Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 Notes: CBSE Political Science Chapter 3

Gender Division

• The gender division is commonly perceived as natural and irreversible. It is based on social expectations and preconceptions rather than biology. 

• In society, there is a long-standing pattern in which the majority of domestic work is performed by women, either as family members or as workers. The division of labour between men and women is known as the sexual division of labour.

• The sexual division of labour limits the kind of jobs that women can do. They were only allowed in the house's private domains. Women's Suffrage and other social revolutions increased women's opportunities.

• Patriarchy is a social system in which men are regarded as superior to or possessing greater values than women. It also bestows more political and economic power in the hands of men.

• Women face discrimination and oppression in various ways:

1. In comparison to men, women have a lower literacy rate (54%) than men (76 %). Even though girls perform as well as, if not better than, boys, girls are more likely to drop out of school. A smaller number of girls are permitted to pursue higher education.

2. Women's work is undervalued. Women have fewer high-paying positions.

3. Women get paid less than males for doing the same job.

4. Despite the Equal Remuneration Act of1976, which prohibits such practices, this inequality occurs in a variety of industries.

5. Abortion is performed on female fetuses in the mother's womb. In India, the child sex ratio is 914, meaning that there are only 914 girls for every 1000 boys.

6. Girls and women are subjected to a variety of forms of violence and harassment both inside and beyond the home.

Feminist: A feminist is a woman or a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for men and women.

Feminist Movement: These movements are radical women's movements dedicated to achieving gender equality in personal and family life, as well as in public affairs. These movements have organized and agitated to open up avenues for strengthening women's political and legal position, as well as their educational and employment prospects.

Women's participation in public life is particularly high in some regions of the world, such as Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

Women’s Political Representation

Women's political participation has been significantly lower than men's across the globe. Women's well-being can be improved by providing them political power and placing them in decision-making and law-making roles in society. When women gain power, they will devote their efforts to meeting women's demands and finding answers to their challenges.

• Women's political participation in India is lower than the global average. In India, women make up about 10% of legislators, compared to 19% globally.

• In India, women are underrepresented in state legislatures. Only roughly 5% of the population.

• The Panchayati Raj Act mandates that women candidates be given 1/3 of all seats in local bodies. Women's participation in municipalities and panchayats has increased as a result of this.

• However, attempts to introduce such legislation in the Lok Sabha and various state legislatures have failed. The law was never passed because political parties were unable to reach an agreement on it.

Religion, Communalism and Politics

Religion:

Religious divisions frequently manifest themselves in the realm of politics. There are people who follow several religions in India. As members of a religious community, people should be able to express their needs, interests, and demands in politics.

Family Law: These are the laws that govern family-related issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, etc. Different family laws apply to people of various religions in our country.

Communalism:

Communal politics refers to the use of religion in politics when one religious group's demands are formulated in opposition to another's and when State power is utilized to establish one religious group's dominance over the others. This happens:

1. When one religion's beliefs are shown to be superior to those of other religions.

2. When one religious group's demands collide with those of another.

3. When state power is utilized to establish one religious group's dominance over the others.

In politics, communalism can take a variety of forms, as seen below:

1. Religious prejudices, preconceptions about religious groups, and confidence in the superiority of one's religion over other religions are the most prominent manifestations of communalism in everyday beliefs.

2. A communal mindset frequently leads to a desire to rule over one's own religious community politically.

3. Sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal, and simple fear are all used in religious political mobilization to bring followers of one religion together in the political arena.

4. Communalism can sometimes take the most heinous form of communal violence, riots, and massacres. At the time of partition, India and Pakistan had some of the deadliest communal riots in history.

Secular State:

India is a democratic and secular country. Some of the important features of Indian secular state are:

1. The Indian state has no official religion.

2. Individuals and groups have the freedom to proclaim, practice, and propagate any religion, or not to follow any at all, under the Constitution.

3. Discrimination on the basis of religion is prohibited by the Constitution.

4. The Constitution empowers the government to intervene in religious matters in order to ensure religious equality. Untouchability, for example, is prohibited.

Caste and Politics

Caste is a system of categorizing people into groups depending on their employment. Caste is hazardous because it is hereditary, has religious backing, and divides people into status groups. This hierarchy prevents groups at the top from interacting with those below them, and vice versa. Politics and caste both have beneficial and harmful aspects.

Caste Inequalities: Occupation is typically passed down from generation to generation in most countries. This is taken to its logical conclusion in the caste system. Members of the same caste were intended to establish a social community that practiced the same or comparable occupations, married within the caste group, and did not eat with members of other caste groups, according to this system.

The traditional conceptions of Caste Hierarchy are crumbling as a result of economic progress, large-scale urbanization, increased literacy and education, job mobility, and the weakening of the status of landowners in communities. The Indian Constitution outlawed caste-based discrimination and set the groundwork for policies to correct the system's inequities.

Caste in Politics: In politics, caste can take many forms-

1. When political parties choose their candidates or create governments, they normally make sure that members from many castes and tribes are included.

2. In order to win elections, political parties and politicians make appeals to caste sentiment.

3. Political parties emphasise caste-based issues during elections to obtain political support, as the ‘one man, one vote' system or adult franchise has made the voter immensely powerful.

4. People from lower castes have become more aware of their voting rights and influence as a result of political parties.

Politics in Caste: The caste system and caste identities are also influenced by politics since they are brought into the political arena. Here are a few examples to back this up-

1. Each caste group aspires to grow in size by absorbing neighbouring castes or sub-castes.

2. Various caste groupings are formed, and then they engage in communication and negotiation with other castes or communities.

3. In the political arena, new caste groups have emerged, such as ‘backward' and ‘forward' caste groups.

As a result, caste plays a variety of functions in politics. Caste division can lead to tensions, conflict, and even violence in some circumstances.

Conclusion

Class 10 Civics Revision Notes for Chapter 3 on Gender, Religion, and Caste help you understand how these factors influence our society. The chapter explains how gender, religion, and caste can lead to unfair treatment and social differences. It also covers how laws and movements try to fix these problems and promote equality. Knowing these issues is important for understanding how democracy works to support fairness and justice. It highlights the ongoing struggles for equal rights and the role of social policies in addressing discrimination. These revision notes will help you learn the main ideas and do well in your exams.

5 Important Topics of Class 10 Chapter 3 you shouldn’t Miss!

Importance of Chapter 3 Gender, Religion and Caste Notes

• Learning about gender, religion, and caste helps students understand how these factors affect people's lives and contribute to social issues and inequalities.

• The notes explain how gender, religion, and caste influence politics, the economy, and social interactions, making these connections clearer and easier to grasp.

• Studying this chapter helps students see how social identities shape individual experiences and the way society works.

• The notes include examples and stories that show real-life issues related to gender, religion, and caste, which helps students understand the material better.

• Knowing this chapter well helps students think critically about social justice and equality, which is useful for exams and understanding the world around them.

Tips for Learning the Class 10 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Gender, Religion and Caste

• Pay attention to important terms like gender, religion, and caste, and how they affect society. Understanding these terms will help you grasp the chapter better.

• Look at real-life examples and case studies provided in the chapter to see how these issues play out in different situations.

• Summarise each section in your own words, focusing on the main points and key concepts to make reviewing easier.

• Talk about the chapter with classmates or friends to explore different viewpoints and deepen your understanding of the content.

• Connect the concepts from the chapter to current news and events to see how gender, religion, and caste issues are relevant today.

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