...Samuel Cabrera ANTH 321 Professor Gill Response Paper Four Gender and sexuality have been the core of many debates in many cultural norms, in particular when it comes to religion, class and political reforms. Authors such as Dan Savage, Serena Nanda, and Alok Gupta have taken the role to write about these issues in North America and India. These authors argue that the intersection of sex and religion, gender in religion, and class in sexuality have been at the core of the gender and sexuality movement. The idea of “class” being an issue to “class” when it comes to sexuality in India has been contributed to a lot of debate (Gupta). Also, when it comes to sexuality in religion in a North American content the idea of anything other than heterosexuality is blind in the catholic religious practice. However, when it comes to gender practices in India, the Hindu religion is more open and understanding to the idea of the third gender. The rise of concern of homosexuality when it comes to religion in American culture is one that is gaining attention in the homosexual community. Especially when it comes to the Catholic practice and its unwillingness to welcome the gay community into there religion. Dan Savage argues that the Catholic religion ignores the gay community because the sin of homosexuality can be seen by the open eye, and ignores the fact that most of the heterosexual followers of the religion engage in the practice of nonprocreative sex. For example, Dan Savage brings...
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...supervisor Professor ******* ****** for his guidance when I was writing this dissertation. Secondly, I would like to extend my gratitude to all my classmates in the Human Rights Diploma programme for helping me in many ways. Lastly, I would like to thank ******** ********, ******* ******** and ****** ****** for their emotional support. Content Declaration 02 Acknowledgement 03 Content 04 Introduction 05 Homosexuality in India 1 Section 377 20 Discrimination faced by LGBT 30 Conclusion 46 Bibliography 51 Articles 54 1. INTRODUCTION Across the world today, the debate over homosexuality continues, with great variation in public opinion about the acceptability of homosexuality, laws regulating same sex unions and penalties for sexual behaviors. Vast changes in the engagement of human rights with sexuality have been made over the last two decades. The issue today is no longer whether human rights will engage with sexuality, but rather...
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...In Search of Her: A Postcolonial/ Feminist Enquiry into the Identity of Indian Woman Kochurani Abraham “The home was the principal site for expressing the spiritual quality of the nation’s culture and women must take the main responsibility of protecting and nurturing this quality. No matter what the changes in the external conditions of life for women, they must not lose their essentially spiritual (ie feminine) virtues; they must not, in other words, become essentially westernized.” - Partha Chatterjee, “The Nationalist Resolution of the Women’s Question”* “What was gradually and carefully constituted, brick by brick, in the interaction between colonialism and nationalism is now so deeply embedded in the consciousness of the middle classes that ideas about the past have assumed the status of revealed truths…It has led to a narrow and limiting circle in which the image of Indian womanhood has become, both a shackle and a rhetorical device that nevertheless functions as a historical truth.” - Uma Chakravarti “Whatever happened to the Vedic Dasi?: Orientalism, Nationalism and a Script for the Past.”* Who/where is the Indian woman? Since this conference focuses on the theme “Identity, Difference and...
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...Chopra’s view of the nature of God. Second, I will compare my view of sexuality to Deepak Chopra’s view of sexuality. Third, I will compare my money and career views to those of Deepak Chopra. Lastly, I will support an explanation by providing reasons why I believe Deepak Chopra is a perfect role model. Compare/Contrast the Values and Actions of Deepak Chopra with My Worldview and Experiences Nature of God I believe Deepak Chopra has a secular spirituality worldview (Frye, 2013) because he believes God is the creator of the universe who is within each one of us. Deepak Chopra is an endocrinologist who now practices the alternative medicine of Ayurveda, which has its roots as an ancient Indian medicine. Ayurveda medicine is a way of keeping one’s “body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature” (Das, n.d.). Dr. Chopra believes God reveals Himself to us through our spiritual practices and God does not reveal Himself to us solely because we believe (Roff, 2009). After reading about Deepak Chopra and his worldview, I would say that I have beliefs about God that are similar to those of Deepak Chopra. I believe that God is the creator of the universe and that God is inside each of us, waiting to be discovered. I also believe in the power of being able to heal oneself from within. Sexuality In my opinion, I feel that Deepak Chopra has a liberated view of sexuality. In a blog, Deepak Chopra discussed sexuality as being led naturally to what feels right for oneself (Chopra,...
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...sexes” and the movement is centered around the practice of this belief. Feminism is still very much relevant in the 21st century because, on a national and global scale, there is no social, political, and economic equality. Most countries and societies are still very much socially, politically, and economically male dominated. An example of social inequality among the sexes is evident in “That time of the month” by Dinsa Sachan. Sachan discusses how little girls in India are raised to believe that their menstruation cycle something to be ashamed of because they are considered to be impure (Dinsa Sachan, 2015). As a result, girls and women in India stay away from religious icons and rarely leave their home during their menstrual cycle. Dinsa Sachan then goes on to discussing how a young couple, Gupta and Paul, use comedic comics to educate little girls on what the menstrual cycle is and how they can take care of themselves during that cycle. The idea of the menstrual cycle being an “impure” is not just found in India -- many other countries and individuals across the globe use this belief to put women at a social disadvantage. An example of political inequality and economic equality is evident in Terry O’Neill’s “Layers of Injustice”. O’Neill discusses how women are politically misrepresented because of the many laws and bills that are passed across the U.S that seek to further restrict health care for women. According to O’Neill because women are not represented in politics this...
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...Foundation Course 1 Human Rights, Gender & Environment Understanding Patriarchy Suranjita Ray• Subordination of women to men is prevalent in large parts of the world. We come across experiences where women are not only treated as subordinate to men but are also subject to discriminations, humiliations, exploitations, oppressions, control and violence. Women experience discrimination and unequal treatment in terms of basic right to food, health care, education, employment, control over productive resources, decision-making and livelihood not because of their biological differences or sex, which is natural but because of their gender differences which is a social construct. “Sex is considered a fact - one is born with either male or female genitalia. Gender is considered a social construction - it grants meaning to the fact of sex. Conversely, it could be said that only after specific meanings came to be attached to the sexes, did sex differences become pertinent” (Geetha, 2002: 10). Gender based discriminations and exploitations are widespread and the socio-culturally defined characteristics, aptitudes, abilities, desires, personality traits, roles, responsibilities and behavioral patterns of men and women contribute to the inequalities and hierarchies in society. Gender differences are man made and they get legitimised in a patriarchal society. This paper attempts to link the theoretical dimensions of patriarchy with its empirical experiences to engage in the ongoing...
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...from Mahatma Gandhi's peaceful resistance allowing him to make a difference without violence. Gandhi's view of civil disobedience showed that it was the purest form of constitutional agitation. He began the protest of British rule in India. When the British arrived in India, the began to collect sea salt from the sea close to India. If the Indian citizens wanted salt, they had to purchase it from the British and pay the high tax. After Gandhi heard of this news, he began peacefully protesting. His mass case of civil disobedience, which consisted of he and his followers marching and protesting on the British bay resulted in his arresting, yet the Satyagraha continued and the British rule was eventually removed. Gandhi stood for what he knew was right, however used peace to bring forth the change he desired....
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...Human Right Violations of Homosexuals Amit Kumar Anand Rohit Maheshwari Dr. Munmun Jha(Guide) IIT Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, India Abstract This paper addresses the plight of homosexual rights.Historically,homosexuals have not only been treated as social outcasts but also their legal right to equality has been denied.We have made an attempt to portray homosexuality as an alternate way of life rather than perversion or a crime. 2 Historical Background Homo erotic practices were widely present, and integrated into the religion, education, philosophy and military cultures of various societies and also condemned by many. 1 Introduction 2.1 Ancient history Homosexuality is defined as sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire exclusively for members of the same sex or gender identity. The potential for homosexual behavior appears to be a basic part of human sexuality, since many people experience homosexual interest, curiosity, or activity at some point in their lives. Homosexual behavior has also been observed in most animal species. Many homosexuals prefer to be called gay or, in the case of women, lesbian because of the exclusively sexual connotation of homosexual. When individuals engage in both heterosexual and homosexual behaviors, they are said to be bi-sexual. The practices associated with the erotic attraction of people to one’s own gender have been around since the dawn of humanity. Homosexuality, one...
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...Clothes essay The short story “Clothes” by Chita Banerjee Divakaruni is about a girl from India, and her cultural transition from India to America, which is symbolized through her clothes. The story is about doing something unexpected? and not knowing what the future is going to bring. The main character is Sumita; she is a well-behaved young woman. She only does what is expected of her, for example she agrees to marry Somesh even though she doesn’t know him and she lets Somesh touch her the very first time the night they spend together even though she doesn’t want to. She never questions her parent’s decisions; she is just greatful for the opportunities she has been given. She will leave her friends, family and former life behind, and travel to a new country, and from that can we see she is a very considerate person. You sense right from the start, that she is girl who loves her family and friends. She values her family’s honor, for example she is against the arranged marriage, but she won’t disrespect her father and the effort he had put into finding her a suitable match. We also see a big consideration from her side, when her friend was turned down three times. Sumita doesn’t rebel against her family, she just goes along with the decisions. The author utilizes color symbolism to express the emotional changes Sumita is going through. The clothes represent both cultures; at first she uses the colors through her Sari’s to keep her connected to her Indian Beliefs. You...
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...Why do people go to school? They go to get an education. So they can change and learn. Change to be a better person than they were yesterday and learn about anything and everything. I think this sociology class is one of the most important classes I’ve taken so far. Yes, science, math, history and everything is really important but I believe sociology is thus far the most important and practical class I’ve taken. I won’t be using calculus or need to know which bone articulates with what bone unless I’m working in one of those fields. But with sociology, I learn more about the human race, and how it functions and the differences between things such as race and ethnicity and gender and sex. Differences that I never even knew existed. For all I knew, race and ethnicity were the same exact things, but different terminology. The first day I walked into sociology, I went in not knowing what sociology even meant. But now that the semester is over I feel like I’ve learned so much in this class with information that actually matters. Sociology is defined as the scientific study of society and human behavior. The sociological perspective states that people’s social experiences underlie their behavior. Social experiences include the cultural or religious group they belong to and how their experiences within these groups. That is what sociology is; it can vary person to person. One of the chapters that greatly awakened me would be the chapter for sex and gender and the movie we watched...
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...Leo Dudziak HLS 301G Human Sexuality Library Research Project 6/21/2015 1. Religion and Sex 2. International Human Sexuality Issues Female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation is a ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice of female genital mutilation is concentrated in 27 African countries. Although cases are found in other countries those 27 countries compose a vast majority of worldwide female genital mutilation. It is an appalling tradition that is practiced for religious and cultural reasons. There are four types of female genital mutilation according to The World health organization. Type 1 is partial or total removal of the clitoris. Type two partial removal of clitoris and labia minora. Type three is narrowing of the vaginal orifice and type 4 is any other harmful procedure to female genitals for nonmedical purposes. 85% of women who have had female genital mutilation have had type one or type two performed. The practice significantly affects females the sexuality of those that have had it performed to them. Woman can be severally affected because removal of part of the vagina or clitoris has many negative physical and psychological affects. The physical effects that can happen are severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth and increased newborn deaths. Female genital mutilation can take some or all pleasure away from sex. It also reduces orgasms...
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...International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology ISSN: 2546-9763 Vol. 2 (2), pp. 066-075, February, 2013. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals Review Review on Medicalisation: A critical appraisal with special reference to India Zulufkar Ahmad Khanday Department of Sociology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, 202002, India. E-mail: k.zulufkar.amu@gmail.com, Tel.: 8171286053 Accepted 10 December, 2013 The concept of medicalization emerged from the intellectual and social turmoil of the 1950s and 1960s as a critique of medicine as authoritarian and the expansion of its conceptual model to the analysis of social ills and attendant policy. “Medicalization” refers the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical problems, usually in terms of illness and disorders”. This review is based mainly on three objectives; (a) first is to explain the nature of medicalization- i.e. what medicalization actually is and why there is need of de-medicalization, (b) second is to explain the how the medicalization has negative effects on the health of people- i.e. ‘the medical establishment has become a major threat to health’ and providing a dossier of medicine’s adverse effects – the wrongs and harms it has done – through processes of clinical, social and cultural ‘iatrogenesis’ or doctor-induced conditions, and finally (c) third is to explain the impact of the...
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...INTRODUCTION LGBT rights have been a hot topic in India during the last few months due to the Supreme Court of India‘s decision of recriminalizing gay sex. The issue of gay rights is very cloudy in our great nation. Most of this is due to the problems with the issue, the reasons for controversy, and the pros and cons of the issue. First of all, both sides have too many problems with gay rights for there to be a common ground on the issue. The biggest problem we find with the whole thing is the problem is not just fought by words, but also by physical means. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people frequently face violence motivated by their sexuality or gender identity. Violence may be executed by the state, as in laws prescribing corporal punishment for homosexual acts or by individuals engaging in intimidation, mobbing, assault, or lynching. Violence targeted at people because of their perceived sexuality can be psychological or physical and can extend to murder. These actions may be motivated by homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and may be influenced by cultural, religious, or political biases. Currently, homosexual acts are legal in almost all Western countries, and in many of these countries violence against LGBT people is classified as a hate crime, which such violence being often connected with conservative or religious leaning ideologies which condemn homosexuality, or being perpetrated by individuals who associate homosexuality to being weak...
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...the point that population growth affecting the health of the people. Different countries have different strategies regarding the health care system provided to their citizens. Population explosion is affecting health of the people in many different ways such as Inadequate health care resources Inefficient Management of the available resources due huge population Lack of education on importance of the sanitation, sexual health care etc. These problems can be seen majorly in less developed countries. <stats> If we take India in this case, we have gdp of more than 30% of the Australia’s. But their population is just about 10% of ours. By this they can provide good health care to their people. Population rise also increases the poverty. In India the saddest part is govt is reluctant to recognize the poor as poor. This can be clearly seen by the income level set by the govt to be recognized as poor. If population rises at this rate by 2050 India would be the most populous country in the world running past china. So we should take preventive measures to decrease the population growth at this alarming rate. Our neighboring country china had already taken measures for this. They are giving incentives for the parents with one child and...
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...story that is depicted over a long time period. The film centers around a family-driven drama where we track the storyline across 3 different generations. Amitabh Bachchan plays a wealthy businessman and the patriarch of the Raichand family with 2 sons – the elder Rahul, who is revealed early on to be adopted, and the younger Rohan. The crux of the film’s drama is drawn from the eldest son’s marriage to a woman from a lower socio-economic background, against the wishes of his father. Following the marriage, the father disowns Rahul and he leaves with his bride to London. The latter half of the movie is centered on Rohan’s storyline with his love interest, Pooja, and his attempts to bring Rahul and his family back into the family home in India. On the surface it seems we have entered yet another Bollywood film on family drama but KKKG goes beyond that. From the first few lines we can already witness the beginnings of a gender discourse – why is one gender like this and the other so different? In this review, I will elaborate on how the film establishes itself away from its predecessors and peers by creating diversified gendered identities for its female characters – specifically on the issue of gender roles in families and gender roles in the Diaspora. Gender Roles in Families The construction of female characters...
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