Women's Role Expectations and Identity Development in India

Abstract

Women's education, employment, and family roles and the interrelations between them have attracted increasing attention during the last few years. Feminists have dispelled long held notions about “women's place” and the accepted myths about their nature and function (Goldstien, 1972). Over the last few decades there has been a tremendous change in laws, attitudes, and norms affecting women's status, roles, and development in society in India. As a result of which women have ventured beyond the traditional role of wife and mother, and have sought employment and careers outside the home, and have actively participated in the economic and social development of the nation (Liddle & Joshi, 1986). There is a restructuring and reorientation of women's roles in contemporary society. However, not much empirical knowledge is available about these changes and the impact they have on women's behaviour, values, or attitudes and identities (Johnson, 1992). Rapid social changes in women's career and family roles are accompanied by a significant transition in their attitude towards career and family. Research in the last decade highlighted the complex relationships between a woman's objective roles and her subjective attitudes regarding these roles, which affect her overall life satisfaction and sense of identity in society (Phillips & Imhoff, 1997). This study examines the role expectation and satisfaction, fears, dreams, aspirations, sense of competence, or lack of it, among college women in contemporary Indian society.

Family embeddedness and entrepreneurship experience: a study of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs in Australia

“…(FG men) Findings suggest that the influence of Indian cultural values on MWEs and their partners was reflected in their strong family orientation. Living in joint families acted as both a positive and/or a negative force for MWEs, which is in line with previous studies (Dhawan 2005;Azmat 2013). In our data, 4 out of 15 MWEs cited family as a barrier and 9 cited it as an enabler, with accounts of families acting as facilitators appearing more frequently in our data from both the women and their partners.…”

Opportunities or obstacles?

“…The impact of ongoing feminist movements, reforms and pressures for a more egalitarian society has resulted in changes towards the empowerment of women in developed countries. The developing countries have also experienced significant legal, attitudinal, and axiological changes affecting women's status, roles and development in society (Dhawan, 2005). Yet, in a globalized context, many challenges still exist with regard to the concept of gender equality.…”

The impact of differing maternal expectations on the academic achievements of primary school children in Urban Bangalore, South: a comparison between boys and girls

“…However, as mentioned earlier, the data obtained is questionable. Over the past few decades there has been a significant change in laws, attitudes and status, as well as behaviour, in Indian society (Dhawan, ). However, according to the data obtained in this study, women still feel that any amount of encouragement in the field of academia does not change the perception that, once a girl is married, she eventually will have to don the role of primary care‐giver.…”

“…However, according to the data obtained in this study, women still feel that any amount of encouragement in the field of academia does not change the perception that, once a girl is married, she eventually will have to don the role of primary care‐giver. The education of women, their family roles and the delicate interaction of these two aspects of their lives has attracted a lot of attention in the past and continues to do so even today (Dhawan, ). Of the five women who were interviewed, two were working women who were very successful in striking a balance between their domestic and professional lives.…”

“…She feels that even if she encourages her daughter to achieve extraordinary academic results, her final role still lies within the confines of the house. Research over the past ten years has been indicative of the complex interaction between a woman's objective and subjective roles, which in turn affect her identity in society (Phillips and Imhoff, , cited in Dhawan, ). This conclusively does not indicate differentiating between the son and daughter, but being realistically prepared for the child's future in Indian society.…”