Women, Education, And Family Structure In India

Book Details

• Author: Carol C. Mukhopadhyay

• Publisher: Routledge

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st

• ISBN: 9780367217372

• Pages: 256

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 9.0 x 6.0 x 0.6 inches

• Weight: Not specified

About the Book

Education, Gender and Social Change in India, edited by Carol C. Mukhopadhyay, explores the profound tensions and transformative shifts in girls' education within the social and cultural fabric of India. While five decades of independence have resulted in notable gains in educational access and achievement for women, entrenched social norms and institutional practices continue to shape—and often constrain—educational outcomes for girls.

This compelling volume investigates how traditional institutions such as the joint family, arranged marriage, dowry, and purdah (sexual segregation) intersect with educational policies and gender ideologies. It reveals how, beyond a certain threshold, girls’ schooling is still seen by many as a social risk—posing challenges to familial honor, marriage prospects, and traditional gender roles.

Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches and grounded in ethnographic and sociological analysis, the contributors offer a nuanced understanding of:

• Cultural and economic barriers to girls’ higher education

• The social implications of educating young women in rural and urban settings

• Shifting parental aspirations and the redefinition of female roles in society

• The paradoxes of empowerment in the face of enduring patriarchy

This book is an essential read for scholars, students, and practitioners working in the fields of gender studies, education, sociology, anthropology, and South Asian studies. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex and evolving relationship between education and gendered social change in contemporary India.