Persisting Patriarchy
Intersectionalities, Negotiations, Subversions
Authors: Abraham, Kochurani
Free Preview- Opens a critical window to the implications of the religious mediation of patriarchy as manifested in the caste inscribed Catholic Syrian Christian community of Kerala
- Considers the varied expressions and experiences of patriarchy at the intersectionality of gender with class, caste and religion
- Examines the latent contradictions underlying the development paradigm by bringing into relief the ‘gender paradox’ of the human development discourse
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- About this book
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This book examines the operational dynamics of patriarchy that is deeply woven into the Indian cultural fabric and its persistence in spite of women advancing in Human Development Indices. In studying the situation of women of the Catholic Syrian Christian community of Kerala, South India, as a case of analysis, Kochurani Abraham identifies caste consciousness and religious prescriptions of this community as the main factors that intersect with gendered identity construction and succeed in keeping women within its patriarchal confines. While women do engage in negotiating patriarchy through what can be termed simulative, tactical, and ‘agensic’ bargains, this remains a ‘politics of survival’ as it does not challenge the established gender order. In this context, making a shift from ‘politics of survival’ to a ‘politics of subversion’ is imperative for challenging persisting patriarchies.
- About the authors
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Kochurani Abraham is a feminist theologian and gender researcher from Kerala, India. At present she is the National Convener of the Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM) and the Vice-President of the Indian Theological Association (ITA). Her research interests include gender, ecology, spirituality and transformative education.
- Reviews
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“The present work is an extremely significant micro-study contributing to the complexity of global feminism. Through a punctilious field-research the author shows how a patriarchy embedded in caste and religion trumps education and economic stature of women. It debunks the general assumption of an invariable correlation between education and women’s emancipation. It is indeed an illuminating and stimulating volume on how deftly women negotiate and subvert a unique kind of patriarchy.” (Felix Wilfred, Emeritus Professor, State University of Madras, India)
“Persisting Patriarchy examines the gender question, as it plays out in minority religious communities in the Indian context. Through her careful and considered evaluation of women's speech, familial and social roles, and their complex relationship to Church and faith, Kochurani Abraham shows us how faith, caste, and class shape women's self-perceptions, and how women, in turn, negotiate these structures in a meaningful yet poignant way. The book goes beyond customary feminist reflections on personal law and minority rights and instead addresses local configurations of patriarchal power.” (V. Geetha, feminist historian, author of Undoing Impunity: Speech after Sexual Violence)
- Table of contents (7 chapters)
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Introduction
Pages 1-18
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‘Spatial’ Inscriptions of Kerala: The Historical and Sociocultural Context of Catholic Syrian Christians
Pages 19-51
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Theorizing Patriarchy: An Inquiry into the Politics of Domination
Pages 53-81
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Politics of Gender: The Undercurrents of Patriarchy in the Life of Catholic Syrian Christian Women
Pages 83-141
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Religion and Patriarchy: Gendered Inscriptions on Religious Beliefs and Practices
Pages 143-165
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Persisting Patriarchy
- Book Subtitle
- Intersectionalities, Negotiations, Subversions
- Authors
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- Kochurani Abraham
- Series Title
- New Approaches to Religion and Power
- Copyright
- 2019
- Publisher
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Copyright Holder
- The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-030-21488-3
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-030-21488-3
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-030-21487-6
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XV, 241
- Number of Illustrations
- 5 b/w illustrations
- Topics
