Gender, Religion & Caste PDF

POLITICAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER- 4
OVERVIEW
• Social differences based on Gender, Religion and

Caste can take the form of social divisions and
inequalities.
• We look at the nature of these division in India

and how they get expressed in politics, whether
different expressions based on these differences
are healthy or otherwise in a democracy.
Gender & Politics
WHAT IS GENDER?
- Formal Meaning- ‘the fact of being male or

female’ (biologically)
- Here, ‘Gender’ refers to the socially constructed

roles and relationships between men & women.
It varies from society to society and can be
changed.
WHAT IS POLITICS?
• Politics is the set of activities that

are associated with the governance
of a country, state or area.
• It involves making decisions that

apply to groups of members and
achieving and exercising positions of
governance – organized control over
a human community.
GENDER DIVISION
Based on expectations and stereotypes, natural, unchangeable and universal divisions
PUBLIC PRIVATE
• Role of women minimal in • Boys & Girls are brought up to
politics in most of the society. believe that the main
responsibilities of women in
house work and bringing up
children.
• In many societies till now • Domestic helper’s work is not
women do not have right to valued and does not get
vote. recognition.
Aspects Of Life In Which Women Are
Discriminated In India
LITERACY RATE IN UNEQUAL WAGES SEX RATIO DOMESTIC
2011 VIOLENCE
Female:65.46 % - An average -940 girls on 1000 -There are

Male:82.14% women works 1 boys. reports of various
hour more than an - Parents find ways kinds of violence
- People prefer to average man.
spend their to have girl child against women.
resources for their - Most of them are aborted before she
boys education. not paid equally is born – FEMALE Eg.: Dowry,
INFANTICIDE Harassment etc.
POLITICAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN
• Women’s political representation in India is very low compare to

any other Asian countries. IN 2006 8.2 %
• Now 30% seats in local govt. IN 2009 10.8 %
bodies reserved for women. IN 2014 11.8 %
• Political expression of gender IN 2019 14 %
division helped to improve woman’s role in public life.
• In Scandinavian countries, participation of women in public life.
• Gender Division is an example that shows us some social divisions
needs to be expressed in politics. It also proves that
disadvantaged groups do benefit when social divisions become a
political issue.
Religion, Communalism & Politics
RELIGION
• The belief in a god or gods and the activities connected with this
such as praying or worshipping.
COMMUNALISM
• A strong sense of loyalty to the interests of one particular group
(religions, ethnic, etc.) rather than to society as a whole which
can lead to extreme behavior or violence towards others.
• In simple words- “It is a situation when a particular community
tries to promote its own interest at the cost of other
communities. It is based on the idea that religion is the principal
basis of the community.”
Relationship between Religion & Politics
GANDHI JI’S VIEWS HUMAN RIGHTS FEMINIST MOVEMENTS
- Religion can never

be separated from -Most of the victims
politics. -Family Laws of all
of communal riots in religions discriminated
- He believed that our country are against women.
politics must be people from religious - They demanded to
guided by ethics minorities. change these laws.
drawn from religion.
COMMUNAL POLITICS & THINKING
Politics based on religion for attaining short term

selfish goals
Follower of a People belonging to

particular religion different religion
must belong to cannot live as equal
citizens within one
one community
nation
Daily belief and Majoritarian
religious prejudice Dominance
FORM OF
COMMUNALISM IN
POLITICS
Communal Violence Political

mobilization in
-eg. Partition of India religious line
SECULARISM IN INDIA
• The makers of our constitution were aware of the

challenge due to religious issues and communalism, that
is why they chose the model of secular state .
• SECULARISM –
It is a belief system that rejects the religion or the belief
that religion should not be a part of the affairs of the
state or part of public education.
SECULARISM
State can
No Official Freedom Of Right To Intervene in the
Religion Religion Equality Matter of
Religion
*The idea of secularism constitutes one of the foundation of our

country.
Caste & Politics
WHAT IS CASTE?
• Any class or group of people who inherit exclusive privileges

or are perceived as socially distinct.
• In other words ‘A caste is one of the traditional social classes

into which people are divided according to the occupation in
a Hindu Society. It is transferred by inheritance from one
generation to the next.
• Unlike Gender and Religion, Caste division is

unique to India.
CASTE DIVISION
Occupation is passed This Occupation is Marriages are

on from one generation Transferred by performed within
to another religious rituals. same group
 Caste system was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the

‘outcaste’ group.
 So few political leaders and social reformers like
 JOTIBA PHULE
 GANDHI JI
 B.R. AMBEDKAR
 RAMA SWAMI ; worked to establish a caste free society.
CAUSE OF BREAKIN UP OF CASTE
SYSTEM IN MODERN INDIA
GROWTH IN OCCUPATION ECONOMIC

URBANISATION
LITERACY RATE MOBILITY DEVELOPMENT
Enactment of Law -
Our constitution has prohibited any caste based discrimination.
But things have not completely disappeared from our society.
CASTE CAN TAKE VARIOUS FORM IN POLITICS
• Party choose candidates according to the

composition of the electorate.
• In election leaders appeal caste sentiments for
support.
• Focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an

impression that elections are all about caste and
nothing else; but this is far from true.
HOW POLITICS AFFECT CASTE
• Each caste • Various caste • Emergence of

group tries to groups are new kinds of
become required to ‘backward’ &
bigger. enter into ‘forward’ caste
coalition with groups.
other caste.
ROLE OF CASTE IN POLITICS
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Many disadvantaged • It can divert attention from
communities get the spare of other pressing issues like
their demands for power poverty, development, and
sharing. corruption, etc.
• End of discrimination against • Some times caste division
particular caste. leads conflict and even
violence.
1. SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOUR: A system in which all work inside the house is either
done by women of the family, or organised by them, whereas men perform outside
activities.
2. FEMINIST: A woman or man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for
women and man.
3. PATRIARCHY: Literal meaning – “Rule by father”. Or ‘A system which values men
more and gives them powers over women.
4. FAMILY LAWS: The laws that deal with family related matters such as marriage,
divorce, adoption, inheritance, etc. In our country, different family laws apply to
the followers of different religions.
5. URBANISATION: Shift of population from rural areas to urban areas.
6. OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY: Shift from one occupation to another, usually wen a
new generation takes up occupations other than those practiced by their
ancestors.
7. CAST HIERARCHY: A ladder like formation in which all the caste groups are placed
from the ‘highest’ to the ‘lowest’ castes.

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POLITICAL SCIENCE

• Social differences based on Gender, Religion and

• We look at the nature of these division in India

- Formal Meaning- ‘the fact of being male or

- Here, ‘Gender’ refers to the socially constructed

• Politics is the set of activities that

• It involves making decisions that

Female:65.46 % - An average -940 girls on 1000 -There are

• Women’s political representation in India is very low compare to

GANDHI JI’S VIEWS HUMAN RIGHTS FEMINIST MOVEMENTS

- Religion can never

Politics based on religion for attaining short term

Follower of a People belonging to

Communal Violence Political

• The makers of our constitution were aware of the

*The idea of secularism constitutes one of the foundation of our

• Any class or group of people who inherit exclusive privileges

• In other words ‘A caste is one of the traditional social classes

• Unlike Gender and Religion, Caste division is

Occupation is passed This Occupation is Marriages are

 Caste system was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the

GROWTH IN OCCUPATION ECONOMIC

• Party choose candidates according to the

• Focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an

• Each caste • Various caste • Emergence of

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