Camouflaged Protocols of Womanhood: Inherent Paradoxes of Bengal

• Published in: Psychological studies Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 488 - 500
• Main Authors: Chakraborty, Rituparna, De, Sonali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.12.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Folklore; General Psychology; Personality and Social Psychology; Psychology; Research in Progress; Media; Discourse; Identity; Subjective; Culture
• ISSN: 0033-2968; 0974-9861
• DOI: 10.1007/s12646-022-00687-2

Contemporary India is part of a global community where modernization and urbanization including consumerism is on the rise; but not leaving behind its historic cultural essence. Old scriptures, myths, folklore, literature, cultural proverbs as well as media, have a noteworthy role in shaping the perspectives of Indian people. The current study was done in parts of urban Bengal to explore the influence of these forces from socio-political, psychological as well as philosophical registers, in shaping the self-image and identity of contemporary women. 50 participants were interviewed using a semi-structured in-depth interview method and data were analyzed following qualitative analytical methods keeping the cultural-relational-social context in perspective. The method of pluralism in the qualitative analysis was followed using three data analysis methods—Grounded Theory, Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, and Narrative Analysis. Analyses revealed an intriguing social-crafting of the concepts of gender and identities of women through idealization and internalization of traits and notions incessantly presented through celebrated literature, myths, folklore, proverbs, and media. Furthermore, the analysis showed how the deep-rooted paradox, inherent in Bengal’s cultural discourse, is internalized even by educated urban women and infuses a sense of lack, vulnerability, self-loathing, blame, and stigma in their identity. On the contrary, it was also observed in a few instances that optimum use of media and global knowledge led to the construction of a new-age ‘individual’ and ‘subjective’ discourse.