Phd-Day-02~19/08/2025

📖 PhD Journey Log – 19/08/2025

🔹 Concept of the State within Feminism

The state can be understood through force, coercion, and consent.

From a feminist perspective, the modern state is seen not just as a nation-state, but as a structure that often reflects patriarchal power.

🔹 India as a Nation in the Making

Nationalism has been described through two metaphors:

Melting Pot Theory – merging identities into one.

Salad Bowl Theory – retaining multiple identities within unity.

This raises questions of gender identity and multicultural democracy.

🔹 Social Contract Theory and Patriarchal Contract

Traditional Social Contract Theory is critiqued by feminists as a sexual contract that reinforces male dominance.

Within patriarchy, women are bound by a patriarchal contract, subordinated to men.

Feminist scholars like Carole Pateman argue that the so-called “universal” contract actually ensures the needs of men, not women.

The feminist call is for gender justice and recognition of women’s specific issues.

🔹 Perspectives of the State

Different perspectives help us understand the state:

Liberal

Marxist

Radical feminist

Feminism emphasizes how patriarchal structures are embedded in the state and how this affects women’s rights.

🔹 Key References

Veena Mazumdar – Towards Equality Report (highlighting women’s status in India).

Women’s movements in India – played a major role in reshaping feminist understanding of the state.

🔹 Feminist Research Methodology (Course 03, Unit 05 – Methods)

To see things from a feminist perspective means:

Reflecting upon oneself as a researcher.

Recognizing that gender is not only about women but about all genders in society.

Questioning the power relations that shape knowledge.