Journal of Women's Studies: University of North Bengal
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The study of gender inequalities is a widely used trope in feminist philosophy. Discrimination, objectification (sexual), inequality, sexism, stereotyping, literature and aesthetics that are fundamental to feminist criticism are the central themes of the research papers here.
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Item Open Access Marriage and Divorce over the Decades: An Analysis of the Portrayal of Marital Relationships in Select Indian English Fictions(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Chatterjee, KaushikThe institution of marriage developed early in human society had its foundations in love, companionship, commitment, and mutual respect. The traditional view of marriage in India saw the institution as a bond for several lives. With exalted status given to men, the institution extended limited agency to women. Divorce became heavily stigmatized and discouraged. The issue of marital conflict is one of the dominant themes in Indian English fiction. Raja Rao, Arun Joshi, Kamala Markandaya, Nayantara Sahgal, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Bhabani Bhattacharya, Shobhaa De, Anita Desai, and many others frequently have used the theme of marriage and divorce as one of the central motifs in their works. The paper discusses marital strife in The Serpent and the Rope by Raja Rao and The Day in Shadow by Nayantara Sahgal. Raja Rao's novel was published in 1960, and Nayantara Sahgal's book was published in 1971. The paper discusses the theme of marriage and divorce in the two novels published a decade apart to examine whether the approach to marriage and marital differences has changed in a decade as represented in literature.Item Open Access Exploring Gender Discrimination and Oppression in Mahesh Dattani’s Tara: A Tale of Ableism and Social Disability(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Dutta, SayantinaMahesh Dattani's plays primarily revolve around the marginalised individuals and their quest to gain recognition within society. They challenge the established conventions, politically constructed mindsets, gender categorizations, and societal generalisations. He adeptly illustrates the intricate nature of socially approved gender norms. Dattani does not provide a definitive resolution for the social problems he addresses; instead, he encourages the audience to confront these concerns and develop an awareness of them. This research investigates gender inequality and the exclusion of women and disabled individuals in relation to Mahesh Dattani's play “Tara”. In this play, the playwright explores the topic of disability by analyzing the character dynamics, familial relationships, and societal expectations. The main character of the play, a disabled young girl named Tara, serves as the focal point of the arguments in this research paper. The story alludes to women’s subservient status in Indian society, which is a result of ingrained prejudice and gender bias. It challenges the roles and behaviours that society assigns to each gender as well as the specific ways that people—male and female—are supposed to behave. Dattani challenges viewers to consider their own views and fight towards a more equal society by exploring the linkages between gender and disability. This article emphasises how critical it is to address these problems in order to build a more equitable and inclusive society.Item Open Access Unveiling the Surreal and Subversive: Interrogating Gender, Patriarchy, and Everyday in Poor Things(University of Northe Benagl, 2023-12) Halder, AbhijeetYorgos Lanthimos in Poor Things has created a world where the audience’s sensory perception is immediately shocked by the eerie and surreal ambience of it. Godwin Baxter, a Frankenstein-like doctor, in the narrative has created a mansion removed from the everyday reality of the world outside. The surreality of Godwin’s world is in stark contrast with the world that Bella Baxter (a ‘woman’ Godwin created) encounters outside. Godwin has created Bella, or given life to Bella, by inserting the brain of an embryo into the body of a grown woman; thus Bella is born into an everyday life which is created by Godwin (or God as Bella called him). Bella goes on a journey of self-exploration, a journey of self-awareness, where she interrogates her gender, sexuality, sexual pleasure, morality, and constructs her everyday identity. Bella consolidates her gender through various performative acts all through the movie. Everyday life has been an important element of cultural studies in the twentieth century; a critique of everyday life is a result of interrogating the prevailing structures in all segments of life: how a ‘person’ is constructed, becomes a part of the everyday through various performances is one of the aspects of investigating everyday life in cultural studies. This paper aims to read Bella’s everyday life before she leaves Godwin’s mansion and Bella’s encounter with the everyday realities of different cities, in other words, the diversified everyday life of the world. This paper will further explore how Bella constructs her gender identity, femininity, sexuality, and class consciousness gradually as the narrative progresses. Bella's investigation of the prevailing structures of everyday life and subsequent subversion of it is what this paper aims to explore. This paper uses some feminist and cultural theorists to study Bella’s interrogation of different structures and cultures. This paper is an attempt to capture Bella’s transformation from infancy to adulthood, from innocence to experience, from a docile individual to a rebel.Item Open Access Prostitution and Slavery: A Discussion of Abolitionist Perspective(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Paul, AnkitaAccording to the abolitionist position, prostitution is slavery. It is a moral evil. In this article, I will discuss the abolitionist perspective on prostitution. I will present another standpoint where sex workers are empowered and able to access agency.Item Open Access Feminist Philosophy of Art(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Saha, SubhamThe feminist philosophy of art is concerned with how feminist issues are involved in aesthetics. Like feminism, feminist aesthetics show how women are objectified in art. This article will show how and why women are depicted in an objectified manner in the traditional art canon and how feminist artists react against this.Item Open Access The Role of Woman in Building Cultural Heritage of India(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Ghosh, RaghunathIn our Hindu Law Manu had made such a remark: To him, gods rejoice there where women are duly honoured. He also added in this connection that if women in the society lament and are tortured, the whole kingdom will suffer owing to this leading to its complete annihilation. At the moment we do not want to judge the justifiability of such statements in details, but at best it can be said that the position of the women in ancient society was not totally neglected as it is commonly thought of. We come across the icon of Ardhanārīśvara, which is in fact a combination of half male and half female. Such an icon is of very much significance on the ground that it indicates the role of woman in our life. If a woman wants to exercise her freedom, nobody will go to resist her. Historical account shows that in India there were many women who exercised their freedom in a full-fledged manner. It is believed in Indian culture that the Divine Energy (Śakti) is manifested as the Ultimate female power in Hindu cosmology. She creates, destroys and exhibits a fierce power over all of creation. If they have such a confidence, power given to them will be utilized for the welfare of the women as well as the country. I am personally looking forward towards this ‘dawn’ of their own glorious identity lost now-a-days due to various socio-political problems.Item Open Access Roots, Nature and Extent of Gender Violence and Women Empowerment: Discourse and Reality in India(University of North Bengal, 2023-12) Guha, SumanaViolence against women is a deep-rooted phenomenon that can be traced back to the history of civilization. The restrictive socio-religious norms in India limit women’s choices and access to opportunities. Economic globalization has enhanced job opportunities for both men and women that has increased the number of women in the job market in India defying social norms. Nevertheless, violence against women has become an alarming concern in India. On one hand women’s increased access to job market appears as an indicator of enhancing their financial empowerment, freedom of movement etc. but violence against women, a sheer violation of human rights, undermines that empowerment. Hence, the co-existence of these positive and negative forces twined together create a very complex socio-economic environment in India. Emphasis is given to women’s empowerment because women are not just a subset of socially disadvantaged groups, but they are a crosscutting category that overlaps with all other disadvantaged groups. This paper worked with secondary (NBCR, NFHS) and primary data reveals that women empowerment and violence against women is highly positively correlated.Item Open Access Shades of South Asian Women in Rasheed Jahan’s Writings: Navigating Patriarchies, Spaces, Regime Control, and Colonialism(University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Chakraborty, Anup Shekhar; Biswas, PraggnaparamitaWomen in South Asia had a different colonial experience compared to that of men. Colonialism liberated indigenous women from traditionally restrictive practices, expanding their mobility opportunities. It also introduced indigenous women to newer forms of colonial patriarchy and sometimes resurrected older forms of masculine privilege. Women attempted to overcome obstacles to education and healthcare, forced marriages, and restrictions on their freedom of movement. A group of women actively participated in the nationalist movement and advocated for women’s rights. Writing allowed colonised women in South Asia to convey their thoughts and experiences and to challenge the oppressive structures that confined them, ultimately leading to women’s liberation. By drawing attention to the intersectionality of gender, religion, and culture, women writers in South Asia, particularly the Islamic women writers have contributed significantly to the feminist movement. These writings have given Muslim women in the region a voice and have challenged patriarchal norms and stereotypes. The writings of Rasheed Jahan, Ismat Chughtai, and Qurratulain Hyder continue to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for future generations of women. The present study delves into the literary works of Rasheed Jahan, with a focus on the portrayal of South Asian women and their experiences in overcoming various forms of patriarchal oppression, their navigation through regimes and their mechanisms of control, their struggle for establishment of identities in diverse social settings, resisting authoritarian regimes, and recovering from the aftermath of colonialism while carving out spaces for their survival.Item Open Access Subjugation and Emancipation : Women Characters in the Select Works of Girish Karnad(University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Mahaldar, SantoshA feminist perspective explores and analyzes among its other themes, the theme of gender inequality. It talks about the discourses of patriarchy and sexism that have kept women oppressed and marginalized economically, politically, socially and psychologically. Lois Tyson asserts: “Feminist criticism examines how literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women.” (Tyson, 2019, p. 79) Disparity against women based on gender distinction has been the core preoccupation of feminism. The role of women in our society has been confined within the boundaries of daughter, wife, and mother, which are suggestive of the restrictions that almost all women face in their homes. This paper draws on gender discourses to discuss the theme of subjugation of women in some select plays of Girish Karnad. The paper discusses four plays of Karnad to explore the issue ; Naga-Mandala, The Fire and the Rain , Hayavadana and Yajati . Discussion on women’s subjugation requires a proper theoretical and philosophical perspective. The essay refers to some deliberations and convictions of feminist critics like John Stuart Mill, Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millet, and Michel Foucault. Girish Karnad was well aware that the sexist oppression of women is a feature of patriarchal dominance. We know the adage, “power sets the agenda for patriarchy.” The research aims to pinpoint how Karnad seeks for means of atonement in the select plays.Item Open Access Contribution of Muslim Women’s Participation in Non- Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Movement with Special Focus on Bengal(University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Yasmin SabinaIn the aftermath of the First World War, indications of far-reaching changes in Indian politics became evident. Mahatma Gandhi’s rise in national politics certainly brought novelty to the nationalist movement. The Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the martial law in the Punjab intensified the anti-British imperialism of the common people. After that came the Khilafat problem. Gandhiji associated himself with the Khilafat movement at its full height. Gandhiji associated himself and the Indian National Congress with the Khilafat movement in a sincere attempt to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity. The decision of boycott of British goods was taken based on this decision and the non-cooperation movement started and took the form of mass movement. This movement played a very important role in Bengal as well.