Gender, School and Society

Course 6: Gender, School and Society

Course Objectives:

The student-teachers will be able to

1. Develop basic understanding and familiarity with key concepts- gender, gender bias, gender stereotype, empowerment, gender parity, equity, and equality, patriarchy and feminism;

2. Understand the gradual paradigm shift from women’ studies to gender studies and some important landmarks in connection with gender and education in the historical and contemporary period;

3. Learn about gender issues in school, curriculum, textual materials across disciplines, pedagogical processes and its intersection with class, caste, religion and region; and

4. Understand how gender, power and sexuality relate to education (in terms of access, curriculum and pedagogy).

Unit 1 Gender Issues: Key Concepts:

a) Gender, sex, sexuality, patriarchy, masculinity, feminism

b) Gender bias, gender stereotyping, and empowerment

c) Paradigm shift from women’s studies to gender studies

d) Contemporary period: Recommendations of policy initiatives, commissions and committees, schemes, programmes and plans.

Unit 2 Gender, Power and Education

a) Theories on Gender and Education: Application in the Indian context-Socialization theory, Gender differences, Structural theory

b) Gender identities and socialization practices in: Family, Schools and Other formal and informal organizations

c) Schooling of girls: Inequalities and resistances (issues of access, retention and exclusion)

Unit 3: Gender issues in Curriculum

a) Gender, culture and institution: Intersection of class, caste, religion and region

b) Curriculum and the gender questions

c) Gender and hidden curriculum

d) Gender in text and context (textbooks, classroom processes, including pedagogy)

e) Teacher as an agent of change

Sessional Work

• Assignment (select any two of the following)(Concerned teacher can devise assignment as per requirement of the course)