Introduction of G.H. Mead, The Act

 George Herbert                     Mead

INTRODUCTION

George Herbert Mead was an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist, primarily affiliated with the university of Chicago, where he was one of several distinguished pragmatists. He is regarded as one of the founders of symbolic interactionism and of what has come to be referred to as the Chicago sociological tradition.

George Herbert Mead was born on 27 February, 1863 in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He was raised in a Protestant, middle class family. Mead was trained mainly in philosophy and its application to social psychology. He received a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in 1883, and after a few year as a secondary- school teacher, surveyor for railroad Companies, and private tutor, Mead began graduate study at Harvard in 1887. Mead was offered an instructorship at the university of Michigan in 1891. It is interesting to note that Mead never received any graduate degrees. In 1961 - 1917 it was transformed into an advance course ( Mind, self and Society) that followed a course in elementary social psychology that was taught after 1919 by Ellsworth Faris that Mead had such a powerful influence on students in sociology. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Mead became involved in social reform. He believed that science could be used to deal with social problems. He played a key role in social research conducted by the settlement house. Mead died of heart failure on April 26, 1931.

The Act

Mead considers the act to be the most "primitive unit" in his theory (1982). In analyzing the act, Mead comes closest to the behaviornist's approach and focuses on stimulus and response. However, even here the stimulus does not elicit an automatic, unthinking response from the human actor. As Mead says, "We conceive of the stimulus as an occasion or opportunity for the act, not as a compulsion or a mandate" 

Mead (1938/1972) identified four basic and interrelated stages in the act. The four stages represent an organic whole (in other words, they are dialectically interrelated). Both lower animals and humans act, and Mead is interested in the similarities, ad especially the differences, between the two.

Act divided into four stages

1. Impulse:- The first stage is that of the impulse, which involves an "immediate sensuous stimulation" and the actor's reaction to the stimulation, the need to do something about it. Hunger is a good example of an impulse. The actor (both non-human and human) may respond immediately and unthinkingly to the impulse, but more likely the human actor will think about the appropriate response (for example, eat now or later). In thinking about a response, the person will consider not only the immediate situation but also past experiences and anticipated future results of the act.                                                                                                                   Hungry may come from an inner state of the actor or may be elicited by the presence of food in the environment, or, most likely, it may arise from some combination of the two. Furthermore, the hungry person must find a way of satisfying the impulse in an environment in which food may not be immediately available or plentiful. This impulse, like all others, may be related to a problem in the environment (that is, the lack of immediately available food), a problem that must be overcome by the actor. Indeed, while an impulse such as hunger may come largely from the individual (although even here hunger can be induced by an external stimulus, and there are also social definitions of when it is appropriate to be hungry), it usually is related to the existence of a problem in the environment (for example, the lack of food). Overall, the impulse, like all other elements of Mead's theory, involves both the actor and the environment.                                                  
2. Perception:- The second stage of the act is perception, in which the actor searches for, and reacts to, stimuli that relate to the impulse, in this case hunger as well as the various means available to satisfy it. People work have the capacity to sense of perceive stimuli through hearing, smell, taste, and so on. Perception involves incoming stimuli, as well as the mental images they create. People do not simply respond immediately to external stimuli but rather think about, and assess, them through mental imagery. People are not simply subject to external stimulation; they also actively select characteristics of a stimulus and choose among sets of stimuli. That is a stimulus may have several dimensions, and the actor is able to select among them. Furthermore, people usually are confronted with many different stimuli, and they have the capacity to choose which to attend to and which to ignore. Mead refuse to separate people from the objects that they perceive. It is the act of perceiving an object that makes it an object to a person; perception and object cannot be separated from (are dialectically related to) one another.          
3. Manipulation:- The third stage is manipulation. Once the impulse has manifested itself and the object has been perceived, the next step is manipulating the object or, more generally, taking action with regard to it. In addition to their mental advantages, people have another advantage over lower animals. People have hands (with opposable thumbs) that allow them to manipulate objects far more subtly than can lower animals. The manipulation phase constitutes, for Mead, an important temporary pause in the process so that a response is not manifested immediately. A hungry human being sees a mushroom, but before eating it, he or she is likely to pick it up first, examine it, and perhaps check in a guidebook to see whether that particular variety is edible. The lower animal, in contrast, is likely to eat the mushroom without handling and examining it (and certainly without reading about it). The pause afforded by handling the object allows humans to contemplate various responses. In thinking about whether to eat the mushroom, both the past and the future are involved. People may think about past experiences in which they are certain mushrooms that made them ill, and they may think about the future sickness, or even death, that might accompany eating a poisonous mushroom. The manipulation of the mushroom becomes a kind of experimental method in which the actor mentally tries out various hypotheses about what would happen if the mushroom were consumed.               
4. Consummation:- On the basis of these deliberations, the actor may decide to eat the mushroom (or not), an this constitutes the last phase of the act, consummation, or more generally the taking of action that satisfies the original impulse. Both humans and lower animals may consume the mushroom, but the human is less likely to eat a bad mushroom because of his or her ability to manipulate the mushroom and to think (and read) about the implications of eating it. The lower animal must rely on a trial-and-error method, and this is a less efficient technique than the capacity of humans to think through their actions. Trial-and-error in this situation is quite dangerous; as a result, it seems likely that lower animals are more prone to die from consuming poisonous mushrooms than are humans.                                                                                          For ease of discussion, the four stages of the act have been separate from one another in sequential order, but Mead sees a dialectical relationship among the four stages. John C. Baldwin expresses this idea in the following way: "Although the four parts of the act sometimes appear to be linked in linear order, they actually interpenetrate to form one organic process: Facets of each part are present at all times from the beginning of the act to the end, such that each part are present at all times from the beginning of the act to the end, such that each part affects the other". Thus, the later stages of the act may lead to the emergence of earlier stages. For example, manipulating food may lead the individual to the impulse of hunger and the perception that the individual is hungry and that food is available to satisfy the need.                                               

Introduction of Erving Goffman, Impression management, Stigma

 ERVING GOFFMAN (Biographical Sketch)

Erving Goffman was born in Alberta, Canada, on June 11, 1922 and died in 1982 at the peak of his fame. He earned his advanced degrees from the university of Chicago and is most often thought of as a member of the Chicago school and as a symbolic interactionist. He had long been regarded as a "Cult" figure in a sociological theory. That status was achieved in spite of the fact that he had been a professor in the prestigious sociology department at the University of California, Berkeley, and later held an endowed chair at the Ivy league's University of Pennsylvania.

By the 1980 he had emerged as a centrally important theorist. Infact, he had been elected president of the American Sociological Association in the year he died but was unable to give his presidential address because of advanced illness. Given Goffman's  maverick status, Randall Collins says of his address: "Everyone wondered what he would do for his Presidential address: a straight, traditional presentation seemed unthinkable for Goffman with his reputation as an iconoclast......we got a far more dramatic message: Presidential address cancelled, Goffman dying. It was an appropriate Goffman way to go out".

However, when he was asked shortly before his death whether he was a symbolic interactionist, he replied that the label was too vague to allow him to put himself in that category (Manning, 1992). Infact, it is hard to squeeze his work into any single category. In creating his theoretical perspective, Goffman drew on many sources and created a distinctive orientation.

IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

In general, impression management is oriented to guarding against a series of unexpected actions, such as unintended gestures, inopportune intrusion, and faux pas, as well as intended actions, such as making a scene. Goffman was interested in the various methods of dealing with such problems. 

First, there is a set of methods involving actions aimed at producing dramaturgical loyalty by, for example, fostering high in-group loyalty, preventing team members from identifying with the audience, and changing audiences periodically so that they do not become too knowledgeable about the performers. 

Second, Goffman suggested various forms of dramaturgical discipline, such as having the presence of mind to avoid slips, maintaining self-control, and managing the facial expressions and verbal tone of one's performance. 

Third, he identified various types of dramaturgical circumspection, such as determining in advance how a performance should go, planning for emergencies, selecting loyal teammates, selecting good audiences, being involved in small teams where dissension is less likely, making only brief appearances, preventing audience access to private information, and settling on a complete agenda to prevent unforeseen occurrences. 

The audience also has a stake in succesful impression management by the actor or team of actors. The audience often acts to save the show through such devices as giving great interest and attention to it, avoiding emotional outbursts, not noticing slips, and giving special consideration to a neophyte performer.

Manning points not only to the centrality of the self but also to Goffman's cynical view of people in this work:

            

The overall tenor of The Presentation of Self is to a world in which people, whether individually or in groups, pursue their own ends in cynical disregard for others......The view here is of the individual as a set of performance masks hiding a manipulative and cynical self.

Manning puts forth a "two selves thesis" to describe this aspect of Goffman's thinking: that is, people have both a performance self and a hidden, cynical self.

         STIGMA

Goffman (1963) was interested in the gap between what a person ought to be, "virtual social identity," and what a person actually is, "actual social identity." Anyone who has a gap between these two identities is stigmatized. STIGMA focuses on the dramaturgical interaction between stigmatized people and normals. The nature of that interaction depends on which of the two types of stigma and individual has. In the case of discredited stigma, the actor assumes that differences are known by the audience member or are evident to them. A discreditable stigma is one in which the differences are neither known by audience members nor perceivable by them . For someone with a discredited stigma, the basic dramaturgical problem is managing the tension produced by the fact that people know of the problem. For someone with a discreditable stigma, the dramaturgical problem is managing information so that the problem remains unknown to the audience.

Most of the text of Goffman's Stigma is devoted to people with obvious, often grotesque stigmas (fir instance, the loss of a nose). However, as the book unfolds, the reader realizes that Goffman is really saying that we are all stigmatized at some time or other or in one setting or another. His example include the Jew "passing" in predominantly Christian community, the fat person in a group of people of normal weight, and the individual who has lied about his past and must be constantly sure that the audience does not learn of this deception.

Biography of M.N Srinivas, Sanskritization, characteristics, Effects, Analysis, Factor promoting, Criticism

BIOGRAPHY OF M.N SRINIVAS

M.N. Srinivas full name Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas. He was born in 16th Nov. 1916 in Mysore and passed away in 1999 in Bangalore. M.N. Srinivas is an unforgettable name in Indian sociology. He was an internationally acclaimed Indian Anthropologist-cum-Sociologist. After completing his earlier education at Mysore he joined the Department of sociology at Bombay University for M.A. degree on 17th June 1936. His studies are prominent in the area of caste and its other classification, sanskritization and many other topic that revolve around caste itself. He was a student of Dr. Ghurey and also had the privilege of becoming the student of A.R. Redcliffe Brown and Evans Pritchard at Cambridge. As Andre Beteille has  pointed out in his article: "The passing of M.N. Srinivas in 1999 marks the end of an era in the life of the social sciences in India. It is difficult to think of anyone who can fill the place vacated by him." The impact of his work was felt by historians, political scientists, economists and others. 

Books on Indian Society:

1.  Marriage and Family in Mysore   (1942).                                                               
2.  Religion and Society Among the   Coorgs of South India (1952).                       
3.  Caste in Modern India and Other     Essays (1964).                                                    
4.  Social Change in Modern India (1971).       
5.  The remembered Village (1976).                 
6.  India's Villages edited by Srinivas   (1955).                                                            

   SANSKRITIZATION 

INTRODUCTION

The term "Sanskritization" was introduced into Indian Sociology by M.N. Srinivas. The term refers to a process whereby people of lower castes collectively try to adopt upper caste practices and beliefs as a preliminary step to acquire higher status. Thus, it indicates a process of cultural mobility that is taking place in the traditional social system of India.

M.N. Srinivas in his study of the Coorg in Karnataka, for that lower castes, in order to raise their position in the caste hierarchy, adopted some customs and practices of the Brahmins, and gave up some of their own which were considered to be "impure" by the higher castes. For examples they gave up meat-eating, drinking liquor and animal sacrifice to their deities. They imitated Brahmins in matters of dress, food and rituals by doing this, within a generation or so they could claim higher positions in the hierarchy of castes. In the beginning, M.N. Srinivas used the term "Brahminisation" to denote this process. Later on, he replace it by "Sanskritization". The lower castes imitated not only Brahmins but also Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Jats, Shudras, etc in different parts of the country. Hence the term Brahmins does not completely explain this process. M.N. Srinivas itself acknowledged this fact and wrote: "I realise that, I emphasised unduly the Brahminical model of sanskritization and ignored the other models Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra". Sanskritization denotes the process of upward mobility. In this process, a caste is trying to increase its position in the caste hierarchy not at once, but over a period of time. It would take, sometimes, a period of one or two generations.

          DEFINITION 

M.N. Srinivas defined that, "Sanskritization is a process by which a lower caste or tribe or any other group changes its customs, rituals, ideology and way of life in the direction of a higher or more often twice born caste". 

According to M.N. Srinivas, "the process of mobility of lower castes by adopting vegetarianism and teetotalism to move in the caste hierarchy in a generation or two" (1962).  

Sanskritization is not a new phenomenon as such it has been a major process of cultural change in Indian history, and it has occur in every part of the Indian sub-continent. It denotes the process in which the lower caste try to imitate the life styles of upper castes in their attempt Sanskritization, Modernization, and Westernization to raise their social status. The process seems to be associated with the role of local "dominant caste" castes which enjoyed higher economic and political power but rated relatively low in ritual ranking went after sanskritization for they felt that their claim to a high position was not Fully effective sanskritization does not place in the same manner in all the places.

           CHARACTERISTICS

1. Sanskritization is a process of imitation in Indian Society. Social status of an individual is fixed on the basis of caste, hierarchy. There are many lower castes who suffer from economi, religious or social disabilities. So in order to improve the statu, the lower castes people imitate the life style of the upper caste people.                                                     
2. Sanskritization is helpful in the social mobility of lower caste. In this process a caste is only trying to change the status and not the social structure.               
3. The concept of sanskritization has also given rise to De-sanskritization. There are some instances in modern times, some of the higher castes are imitating the behaviour pattern of lower caste, and for example Brahmins have started taking meat and liquor. This process is called De-sanskritization.                              
4. Sanskritization process also followed by the tribes. Sanskritization process is not only confined to the caste people of Hindu Society, it is also found among the tribal society.                                              
5. Sanskritization is the upward mobility in the ritual hierarchy and it generally becomes possible because of the upward mobility achieved in secular hierarchy i.e in the economic and political sectors. The dominant castes got the higher status (ritual mobility) because of the factors like land ownership after the land reform, government jobs, political power, constitutional safeguard etc.                     

    EFFECTS OF SANSKRITIZATION

Sanskritization has an influential effect on society in man way:-

• More Equality and Liberty - Some Scheduled castes adopted upper caste names, discovered myths about their origin and changed their traditional occupations. Now they sit along with the higher caste on the cots without any fear or hesitation.                                           
• Behavioral Change - Lower caste adopted other castes living patterns which gave them the liberty to sit and stand before other castes. For example, lower caste people were not to keep a clean atmosphere but due to sanskritization, they started maintaining hygiene. They have left prohibited food also keep their houses clean and put on dresses like higher castes.                                                                
• Value Transmission - It helped in socio-economic and cultures value transmission in several groups of society.                                                            
• Exposure to New ideas - Sanskritization is not just the adopt of new customs and habits, but also includes exposure to new ideas and values appearing in Sanskrit literature.             
• Redefined caste system - Sanskritization challanged that the prevalent idea that caste was a rigid and unchanging institution the concept of sanskritization addressed the actual complexity and fluidity of caste relations. It brought into audience focus the dynamics of the recognition of status by various castes and communities in India.                                    
• Societal upgradation of lower caste - The lower caste individuals are inclined towards sanskritization because in that way the can elevate their social status and get higher status in the caste hierarchy.                                    
• Reduced Untouchability - Now the situation is that the untouchable practice is almost a abolished from society.                                                             
• Professional Changes - The lower caste people have given up uncleaned occupation to raise their economic status because clean traders are a symbol of social light.                                      
• Modern education, Western literature and philosophy of people widened, and as a result the mental horizons of visionary of people changed. They welcomed rationality and other good features of and made good use of liberal and humanitarian ideas and thoughts.                                                          
• Vedas has been conceived through intellectual contemplation and empirical observation and used Upanishads for the care of human imagination.                                                    
• Reformists and their organisation had purely an economic or social thrust. They aimed at establishing a social order based on Vedic teachings and practices. They criticized the mumbo-jumbo of rituals and superstitions created by some selfish people to entangle the ignorant and poor masses. They laid emphasis on interpreting Vedas in a rational and scientific way.       
• It reduced or removed the gap between the ritual and secular rankings. It also helped upliftment of weaks persons. The lower caste group which successfully got in the seat of secular power also tried to avoid of the services of Brahmins especially at the time of observing rituals, worshipping and offering things to God.                                   
• Many ST and SC changed their dressing style and eating habits in a similar way of upper castes. But they had face a lot of violence by upper castes for following their way of life . Though the process is followed by many, One those that are politically or economically powerful succeed in the process.             

 An Analysis of the process of     Sanskritization

• 'Sanskritization' denotes the process in which the lower castes try to imitate the life styles of upper castes in their attempt to raise their social status. The process seems to be associated with the role of local "dominant caste".                                              

• Sanskritization denotes the process of upward mobility. In the process, a caste is trying to increase its position in the caste hierarchy not at once, but over a period of time. It would take, sometimes, a period of one or two generations.                                     

• Mobility that is involved in the process of Sanskritization results only in "positional changes" for particular caste or section of castes, and need not necessarily lead to a "structural changes".                                          

• The process of Sanskritization serves as a "reference group", it is through this process, a caste group tries to orient its beliefs, practices, values, attitudes and "life styles" in terms of another superior or dominant group, so that it can also get some recognition.        

• Process of Sanskritization does not automatically result in the achievement of a higher status for the group. People will have to wait for a period of a generation or two before their claim can be accepted.       

• Industrialization, occupational mobility, mass media of communication, spread of literacy, advent of western technology, improvement in the transportation system etc, have speeded up the process of Sanskritization.    

• Sanskritization is a type of protest against the caste system in which the status is ascribed or predetermined.                                  

Factors Promoting Sanskritization

• Factors that have made sanskritization possible are industrialization, occupational mobility, developed communication, spread of literacy and western theory.                                                     
• The spread of the sanskritization was possible because of the spread of Sanskrit Theological ideas which immersed along the British rule.                                                             
• The development of the communication carried sanskritization to the areas previously inaccessible and the spread of literacy carried it to group very low in the caste hierarchy.                                                     
• The restrictions imposed by Brahmins on the non-twice born castes banned only the chanting of mantras from the Vedas. Thus, the low caste people could adopt the social practices of the Brahmins. This made the sanskritization feasible.                 

• The political institution of parliamentary democracy has also contributed to the increased sanskritization according to M.N. Srinivas.                                                         

Thus, these factors are responsible promoting sanskritization.   

             CRITICISMS

• Yogendra Singh opines that "Sanskritization fails to account for many aspects of cultural change in past and contemporary India as it neglects the non-Sanskrit traditions".                         
• "As suggested by Harold A. Gould, often the motive force behind sanskritization is not of cultural imitation per se but an expression of challenge and revolt against the socio-economic deprivation".                                                     
• Dr D.N. Majumdar comments that it is wrong to assume the process of Sanskritization as universal process to be observed throughout India. In his study of Mohan village in UP he observed a strong exception to this assumption. In this village as he observed, the lower caste people do not have any urge or inclination to imitate the ' life-styles ' of Brahmins or any other dominant higher caste.                      
• It is also commented that much against the assumption of M.N. Srinivas, the "Sanskritic influence has not been universal to all parts of country. In most of northern India, especially in Punjab, it was the Islamic tradition which provided a basis for cultural imitation".

Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Socio-economic Life Of Third Gender

INTRODUCTION

Hon'ble Justice KS Radhakrishnan of supreme Court of India has said, "Recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue." [ref. 12]

                   Transgender community comprises of Hijras, eunuchs, etc. Term Transgender existed since 9th century BC. The word has roots in Greek and means "Keeper of the bed". There was historical evidence of recognition of  " third sex" or persons not confirm to male or female gender are considered as transgender. In the contemporary time the Government of India introduced so many welfare policies and schemes such as, census, issuing of the citizenship ID Cards, socio-economic development and constitutional safeguards for the transgender people. Third gender community has strict hierarchy which is different from general community. Third gender individuals live together in a household, usually called "gharana" (tradition), headed by "Nayak" (topmost leader and mentor) and few "Gurus" (next level leaders and mentors). Several Chela (disciples) live under one "Guru".

Coronavirus disease is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome. Outbreak of virus began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and in India the first infected person of this disease was traced out on 30th January, 2020 in the state of Kerala. The virus spreads man to man through droplets and aerosols of an infected person when he and sneezes in front of an uninfected person.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nation-wide lockdown on 24th March 2020, to curb community spread of coronavirus. Due to sudden lockdown people started collecting groceries, medicine, etc. But at the same time third gender community were not getting it at the respective shops as they are supposed to be the neglected part of the society. 

Covid-19 Pandemic has significant impact on the health, economy and social security of the transgender community. This community has faced socio-economic challanges at a different level. Many transgenders do not have the necessary documents, such as voter-ID card, ration card, etc. Due to which they were not able to avail the resources provided by the government to the poor. Lockdown imposed by Indian government during initial COVID period increased risk of hunger and poverty of transgenders since most of them make their living on streets by begging, and entertaining people in functions like weddings and baby showers. They are socially marginalized and are forced to live their life in slums and barring a few they are very poor, downtrodden and helpless living life of destitute. Lockdown has increased their plight by halting their income by pushing them deeper into the crisis to make ends meet. Transgenders are not socially accepted to the extent that they could operate within the online world hence they are not able to cope up with the normal people of the society. Since long the transgenders were socially discriminated and economically unstable and during the COVID period their situation worsened to the worst due to lack of food, fund, insecurity, safety, and mental health.

We are aware that every coin has two sides and this lockdown has proved to have both positive and negative sides as well. If it is decreasing the death rate due to COVID-19, then on the other hand it is also becoming a top most reason for ignoring the transgender community who are losing their life due to lack of socio-economic support and proper healthcare facilities by the government. Besides, only Kerala Government has taken initiative to provide temporary housing and food facilities for transgender individuals in this pandemic.

                    " When it comes to an outbreak-like situation in terms of coronavirus, when many patients are competing for limited healthcare resources, then naturally, one of the groups that get the least priority, in terms of access and availability of healthcare facilities, would be the transgender groups."

                                               By Dr. Shaikh 

HISTORY OF THIRD GENDER

Transgender Community includes Hijras, Eunuchs, Kothis, Aravanis, Gogappas, Shiv-shaktis, etc. Eunuchs have existed since 9th century B.C. The Vedas (1500B.C- 500B.C.) describe individuals were well known in pre-modern India, and included male bodied or female bodied people as well as intersexual, and that they can often to be recognised from childhood. The foundation work of Hindu Law, the Manu Smriti (200B.C. - 200A.D.) explains the biological origin of three sexes. In Indian language generally the Third Gender are known as "Hijra" which is derived from the Persian word "Hiz" which means who is effeminate or ineffective or incompetent. Another commonly used word is "Kinnar", whereas "Chakka" is used in a derogatory context. Third gender individuals live together in a household, usually called "gharana" (tradition), headed by "Nayak" (top most leader and mentor) and few "Gurus" (next level leaders and mentors). Several Chela (disciples) live under one "Guru".

It is believed that eunuchs are respected a lot during functions like weddings, baby showers, etc. According to the epic Ramayana when Lord Rama was leaving for the forest after being banished from the kingdom for 14 years, at that time his followers and asked not to go. He turned around to his followers, the Hijras alone feel bound by this direction and decided to stay with him. Being impressed by their loyalty, Rama granted them the power to confer blessing on people on auspicious occasions like child birth and marriage and also at inaugural functions in which it was supposed to set the stage for the custom of badhai in which Hijra sing, dance and confer blessing. So, this is the reason that they are respected during auspicious occasions and are pleasured with high amount and gifts.

The socio-economic condition of third gender was improving with the passage of time:

In ancient India different literatures and Purans came to know about the third gender it was the phase when third gender started to live their life with certain identity. Besides, they were given special power to confer blessings to the people. 

Medievel India: third gender played an important role in the royal courts of the Islamic world specially in the Ottoman and the Mughal empire. They rose to well known positions as political advisors, administrators, generals, as well as guardians of harems. They also occupied high positions in the Islamic religious institutions, especially in guarding the holy places of Mecca and Medina as the person of trust.

In the beginning of the British period in the Indian subcontinent third gender used to accept protections and benefits by some Indian states through entry into the third gender community. Through the onset of the colonial rule from the 18th century onwards, the situations changed drastically. In the second half of the 19th century (period considered as Modern India), the British colonial administration vigorously sought to criminalize the third gender community and to deny them the civil rights.

Though the third gender community was given a high position in Mughal period and facing many problem and obstacles in British colonial rules. But now to safeguard the third gender communities there are many policies and schemes implemented by the government. The government has eradicated the discrimination towards these people if these socio-economic facilities will be given to the third gender community they can live freely and happily in the society.

STATUS OF THIRD GENDER IN INDIA

COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc across the world. An unstable scenario has been created in both developed and developing nations. Due to the unpredictable outbreak of coronavirus, all the sectors of the world including INDIA has faced a great amount of loss. Due to its infectious nature, India imposed complete lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. This has resulted in the great downfall of Indian economy.

According to our former RBI governor, Raghuram Rajan, Indian has faced greatest economic emergence till now. Fishing, agriculture, horticulture, and production of certain food grains relatively had a high negative impact. It has been observed that women were losing their job as compared to men at higher rate since women had to do household chores also. The drop of employment was found to be biased as those who were engaged in higher posts did not lose their job but some of the factory workers lost their job, because it is said that lower class people (factory workers) can't afford to maintain hygiene and many people around them in the factory.

Due to lack of testing kits, shortage of doctor, isolation wards in the developed area of India created a threatening-situations for Indians. With the sudden rise of confirmed cases India was not able to handle this pandemic situations. According to National Health Profit of India, 2019, India's expenditure on Health care as percentage of GDP was merely 1.28% which is lower than poorer countries of the world. Because of the high density of people in urban areas the rate of infection was increasing constantly which created a panic among the people living in urban areas.

Economic and health crisis was the two basic challenges during COVID-19 but many people also faced psychological challenges. Due to lockdown, rising rate of unemployment, sudden downfall in businesses, decrease of income, increasing inequalities in society, etc. Where some psychological challenges faced by the people. Every individual whether it be elder, younger, richer, poorer and government workers as well were suffering from anxieties stress, depression, anger and so forth globally.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THIRD GENDER: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC LIFE OF THIRD GENDER

Socio-economic condition expresses the social and economic status of the individual based on a individual based on income, occupation, and health. The third gender community is underprivileged community and the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has rose their socio-economic issues. The whole people of India were trying to overcome COVID-19 pandemic but the third gender community were fighting with it all alone. As a result of decades of social discrimination, the third gender people are segregated from the society. Moreover, they are dependent on paid sex, begging and offering blessings by being a part of the traditional activities do earn their square meals. After a nation-wide lockdown their life has took a miserable turn. They had to move from door to door to meet their ends but are being kicked by the general people and are treated as ostracized one. Changes that have been brought during COVID-19 pandemic in their socio-economic life are discussed below.

Following are the Positive and Negative Impacts:

Positive impacts: 

• Hygiene: Due to sudden breakdown of COVID-19 Virus people around the globe have been taking initiatives regarding their health and hygiene. Frequent repeatation of preventive measures like wearing masks, use of sanitizers, washing of your hands and social distancing, etc. Which has resulted an awareness between this community also.                                                   
• Education & Employment:  Due to lockdown and social distancing third gender people faced unemployment as they depend on begging on streets or traditional activities for their livelihood. They came to know about the importance of education and employment in different sectors like public and private. And now they are taking initiatives regarding their education and opportunities to get jobs in different sectors.                                   

 Negative Impacts: 

• Health Facilities:  Due to unavailability of healthcare facilities for the general poor public, there is extreme negligence towards the third gender as they are always ignored and neglected by the citizens and government. They don't have any access to the medical facilities provided by the government neither the free COVID-19 check-ups nor the isolation wards. They are not even admitted to the hospitals after being affected by the COVID-19 Virus and they are suggested for home isolation.            

• Unemployment:  Due to spread of COVID-19 Virus lockdown and social distancing was a must in the society by the government and third gender people faced unemployment as they depend on begging on streets or traditional activities like baby showers, weddings, etc. for their livelihood. They were compelled to live a life of misery and die due to hunger.                                         
• Decrease in their status:  Hijras are treated as social outcast in modern India also. The people living in the society don't consider third gender as the part of the society. They have been always neglected and ignored and during this pandemic they were not able gain the benefits provided by the government to the poor as people consider third gender more miserable than the poor of the society.                                           
• Negligence by the government:  The most neglected group of the society is the third gender community. Even when the COVID-19 free check ups, free medicin facilities and isolation wards, etc. are being provided to people of society by the government under different schemes the third genders are being ignored and not getting any benefits. They are not even as admitted to the hospitals after being affected by the Covid-19 virus and they are suggested for home isolation. The government is simply not paying any attention to the third gender of our society.                                                         

              SIGNIFICANCE

Whenever any natural calamity occur it is hoped by the poor and other communities who are different from general society that they will get some benefits from the government. Though during COVID-19 pandemic poor people where benefited but third gender people where totally neglected.

We have chosen "impact of COVID-19 on socio-economic condition of third gender in Bihar" topic to convey message to the general people of the society about the socio-economic issues faced by transgender community during this lockdown. This study will also focus on the facilities provided to them both society and by the government.

                  OBJECTIVES

1.  To find out if transgender community     get equal benefits of Government             policies during COVID-19.                             
2.  To find out economic challanges faced    by them during this lockdown.                   
3.  To explore whether transgender is         facing more problem than general           people during lockdown.                             
4.  To find out lack of job opportunities.         
5.  To examine unusual Mental Health         due to uncertainty amid COVID-19.           
6.  To find out the nature of social   discrimination that transgenders feel   themselves segregated from the   society.                                                          

          CONCLUSION

The third gender community is one of the most unprivileged part of the society. Their livelihood is entirely dependent on activities like dancing and singing on auspicious occasions, begging and paid sex. Large number of individuals of the third gender community are daily earners but the demand of social distancing which only protects from the infection of coronavirus, has struck them. Consequently, lost of source of income during COVID-19 lockdown left them vulnerable to unemployment and tragedy. As they are not having essential documents like ration card, adhaar card, voter-ID or bank account does not certify them to avail government's policies which is implemented during this pandemic. Though the individuals of third gender community are gaining their legal rights are social identity but it was of no use during lockdown.

Moreover, the third gender should be provided benefits with such policies which in turn could upgrade their status and their way of earnings. Government must ensure that the third gender people are educated enough to do jobs in public and private sectors. All in all the third gender community should be given equal status in opportunities for them in all fields like teaching, bureaucrat, etc.

             

  

Synopsis on: Work-life balance Among working women in corporate sector

   INTRODUCTION

Work-life balance working women in corporate sector

Work-life Balance has emerged as a hot topic in recent years. This concept has gained considerable importance due to demographic trends with time. Women's social roles have have been changed across the world. This has resulted in women being in tremendous pressure to develop a career as robust as their male counterparts and still being engaging in personal life.

WLB is a daily effort to take out time for family, friends, community, spirituality, personal growth, self care and other personal activities in addition to the demand of workplace. "When I think about work-life balance, i don't imagine it as a perfect day where I got to spend the exact right amount of time having an impact at work and snuggling with my kids at home. I never achieve that. But over the course of a month, or a quarter, or a year, I try to make time for the people and experience I value." (Jane Park)

Education has not only empowered women but also has given them robust careers. With brain power being the requisite skill in this knowledge era, rather than endurance or physical strength, the women workers seem to flood into every industry on par with men. But this has become a tough challenge for women to perform duties at home and office as well. Married working women get additional responsibilities and these responsibilities intensify when they are on a family way.

SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK: 

This study is a step to cover all the issues women face while balancing two important aspects of their life viz; career and family. It will also be about their adjustments that they make in their daily lives to achieve this balance. This study will focus on women from sectors like Academics, Management, Entrepreneurs, Art, etc.

OBJECTIVES: 

•  To find out about the compromises   women make to balance their career  and home.                                                      
•  To find out if they get time for self   care.   

•  To find out above different privileges   given to govt. VS corporate women   employees.                                                       

HYPOTHESIS: 

1.  If women get the required family   support then they can manage both   work and family.                                            
2.  In the need to support their family       financially, women have to bear   exploitation at workplace.                           
3.  Role conflict creates mental stress among working women.                              

METHODOLOGY: 

1.   Area of study:  Anyone area name.         
2.   Sample Size:    minimum 50.                    
3.    Sampling Method:  purposive sampling                                                          
4.   Tools and Techniques of Data Collection:  Qualitative Study.                  
5.   Methods of data analysis:                        Interview, Schedule, Observation,     Case study                                                                

 REFERENCES: 

•    www.researchgate.net.                   
•     Ram Ahuja.                                     
•     C.N. Shankar Rao 

                    

How to write synopsis

           Synopsis on:

Working women and her social responsibility (specific area)

             CHAPTERIZATION

Chapter.             Title.                    Page no.

                    Introduction 

1.          Meaning of social responsibility 

          Status of women in India in 

          contemporary era 

          What are the responsibilities of 

          working women in our society? 

          Burden of work-life balance on 

          women more than man 

               Profile of the study 

               Significance 

    2         Review of literature review 

               Objectives 

               Hypothesis 

               Methodology 

               Data Analysis

              Quantitative analysis 

     3       Result and 

              discussions 

             Conclusion

             Findings 

4            Limitations 

             Suggestions 

             Conclusion 

               References 

              Annexure 

Introduction

                        "The roles women play in society and the images we have of them have developed not simply from the exigencies of biology and social situations but are rather deeply rooted in social arrangement and cultures and religion"

        Sujit kumar chattopadhyay 

Leadership qualities in women are not rare. From CEO who owns a company to a hardworking and caring a housewife who raised her children, women are leading everywhere.The term SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY comparises two terms i.e social and responsibility. Social responsibility means an individual's or company's duty or moral obligation to act in the best interest of the society. For a woman in our society there are several social responsibilities that she has to fulfill. Such as the responsibility of her family, financial position, health conditions, education etc. It is expected from a working women to maintain work-life balance. In a household, the burden of responsibilities, be it financial or emotional, is always on the woman. It is she who has to take care of her children, spouse, in-laws, and their general well being. However, nothing of this sort is expected from a man.

                   Women in the role of a wife is the source of inspiration of men. As an administrator and leader of the households, she works relentlessly to ensure a disciplined environment within the household. Organizations of various family functions for social development, contribution in the family income by the working women through her own earning within or outside the home and moreover pain of child bearing and the burden of child rearing is also carried by her. Her role is also evident in the development of society in the socio-economic sphere. It would be wrong to count today's women as mere harbingers of peace. In fact they are the source of power and symbol of progress.

Now the question arises, "why that mainly women are looking for balance?"

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

I have chosen "WORKING WOMEN AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:(specific area)" topic to convey my message to the society about the working women's social responsibility and their work-life balance challanges. This study will also focus on the roles of women in contemporary era.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: 

SUJIT KUMAR CHATTOPADHYAY, 2017, researched on the gender socialization and the making of gender in the Indian context. It includes the study on the role of family, religion, mythology, teachers, peer groups and the various media in calculating this.

VIJAY KUMAR GUPTA, 1995, he examined the relationship between working wives decreased time availability for family work and its impact on husband's contributions to that domain. He also studied the dynamics of gender relationships.

SUBRATO KUMAR SARMA,2010, studied about the changing pattern of gender roles in rural households including community, men, women, youth, adolescents, key persons and educators in the study area. He also studied the changing pattern of gender roles from traditional practices in rural households in supporting women's advancement from various viewpoints towards building a gender sensitive society.

The above book does not give much importance on the problem faced by women in the course of work-life balance. Most of the discussions spare time on gender sociolization and changing pattern of gender roles. But this research work has presented the responsibilities of women at present time and how elegantly they carry it.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To find out the condition of working women in our society.                                  
2. To find out the status of women at workplace.                                                      
3. To explore whether there is division of household chores between husband and wife.                                                         
4. To find out the reason behind unemployed educated women in our society.                                                            

HYPOTHESIS: 

  

•    Men are given more responsibility at     workplace than women.                          
•   Working women leave their job after       marriage in comparison to man.             
•    Women are expected to maintain             work-life balance in comparison to           men.                                                                 

    METHODOLOGY: 

1.       Area of the study: specific area
2.       Sample size: 50
3.       Sampling method: purposive                   sampling 
4.        Tools and Techniques of data                 collections: Quantitative study,                Qualitative study 
5.        Method of data analysis:                         Questionnaire, interview                             schedule, Observation, pie                       chart, etc.                                                  

        REFERENCE: 

•    Kothari, C.R, Research Methodology.:.     Methods and Techniques, New Age         International, 2004.                                     
•    Chattopadhyay, Sujit kumar, Gender        Sociolization and The Making of              The Gender in The Indian Context,          Sage publishing India, 2017.                    
•     Das, Man Singh, Gender Roles And          Family Analysis, M.D. Publications,         1995, New Delhi.