Unveiling the Gender Paradox: Dynamics of Power, Sexuality and Property in Kerala

Both nationally and internationally, the south Indian state of Kerala has been an object of study for its matrilineal kinship organization among some communities, as well as its achievements in education, literacy, and life expectancy for women against a weak economic base. Nonetheless, scholars have drawn attention to a paradox in Kerala’s model of development, namely women’s deteriorating social position in Kerala and the rise in violence against women. Against this backdrop, this book explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, marriage, family and kinship as related to the matrilineal Nayar community in Kerala. Chapters unravel the interplay between the triple categories of gender, power and social development as they play out at the micro, meso, and macro levels of society, probing the ways in which Nayar women practice agency. Ultimately, the authors explore how the strength of the Nayar community can be used as a case study toward circumventing the prevailing gender paradox and re-imagine a more liberated, empowered and self-reliant woman not only in Kerala, but in India at large.

This book will be of interest to scholars in sociology, gender studies, and development studies, particularly those with a focus on South Asia.

Lekha N.B. is Assistant Professor of Sociology in Sree Narayana College, Kerala, India. She is currently engaged in two international research projects by World Science Project, Louisiana State University, USA, and Shastri Indo-Canadian Research Institute, Canada. Her research and writing has centered on gender relations, female sexuality, masculinities, and cultural hegemony, with a particular focus on Kerala.

Antony Palackal is Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Kerala. He serves as the India Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the World Science Project, Louisiana State University and a research project of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. He has published ten books. Palackal is the former President of Kerala Sociological Society and member of the Managing Committee of the Indian Sociological Society.