Subtler manifestations of patriarchal gender norms on gender relations- A qualitative investigation on Engineering college students

Abstract

Gender disparity is observed to be markedly higher in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, as evident from the findings of earlier research studies. Gender relations refer to the complex dynamics of social interactions between men and women in a social group setting; they are one of the determining factors of gender disparity. Hence, this investigative study focuses on the informal interactions among men and women students of private engineering colleges to gain insights into how patriarchal norms contribute to gender disparity.  Private technological institutions are specifically chosen as the study as it is noted that they have been given less focus in this particular area of study. Although the gender dynamics of the contemporary Indian society has witnessed considerable change with liberalization and globalization, patriarchy continues to remain deeply entrenched and poses a formidable challenge in the cultural and social phenomenon of gender construction in various social realms. This persisting patriarchal trend tends to be reflected in the students’ perception of gender norms. The present study aims to highlight the challenges of gender relations among students and attempts to offer feasible inputs to foster gender equality within the academic community in college campuses by actively promoting inclusivity and parity. This research study is cross-sectional, employs qualitative methods to obtain gender relations through the face-to-face interview method used to collect data from the students to gain full understanding of the gender environment of the campus, the prevalence of patriarchy in the educational system and the influence of patriarchal norms on the student community