Posts Tagged ‘Lägg till ny etikett’

India is interesting on so many levels. And I am fascinated by the strong  “we can do it” approach that is present among the young women. “It” i this sense refers to meeting equality, meeting the men half-way on many levels of society. I have a deep interest in India and gender. For my master thesis in Anthropology I choose to conduct research in the vibrant globalized sphere of South Delhi -  where gender roles are constantly being negotiated in the capital city which is moving with a high speed towards the  future.

I am especially interested in the gender perspective in India today. Marriage has been and still is an important social institution in India. “A good marriage” is essential and to be a good wife is a desirable goal for many women in India. The young women I met in Delhi  are well aware of what is considered desired female behaviour and they in many ways try to live up to this norm and to follow the social unwritten rules of what is considered desirable female behaviour. But even though they do have room for negotiating their role within the marriage institution.

I am fascinated by the strong  “we can do it” approach – meaning match up to the men, become their equals within the society as such and specifically within the marriage institution. According to my informants, many Indian marriages are based on inequality, the man is often considered to be in charge of decisions. When the family units are becoming nuclear, breaking free from the extended family setting then new rules are negotiated between the spouses with no external power involved. With every generation comes change, and with every generation small changes are being made, my Delhi informants can see these changes in their parents and grandparents attitudes that differs on many levels from their own. Delhi women are moving at a high speed.

Even if the young women are restricted on many areas of the society – especially when it comes to moving freely in their own city after night falls. I admire their spirit! I wish them all the best in their struggle fuelled by their  ‘we can do it’ approach.  I am grateful that I had the privilege to meet some of these  young women during my stay in Delhi at the end of year 2008.