Priyanka Paul
Ph.D. Junior Research Fellow
West Bengal State University
North 24 Parganas Malikapur Berunanpukuria, Barasat
Kolkata, West Bengal – 700126 (India)
Abhijit Das
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
West Bengal State University
North 24 Parganas Malikapur Berunanpukuria, Barasat
Kolkata, West Bengal – 700126 (India)
Abstract
Gender stereotypes are widely accepted belief which causes unequal treatment on the basis of a person gender. It can see every aspects of people’s life through their personality traits, domestic behavior, occupation, physical appearance etc. Women play a very significant role in the holistic and sustainable development process in the society. Struggle for existence in the context particularly the breaking of occupational gender stereotypes has emerged among the women in Kumartuli in the idol making profession. In particular, what role they play in this profession, what problems they face and how they overcome with these problems is the main concern of this paper. The present paper highlights the role of females in the potter families who have emerged as an idol maker or artists in this traditionally male dominated profession under canopy of the modernization as well as globalization. The significance of the present study is to look forward their struggles as existed as women idol maker in the community and also the changing perception of the community towards gender stereotypes in the present economic sphere. In order to collect data, the participant observation, intensive interview and case studies have mainly used. The present study primly in qualitative in nature with some aspects of quantification. This research also reveal that the impact of impact of social categorization based on the gender role within the potter caste community in Kumartuli and the way they attend to interpret and socialized gender stereotype within the community.
Key words: Idol maker, Professionalization, Women, Gender stereotypes, Modernization, Globalization, Gender role, Socialization.
