02448nam a22001577a 4500 526963 526963 240725b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d Devi, Rama and Ray, Sawmya 55779 We know what is good for her: Hunar, and respectable work for women Sociological Bulletin 73(2), Apr, 2024: p.205-223 Education is often conflated with women’s empowerment. Access to formal education is considered to possess the potential to usher in the elimination of the imposed dependence of women on men by enhancing their employability and easing their entry into the labour market. This article argues that establishing such simplistic interconnections evades hidden constraints of sociocultural conditions entwined with patriarchal ideologies that influence and even partially prohibit women’s access to education vis-a-vis employment, resulting in their marginalistaion in the labour market. Examining the nature of educational access and occupational aspirations, of urban women residing in a Delhi settlement, the article shows that patriarchal ideology impresses and controls the nature and outcome of the education they obtain. In the settlement, while most young girls are pursuing higher education, not everyone is expected to channelise their educational degrees to secure paid employment. Unlike men, women are not encouraged to engage in every form of work as the nature of female occupation is tied to notions of honour and disgrace of the family. Locally prevailing patriarchal norms dictate and define what constitutes respectable work for women. They are permitted to aspire and engage in reputable work.- Reproduced https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380229241234083 Women—Education—India, Women—Employment—India, Women—Social conditions—India, Sex role—India, Patriarchy—India, Women—Delhi (India), Women—Urban residence—India, Women—Vocational guidance—India, Women—Higher education—India, Women—Economic conditions—India, Women—Cultural aspects—India, Women—Family relationships—India, Women—Social status—India, Women—Work and family—India, Women—Attitudes—India, Women—Psychology—India, Women—Identity—India, Women—Self-perception—India, Women—Social norms—India, Women—Respectability—India 55780 Sociological Bulletin WOMEN AR 0 0 ddc 0 0 402059 IIPA IIPA 2024-07-25 73(2), Apr, 2024: p.205-223 AR132453 2024-07-25 AR