Exploring attitudes on gender roles and gender disparity among college students in Bikaner district, Rajasthan

Introduction

Socially constructed norms known as gender roles dictate proper conduct, characteristics, and duties for both men and women. These norms have a significant impact on social interactions and personal identity. The allocation of roles and positions that sustain gender inequality is critically examined by gender theories. For example, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory emphasises that human behaviour involves subconscious influences where gender norms are internalised and cannot be fully explained by cognitive processes alone [1] . The family educational systems the government and religious organizations are some of the important social institutions that legitimise and uphold these gender roles. Cultural values conventions and symbols are mediate by these institutions for instance the church serves as a moral authority that not only controls religious behaviour but also saves civic behaviour [9] . Gender stereotypes which specify psychological characteristics and roles that are deemed acceptable by society for men and women, arise within this framework. The two main categories of gender stereotypes are gender role stereotypes, which delineate societal obligations and responsibilities, and gender traits, which characterise psychological traits [2] . Family ties career prospectus and general social interactions are all significantly impacted by societies acceptance of traditional gender roles. Societies that maintain traditional views on gender roles are more likely to continue discriminating against women in the workplace, in politics and in school [6] . Gender roles have important health consequences as well. Health risk for men and women differ frequently due to cultural norms rather than biological distinctions. In the workplace gender segregation result in unequal exposure to stress illness, and injuries. Furthermore, www.extensionjournal.com women are disproportionately responsible for household duties, which adds to already existing health issues. Disparities in mental and physical health are further exacerbated by gender-related behaviour, such as substance abuse, exposure to violence, and body image issue [4] . Gender inequality is especially noticeable in fields like engineering and construction (EC), which are dominated by men. Woman's participation in educational and professional EC spaces is greatly influenced by a number of factors, including discrimination, industry familiarity, carrier choices, and growth potential all of which percent difficulties for female students [9] . India's economy has grown significantly over the last 20 years with an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8%, however social development has lagged behind. Men continue to dominate leadership, decision-making, and property ownerships in Indian Society, which is still patriarchal [7] . The nation's continued gender disparities are demonstrated by its ranking of 131 th in the Gender Inequality Index (GII-2024) and 130 th in the Human Development Index (HDI-2024). The World Health organisation (WHO) states that sex and gender interact in intricate ways, affecting people differently in terms of their health, well-being, and social aspects (WHO-2021) [3] . According to research women are more likely to suffer psychological effects like stress, anxiety, depression, and social stigma when it comes to reproductive health, especially infertility. This is a reflection of the increased emotional stain that gendered expectations about motherhood and fertility have placed on women [5] . Gender dynamics in education are changing on a global scale. In recent years, the number of women enrolled in higher education has increased sixfold in nations such as the United Kingdom. This significant shift has sparked discussions about male under-representation policy, indicating a need to reconsider gender role in academic settings and reversal of historical gender gap in education [11] . Nonetheless, patriarchal ideologies are still very much in palace in India. Laws, family structures, and social norms are all examples of how these ideologies are expressed. For example, women only lead 17% of Indian households. Furthermore, new research indicates that more men are using traditional sexual scripts to defend domestic abuse, such as punishing a wife for refusing to have sex, underscoring opposition to change in gender roles [8] . According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NHFS-5) data, gender-based inequalities still exist. Despite improvements in financial inclusion women still have much less access to digital technology and control over their resources than men. Women's autonomy decision making power and their participations in national development initiatives are still limited by discriminatory practises and systematic barriers. These studies highlights the need for a more in-depth understanding of gender roles and their social, political, and economic impacts and provide guidance for educational initiatives and policies that support gender equality and combat discriminatory behaviour.

Methodology

The current study's descriptive research design was used to investigate students' views on gender role and pinpoint the causes of gender inequality. This method was chosen because it enables in organised explanation of the respondents' current viewpoints and experiences without changing the study setting. Two significant educational establishments Veterinary College and Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agriculture University (SKRAU) were the focus on the study, which was conducted in the Rajasthan Bikaner District. The study included 120 students in total, 30 of whom were male and 30 of whom were female, evenly split between their two institutions. The purposeful selection of the respondents guaranteed a pair representation and significance to the study's goals. A structured questionnaire with two sections was used to gather data. General demographic data including age, caste, and family history were collected in the first section. Students' views on gender roles and the causes of gender inequality were among the particular topics covered in the second section. To guarantee clarity and dependability, the tools were created and improved with expert consultation. Both descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, means scores, standard deviation and ranking were used to analyse their gathered data. Many people agreed that one of the main causes of gender inequality was domestic violence. According to Rank III and VI, respectively, a significant majority of girls (90.00%, M.S = 1.5) and boys (83.33%, M.S = 1.39) agreed that gender-based violence perpetuates power disparities. The fact that violence limits women's participation in a variety of fields was also equally recognised by both sexes (M.S = 1.39, Rank VI). While girls gave it a slightly higher rating than boys, the belief that violence results from views of male superiority had lower overall rankings (Rank X). Another crucial theme was poverty. Both boys (90.00%) and girls (85.00%) gave poverty a high priority and strongly agreed that it worsens inequalities in women's access to healthcare, education, and nutrition (Rank II and V, respectively). Girls gave greater weight to the idea that poverty restricts women's economic agency than did boys (M.S = 1.44, Rank IV). It's interesting to note that while girls agreed with the statement "Poverty restricts women's economic opportunities and access to resources" more (75.00%, M.S = 1.25), boys agreed with it the least (48.33%, M.S = 0.81). The issue that both genders ranked highest was child marriage. Early marriage deprives girls of an education and makes them more susceptible to sexual and domestic abuse, as almost all participants acknowledged. The belief that early marriage limits aspirations was unanimous among www.extensionjournal.com girls (100%, M.S = 2.0), and it was closely followed by boys (96.67%, M.S = 1.61-1.67, Rank I). In addition to ranking first overall in the combined scores, this factor is crucial when talking about gender disparity. There was less agreement between the sexes in this area.

Results

Conclusion

Research conducted on boys and girls, child marriage, domestic abuse, and poverty are the three most urgent issues that contribute to gender inequality. Though there is broad agreement that damaging cultural norms must be challenged in order to advance gender equality, the disparities between boys' and girls' perspectives on topics such as economic opportunity and education highlight continued difficulties in bridging knowledge and lived experiences. Positive social change may be indicated by the diminishing significance of traditional norms like son preference; however, sustained inequalities in caregiving responsibilities and workplace dynamics call for concentrated attention. These results highlight the significance of multifaceted interventions that address both structural barriers and cultural mindsets, such as community education, policy reforms, and empowerment initiatives. In order to guarantee that both boys and girls can reach their full potential in a just society, promoting gender equality will ultimately require ongoing discussion, inclusive involvement, and cooperative efforts.

References

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