Coming soon
Ethical Attitude
Without an ethical attitude it is not possible to understand the perspective of Women’s Studies. This paper tries to create in students, through a few issues, understanding the ethics of the whole panorama of Women’s Studies.
Beauty Myth and Women’s Movement: women’s health vs beauty,
Construction of Women and Ethics in Media
Mother: Aurat, Mother India, Mamta; Tawaif: Sadhana, Pakeeza;
Alternate constructions of Women in parallel cinema: Arth, Astitva, Ankur
Films by Women and on Women: Paroma, 36 Chowrangee lane, Aruna Raje’s Rihaee, Kalpana Lazmi’s Rudali and Darmiyan, Khamosh Pani
Women in/and Science
Environmental impact on health – toxics, pollution, rise in cancer.
Womanhood as disease: Notions of Health, well-being, disease – the medicalisation women’s bodies, leisure, exercise.
Gender biases in science and positive and negative development of technology: impact on women. Some case studies eg: smokeless chulha; community toilets; vaccine; fortified/genetically modified food items.
‘Herstory’ of Healing
Women as healers, and their persecution and marginalization.
Feminist critic of major health system: ayurveda, homeopathy, allopathy, unani
Corporate take-over of health.
Self-help initiatives by women’s groups, people’s movements- reclaiming knowledge, strengthening community based healing practices, holistic health and healing.
Resources:
Films, groups working on women and health issues.
Case studies to law and women’s health. Rather than a separate sub-topic on this, there will be illustrative case - law in the relevant sections. Eg. Net En case; Medical negligence; embryo transfer; mental health and the lunacy law; medical examination in rape, etc.
Contemporary issues in reproduction
Population policies-(i) state and (ii) international dimensions of the politics of reproduction (iii) the patrilineal family: abortion, contraception and foeticide: declining sex ratio
Sexual health of women versus reproductive health.
