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The South Indian state of Kerala is well known for its progressive policy, high social indicators, and comparatively high women’s status. Processes of modernization, however, have had an ambiguous impact on women. This study of female cashew factory workers in Kerala combines meticulous historical investigation with anthropological research, including a wealth of in-depth interviews. The author traces changes
since the 1930s in gender relations among low-caste men and women by
examining pro-cesses of modernization in the organization of work, trade
union activities, and ideologies regarding marriage and family life. Her
main conclusion is that women have obtained better absolute conditions
at work and in society but – due to a process of effeminization –
they are now seen as being weaker and more dependent on men than in
earlier decades. Published
by NIAS Press |
