CHAPTER 4 Growing up as boys and girls

Q1. Are the statements given below true or false? Support your answer with the use of an example:

A).  All societies do not think similarly about the roles that the boys and girls play.

Ans. It is true statement. In most societies, the work boys do is given more importance than the work girls do.

B). Our society does not make distinctions between boys and girls when they are growing up.

Ans. It is a false statement. Our society make distinctions between boys and girls even while they are in growing phase. From the very early age, boys are taught to be tough and serious, while girls are taught to be mild and soft.

C). Women who stay at home do not work.

Ans. It is a false statement. Women who stay at home do a lot of household chores, they cook food, wash clothes, sweep floor and do numerous other works.

D). The work that women do is less valued that of men.

Ans. It is a true statement, women do a lot of work. The main responsibility for housework and care giving tasks lies with women. Yet the work that they do with the home is not recognized as work and does not have to be paid for, this is a main reason why our society devalues women’s work.

Q2. I). Housework is invisible and unpaid work.

Ans. Invisible- it means the work that is not seen with our eyes. For example the main responsibility for housework and care giving tasks lies with women, these works are not recognized as works and therefore they remain invisible.

Ii). Housework is physically demanding.

Ans. Physically demanding- very tough and difficult tasks for example women do a lot of work inside the home. Some of these works such as carrying heavy headloads of firewoods, fetching water from a far off place, washing clothes, these works are physically demanding.

Iii). House work is time consuming.

Ans. Time consuming- various household works that take much time, for example women’s routine begins from early morning and continues upto late night. Their work are time consuming.

Q3. Make a list of toys and games that boys typically play and another for girls. If there is a difference between the two lists, can you think of some reasons why this is so?

Ans. Boys- cars, guns, swords, buses, trains, lions etc. Cricket, kabaddi, hockey, football etc.

Girls- dolls, cooking set, etc. Badminton, table tennis, pittho, hide and seek etc.

The reason behind this is that our society makes clear distinctions between boys and girls. All these are the ways of telling children that they have specific roles to play when they grow up to be men and women.

Q4. If you have someone working as a domestic help in your house of locality talk to her and find out a little bit more about her life- who are her family members? Where is her home/ how many hours does she work? How much does she get paid? Write a small story base on these details.

Ans. Shanti has been working in my house for several years, she is from bihar, she lives here in bhopal with her husband and three childrens. She comes to my house in the early morning and works till 8 pm  at night. We treat her as our family member. We paid 9000/- per month and provide clothes and medicines etc. Her husband is a street hawker and earn a good amount every day. Thus shanty leads a very happy life.