2013032219033904-Influence of Socio-cultural Norms

7/28/2019 2013032219033904-Influence of Socio-cultural Norms

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Outline Of the DiscussionSoc io-cu l tural no rms and

gender gap in education


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Socio-cultural norms and Gender Gap in

Education

Socio-culture is the anthropological sense of

broad patterns of thinking, feeling and acting.

More broadly culture can be understood as apeoplesway oflife or tradition.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles,

responsibilities, identities and expectations

assigned to men and women Gender differs the different ways that men and

women are culturally defined and evaluated.

Gender is a cultural construction.


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Influence of Socio-cultural norms on

Gender Gap in Education (Cont)

Many other theorists such as Kabeer, (2001),

Bisnath and Elson (1999) Sen and Grown( 1987)

and Batliwala (1994) argued that gender issocially and culturally determined.

They suggested that for achieving gender based

equality, fundamental changes are necessary in

the patriarchal social structure.


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Influence of Socio-cultural norms on

Gender Gap in Education (Cont)

The socio-cultural values and norms has a strong

influence on the issue of women education.

Due to traditional socio-cultural practice, women

and girls are discriminated within their household.

Womens discriminations are reinforced by various

institutions-religious and socio-cultural whichemphasize womens discrimination in the

household.


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Factors that influence Gender Gap in

Education (Cont) Son Preference Considering daughter as the non-permanent

family member.

Sons are able to support parents in old age

Traditional duties

Early Marriage

Dowry Purdah


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Son-Preference Son preference is well-known to India

Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malaysia .

Due to socio-cultural practice, the socialsystem has given high value to sons as potential

providers and perpetrators of family names.

It I is also commonly believed sons will provideall supports to parents in their old age. On the

other hand, daughter will marry and move

another family.


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Early marriage as the cultural

practice Early marriage is a common practice in rural

areas of developing countries . It is also one of

reason for gender gap in education.

Daughters are often married of at a very youngage .

A woman, on an average, is married before

reaching the age of 20 years . Most of the

parents do believe in early marriage due to

daughters safety.


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Daughter as the non-permanent family

member

Non-permanent family member: In many

families, daughters are considered as the non-

permanent family member. Because aftermarried women will move another family . They

will eventually live with theirhusbands families,

and the parents will not benefit directly from

their education.


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Support in old age

Many parents view educating sons as aninvestment because the sons will beresponsible for caring for aging parents. On the

other hand, parents may see the education ofdaughters a waste of money. Because aftermarriage they will move another family. Thisnegative parental attitudes toward educating

daughters is a barrier to a girls education .


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Traditional Duties

An important reason for gender bias ineducation is womens traditional role insocieties. In developing countries, womensduty are vowed to carry out mainly domesticwork. For these tasks do not need particularknowledge and families perceive girlseducation as a waste of time.


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Dowry as the social cultural

practiceDowry: In developing countries, parents invest

the same amount of money in sons and

daughters. But girls receive less educationbecause the money is used to endow them with

a dowry, On the other hand, parents educate

boys in order to assure them of higher incomes

and better wives (with higher dowry).


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Dowry as the social cultural

practice (Cont..)Daughters with higher levels of education will

likely have higher dowry expenses as they will

want a comparably educated husband.However, education sometimes lowers the

dowry for a girl because it is viewed as an assetby the husbands family.


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Purdah Practice (veil)

Another socio-cultural and religious practicePurdah that influence on gender gap in

education in many developing and Muslimcountries.

Many research show that the poor educational

achievement of the girls may be attributed to the

prevailing Purdah system in many countries.


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Purdah Practice( Cont)

In many countries, due to Purdah related norms

women's mobility is limited.

In rural areas due ofPurdahpractice womensmovement is limited within the confines of the

homestead.

These limit womens education opportunity


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2013032219033904-Influence of Socio-cultural Norms

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