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Find Solutions for NCERT Class 7 Civics Social and Political life-ll Chapter 4 ‘Growing up as Boys and Girls’, here.
1. Are the statements given alongside true or false? Support your answer with the use of an example.
a. All societies do not think similarly about the roles that boys and girls play.
Answer:
True – Different societies have different norms regarding roles of girls and boys. Some societies are strict about what is appropriate behaviour for boys and girls, while others are flexible and open. For instance, in Samoa boys and girls are expected to take care of younger siblings, whereas in our society the task would be assigned to girls alone.
b. Our society does not make a distinction between boys and girls when they are growing up.
Answer:
False – Our society makes a clear distinction between boys and girls from a very young age. Baby girls are given soft cuddly stuffed toys and dolls to play with, while boys are given balls, cars and trucks. Girls are taught early to talk softly and be submissive, while boys are allowed to be boisterous and tough.
c. Women who stay at home do not work.
Answer:
False – Women who stay at home have their hands full with heavy household chores. They not only sweep and mop the floor, wash dishes, wash and iron clothes, cook nutritious and tasty meals, take care of children and elderly, but they are also at the beck and call of their families from dawn to midnight.
d. The work that women do is less valued than that of men.
Answer:
True – Although women work hard as caregivers for the children and the elderly and also keep their homes running smoothly, their efforts are undervalued. Their work is regarded as “natural’ for women and “expected’ of them so it is taken for granted or considered less significant than the paid work men do outside the home.
2. a. Housework is invisible and unpaid work
b Housework is physically demanding
c. Housework is time-consuming
Write in your own words what is meant by the terms ‘invisible’, ‘physically demanding’, and ‘time consuming’. Give one example of each based on the household tasks undertaken by women in your home.
Answer:
a.” Invisible and unpaid’ -The responsibility of household chores and taking care of children and the elderly rests upon women who are said to have an affinity for such work, so their toil remains unnoticed or ‘invisible’. The time, effort and creative energy that goes into such work is not seen or appreciated enough to be valued in monetary terms.
b. ‘physically demanding’ – Housework is tiring because it is tough and exacting. Women labour from dawn to dusk tackling physically challenging jobs like washing clothes, mopping floors, fetching drinking water from great distances, gathering firewood.
c. ’time-consuming’ – Housework engages women from dawn to dusk because she moves from one task to another and fulfils the demands made by her family members. Yet no one realises how much of her time is taken up by her work. For example, it takes only ten minutes to eat a meal which a woman has spent at least two hours in preparing.
3. Make a list of toys and games that boys typically play with and another for girls. If there is a difference between the two lists, can you think of some reasons why this is so? Does this have any relationship to the roles children have to play as adults?
Answer:
People make a distinction between the way they raise boys and girls since early childhood.
Boys are given toys like balls, cars, guns, action figures and encouraged to participate in sports like football, rugby. cricket, volleyball, basketball which require more power. Girls on the other hand are given toys like dolls, toy cooking sets, furnished doll houses, soft stuffed toys, fashion toys and encouraged to play table tennis, badminton, swimming and hide and seek.
It is clear that boys are motivated to grow up as tough and hardy individuals, whereas girls are motivated to develop their gentle nurturing skills.
These are subtle hints which prod children to believe that they have specific gender-based roles to play when they grow up. These distinctions also influence the subjects the children take up when they grow and their career choices.
4. If you know someone working as a domestic help in your house or locality, talk to her and find out a little bit more about her life – Who are her family members? Where is her home? How many hours does she work? How much does she get paid? Write a small story based on these details.
Answer:
Debi has been working for our family as a part time domestic help for over thirty years. She hails from a village near Canning in West Bengal, but has been working in Delhi for the last thirty -five years. She came to Delhi along with her mother when she was 10 years old and has been living in our neighbour’s the servant’s quarters ever since. Her mother is too sick to work now, so Debi takes care of her. Debi was married for a year but soon separated from her husband because he would get drunk and beat her up.
Her day starts at the crack of dawn when she wakes up, cleans her living quarters, has a bath after bathing her mother. She then cooks rice and a vegetable curry, feeds her mother and leaves for work. She works in five households in our neighbourhood. The work is quite back breaking because she sweeps and mops the houses, washes utensils, and does the laundry. She never pauses till she has finished the work in my house and then takes a five-minute break while gobbling down three chapatis with dal and vegetables before rushing off to work in the next house.
She comes around a second time in the evening to wash our lunch dishes and utensils and clean the kitchen. After making her second round of all five households, she goes home very tired from her day’s work which keeps her on her toes for 10 hours at a stretch.
At home there is no respite for her because she has to attend to her mother’s needs and cook their evening meal. She is paid about Rs 5000/=per household and gets a bonus for Diwali equivalent to one month’s pay. She has only one passion and that is to save money which will support her in her old age when she is no longer able to work. Her positive and cheerful disposition in spite of her tough life never ceases to amaze me.
Solutions for in-Text questions of NCERT Class 7 Civics Social and Political life ll Chapter 4 ‘Growing up as Boys and Girls.’
Page 39
1. In what ways do the experiences of Samoan children and teenagers differ from your own experiences of growing up? Is there anything in this experience that you wish was part of your growing up?
Answer:
In Samoa, children are not sent to school. Instead, both boys and girls learn practical things like taking care of younger siblings or housework from older children or adults. Samoan mothers stop looking after their babies as soon as they learn to walk and older children are entrusted with the responsibility of bringing them up.
I do not wish to share any part of the Samoan lifestyle.
2. Why do girls like to go to school together in groups?
Answer:
Girls like to move in groups because they are afraid of being teased or attacked if they are alone.
Page 40
1. Make a drawing of a street or a park in your neighbourhood. Show the different kinds of activities young boys and girls may be engaged in. You could do this individually or in groups.
2. Are there as many girls as boys in your drawing? Most probably you would have drawn fewer girls. Can you think of reasons why there are fewer women and girls in your neighbourhood streets, parks and markets in the late evenings or at night?
Answer:
There are more boys than girls playing in the park in the above drawing.There are fewer girls and women in our neighbourhood streets, parks, markets in the late evenings or at night because they are afraid of being teased or attacked if they venture out alone.
3. Are girls and boys doing different activities? Can you think of reasons why this might be so? What would happen if you replaced the girls with the boys and vice-versa
Answer:
Yes, girls and boys are doing different activities. The boys are engaged in activities which require more energy, vigour and strength like climbing ropes, playing football, while the girls are engaged in passive activities like swinging and sliding.
If things were reversed, I think that boys would feel self-conscious about just swinging and sliding down which are considered ‘girlish’ activities, but if they can overcome their embarrassment, they would enjoy themselves because both activities are thrilling.
On the other hand, girls might initially lack the confidence of participating in activities which are traditionally associated with boys and think that they will not be able to do them. But once they get the hang of playing football, or climbing ropes, cycling etc. They would begin to enjoy themselves and feel empowered.
Textbook Page no 43
1. Were Harmeet and Shonali correct in saying that Harmeet’s mother did not work?
Answer:
No, they were not correct in saying that Harmeet’s mother did not work. They were devaluing housework by saying so.
2. What do you think would happen if your mother or those involved in doing the work at home went on a strike for a day?
Answer:
If my mother and those involved in doing the housework went on a strike for a day, there would be complete mayhem. The men of the house have never done any housework because they believe it to be a woman’s domain, so they would not know where to begin or how to organise the work and make a complete mess of things.
3. Why do you think that men and boys generally do not do housework? Do you think they should?
Answer:
In our society it is generally assumed that housework is to be done by women and girls because they are naturally inclined towards domestic work. This is the reason why boys and men do not generally do any housework.I think that men and boys should do housework so that they can become self-sufficient.
Page 44
Below is some data from a special study done by the Central Statistical Organization of India (1998–1999). See if you can fill in the blanks.
| State | Women Paid work (hours per week) | Women Unpaid (Housework Hours per week) | Women (Total) | Men Paid (Hours per week) | Men unpaid (Housework Hours per week) | Men (Total) |
| Haryana | 23 | 30 | ? | 38 | 2 | ? |
| Tamil Nadu | 19 | 35 | ? | 40 | 4 | ? |
Answer:
| State | Women Paid work (hours per week) | Women Unpaid (Housework Hours per week) | Women (Total) | Men Paid (Hours per week) | Men unpaid (Housework Hours per week) | Men (Total) |
| Haryana | 23 | 30 | 53 | 38 | 2 | 40 |
| Tamil Nadu | 19 | 35 | 54 | 40 | 4 | 44 |
1. What are the total number of work hours spent by women in Haryana and Tamil Nadu each week?
Answer:
The total number of work hours spent by a woman in Haryana is 53 and in Tamil Nadu is 54 per week.
2. How does this compare with the total number of work hours spent by men?
Answer:
In Haryana a woman works for a total number of 53 hours per week, whereas a man works only 40 hours per week.Similarly, a woman in Tamil Nadu works for a total number of 54 hours per week whereas, a man for 44 hours a week.Hence, women work longer hours than men.
Extra Questions NCERT – Class 7 Civics – Social and Political life-ll Chapter 4 – ‘Growing up as Boys and Girls’
A. Multiple Choice type Questions (MCQ)
1. The work women do is usually valued ______ than the work men do in our society
(i) more
(ii) differently
(iii) less
(iv) None of the above
2. The Samoan islands are in the ___________ Ocean.
(i) Indian
(ii) Arctic
(iii) Atlantic
(iv) Pacific
3. A very important activity on the Samoan islands is _____________.
(i) ship building
(ii) water skiing
(iii) deep sea diving
(iv) fishing
4.Who looked after younger siblings in Samoa?
(i) The mothers
(ii) the older children both boys and girls
(iii) the older girls
(iv) all of the above
5. When did boys and girls start going to separate schools in Madhya Pradesh
(i) From class 8
(ii) From Class 10
(iii) From Class 4
(iv) None of the above
6. What are the different ways in which people make distinctions between boys and girls?
(i) different toys to play
(ii) boys and girls taught to behave differently
(iii) different colour clothes for boy and girl
(iv) All of the above
7. Domestic work is ________
(i) undervalued
(ii) considered the exclusive duty of women in many societies
(iii) tiring
(iv) all of the above
8. The government has set up ___________ to help the village women.
(i) hospitals
(ii) schools
(iii) anganwadis
(iv) None of the above
9. What is the number of hours of unpaid work per week that women in Haryana do?
(i) None
(ii) 30 hours
(iii)2 hours
(iv) 4 hours
10. The burden of child care and housework fall on ___________.
(i) the entire family
(ii) the men
(iii) the women
(iv) None of the above
Answer:
1. (iii) less
2. (iv)Pacific
3. (iv) fishing
4. (ii) the older children both boys and girls
5.(iv) None of the above – From Class 6 onwards, boys and girls go to separate school in Madhya Pradesh
6.(iv) All of the above
7. (iv) all of the above
8. (iii) anganwadis
9. (ii) 30 hours
10. (iii) the women
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:
| discrimination | inequality | Constitution | understanding | female |
| child-care | male | positive | sexes | remedy |
The __________says that being __________ or ________ should not become a reason for __________. In reality ________ between the _________exists. The Government is, therefore, committed to ___________ the reason for this and taking _________ steps to ___________ the situation. For example, it recognises that burden of ________and housework falls on women and girls.
Answer:
The Constitution says that being male or female should not become a reason for discrimination. In reality inequality between the sexes exists. The Government is, therefore, committed to understanding the reason for this and taking positive steps to remedy the situation. For example, it recognises that burden of child-care and housework falls on women and girls.
C. Match the words in column A with those in column B
| A | B |
| identity | Games for boys |
| Rugby, football, guns | Commonly used to describe a woman’s work situation |
| Chinese checkers, badminton, dolls | Invisible and unpaid |
| Double-burden | A sense of self-awareness of who one is |
| housework | Games for girls |
Answer:
| A | B |
| identity | A sense of self-awareness of who one is |
| Rugby, football, guns | Games for boys |
| Chinese checkers, badminton, dolls | Games for girls |
| Double-burden | Commonly used to describe a woman’s work situation |
| housework | Invisible and unpaid |
D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:
1.Societies make clear distinctions between boys and girls beginning at a very young age.
2. Women work longer hours and are paid more than men.
3. In Samoa, both boys and girls have to look after their younger siblings. Cooking is done in special cooking-houses where boys are supposed to do most of the work, while girls help with the preparations.
4. The government has passed laws that make it mandatory for organisations that have more than 50 women to provide creche facilities.
5. Society devalues the work that women do at home.
Answer:
1.True – Boys and girls are given different toys to play with and encouraged to participate in different games. Boys are taught to be tough and girls to be docile and submissive.
2. False – Women work longer hours than men, but they are not paid for the time they spend in doing household work. Moreover, women are paid wages at lower rates than men are paid.
3. True
4. False – The government has passed laws making it mandatory for organisations having more 30 women to provide creche facilities.
5. True- Most of the work done by women is not even acknowledged as work although it is most important for the well-being, health, comfort and happiness of the entire family. The work of women is taken for granted by the family. It is assumed that her role of care-giver and nurturer comes naturally to her and therefore does not have to be paid for. Society devalues her work.
E. Very Short Answer type Questions:
1. How do boys and girls behave differently?
Answer:
Each society teaches young boys and girls to behave in ways that it considers appropriate for them.
2. Who determines the kinds of activities that boys and girls should engage in?
Answer:
Society determines the appropriate activities for boys and girls.
3. What did the Samoan people teach young boys and girls in the 1920s?
Answer:
Young boys and girls alike were taught to look after younger siblings or do household work by older children and adults.
4. How old were the children when they took over the responsibility to look after their younger siblings?
Answer:
Samoan children were given the responsibility of caring for their younger siblings when they were as young as five years old.
5. How old were the boys when they were allowed to learn fishing and outdoor jobs?
Answer:
By the time the boys were nine years old, they were allowed to learn fishing and planting coconuts.
6. Did girls do only housework all their lives?
Answer:
No, Girls were also allowed to go on fishing trips , work on plantations and weave baskets after they reached the age of fourteen.
7. Why did girls in Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s always move in groups?
Answer:
The girls went around in groups because they were afraid of being teased or attacked.
8. Where do domestic helpers find employment mostly?
Answer:
Many homes in towns and cities employ domestic workers.
9. What is the work of a domestic worker?
Answer:
A domestic worker has to do a number of jobs like sweeping and mopping the floor, dusting the furniture, washing utensils and clothes, cooking, looking after the children and the elderly.
10. Are the wages they are paid for the work they do justified?
Answer:
No, they are paid very low wages for all the hard work that they do.
11. Why are the wages of domestic workers so kpw?
Answer:
The wages are low because domestic work does not hold much value.
12. What is the daily schedule of a domestic worker?
Answer:
A domestic worker’s day begins at five o’ clock in the morning and ends at around midnight.
13. How are domestic workers treated by their emplyers?
Answer:
Domestic workers are often not treated with respect by their employers.
F. Short Answer Type Questions:
1. What are the different ways in which boys and girls are prepared for their roles as men and women?
Answer:
The way boys and girls are prepared for their roles as men and women varies across cultures. In some cultures, boys are taught to be strong, independent, and competitive while girls are taught to be nurturing, caring, and compliant. In other cultures, boys and girls are taught to be more similar in their roles and responsibilities. The way children are raised can also vary depending on the family’s socioeconomic status, religion, and other factors.
2. Do all societies look at girls and boys in the same way?
Answer:
All societies do not look at girls and boys in the same way. Societies have different cultural norms and values that shape how they view gender roles. For example, some societies may view men as the primary breadwinners while women are expected to stay at home and take care of children. Other societies may view men and women as equal partners in the household and workplace. Gender roles are also influenced by factors such as religion, education, and economic development.
3. Do societies value men and women differently?
Answer:
Yes, societies often value men and women differently. This is reflected in various aspects of society such as education, employment, and politics. For example, women may have less access to education or employment opportunities than men. Women may also be paid less than men for doing the same job. In addition, women are often under-represented in politics and other leadership positions. These differences are often due to cultural norms and values that shape how societies view gender roles.
5. What do you understand by gender stereotypes? Give a few examples.
Answer:
Gender stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about what is normal and appropriate for people in a certain culture based on their biological sex.
Some examples of gender stereotypes include:
- Women should take care of the home
- Men should go to work
- Women should be secretaries, or teachers or work at a daycare
- Girls should play with dolls and boys should play with trucks
- Boys should be directed to like blue and green; girls toward red and pink
6. What are the two case studies discussed in the chapter?
Answer:
The two case studies discussed in the chapter are:
- Growing up in Samoa in the 1920s: This case study shows how children in Samoan society learned from older children and adults, and how both boys and girls first learnt to do household work and look after younger siblings.
- Growing up male in Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s: This case study shows how boys and girls went to separate schools, and how girls faced more restrictions and fears than boys.
7. How does the household work done by women affect their health and well-being?
Answer:
The household work done by women can affect their health and well-being in various ways. Women who do more household work tend to have higher levels of stress, which can lead to physical and mental health problems. They may also have less time to engage in physical activity, which can increase their risk of obesity and other health problems. In addition, women who do more household work may have less time to pursue education or career opportunities, which can limit their economic independence and social mobility.
8. In Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s how did the layout of the girls’ school differ from that of the boys’ school?
Answer:
The girls’ school was designed very differently from the boys’ school. They had a central courtyard where the girls played in complete seclusion and safety. No one could view the courtyard from the outside. The boys’ schools did not have a courtyard. Their playground was just an open space attached to the school.
9. What did the girls and boys do when school got over?
Answer:
Every evening when school was over, hundreds of school girls crowded the narrow streets. They walked purposefully down the streets in groups headed straight home because they were afraid of being teased or attacked. The street was just simply a way home for them. By contrast the boys used the streets as a place to stand around idling, to play, to try out tricks with their bicycles.
G. Long answer Type Questions
1. Why does our society devalue the work women do inside the home?
Answer:
Women work very hard to run their households smoothly. They take care of the needs of the entire family. They nurture and bring up their children, care for the sick and elderly family members. They wake up early and take care of all the household chores efficiently. They cook all the meals by standing over a hot stove for hours and provide healthy and tasty meals for their family, wash utensils and clothes, sweep and mop the floor so that the house is clean and pleasant.
In rural areas it is the task of women to carry drinking water from great distances for the entire family and also carry heavy loads of firewood.
However, their work remains unacknowledged because housework is not regarded as real work by our society. It is assumed that women are naturally inclined to be care-givers and nurturers, so the work they do does not have to be paid for. Society devalues the back- breaking, selfless service that women render to their families.
2. Do the inequalities between genders emerge in the workplace as well?
Answer:
Yes, gender inequalities often emerge in the workplace. Women may face various challenges such as gender discrimination, unequal pay, lack of opportunities for advancement, and work-life balance issues.
Gender discrimination can take many forms such as being passed over for promotions or being paid less than male colleagues for doing the same job. Work-life balance issues are also a challenge for women in the workplace. Women often have to juggle work and family responsibilities, which can be stressful and time-consuming. This is known as the double-burden of women’s work.
3. How can we promote gender equality and justice in our society?
Answer:
Promoting gender equality and justice in our society requires a multi-faceted approach that involves education, policy changes, and cultural shifts.
Education is an important tool for promoting gender equality by raising awareness about gender issues and promoting gender-sensitive attitudes.
Policy changes such as affirmative action programs can help to level the playing field for women in areas such as education and employment.
Cultural shifts are also important for promoting gender equality by challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
This can involve promoting positive role models for women and men, encouraging men to take on caregiving roles, and promoting women’s leadership in all areas of society.
Frequently asked Questions (FAQs) on NCERT – Class 7 Civics- Social and Political life-ll Chapter 4 – ‘Growing up as Boys and Girls’
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The following topics have been discussed in this chapter:
Growing up in Samoa in the 1920s
Growing up male in Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s
Lives of domestic workers
Women’s work and equality
The way boys and girls are prepared for their roles as men and women varies across cultures. In some cultures, boys are taught to be strong, independent, and competitive while girls are taught to be nurturing, caring, and compliant. In other cultures, boys and girls are taught to be more similar in their roles and responsibilities.
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