). Sexism as an ideology has influenced, facilitated, and even lended legitimacy to existing penal codes regarding honor killing which continue to bepracticed in the MiddleEast with little or no challenge at by the citizens of the Middle East, with the exception of the few challenges raisedby feminist activists struggling to protect women's lives (Ruggi, 1998).…”

Deconstructing LajjA as a Marker of Indian Womanhood

“…People with lajjA will be unassuming, gentle, considerate, polite, humble, sacrificing, subdued, respectful and, adjustable-attributes that help meshing with family and society. In India, family honour is important and closely connected to women's honour (Mukhopadhyay and Seymour, 1993), and marriages of girls are arranged in families of equal status only when the girl's demeanour is perceived as full of lajjA, shilta and sharma (vernacular synonyms of lajjA)-ornaments of women that bring honour to family honour, while the opposite conduct brings dishonour to the family (Derne, 1994). The problematic issue in Indian society of associating lajjA in women with family honour, which is associated with imbalance of power between genders and also curtailment of full scope of expression of behaviour, of women will be discussed in later sections of the article.…”