Societal Constraints Research Articles

Decoding Identity Crisis and Rejection of Social Norms: A Study of Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana

The present research article aims at analysing the complex narrative of Girish Karnad’s play Hayavadana. The play emphasizes the exploration of women’s identity, autonomy, and resistance against patriarchal norms. It is celebrated for blending of mythical elements with contemporary themes, particularly focusing on women’s pursuit of self-identity and emancipation. The play transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, positioning the play within a global discourse on femininity and societal expectations. It intricately weaves the story of Padmini, a woman caught in a web of desire and societal constraints, highlighting the challenges she faces in seeking fulfillment and autonomy. Through the lens of Padmini’s character, the study explores themes of desire, gender roles, and the quest for a unified self in the face of traditional expectations. Central to the play and the study is the portrayal of the goddess Kali, who represents the subversion of traditional gender roles and the assertion of feminine power. Kali’s intervention in the narrative serves as a pivotal moment for Padmini, allowing her to confront and navigate the constraints imposed by societal norms and expectations. The research highlights Karnad’s use of traditional narratives and characters to critique and challenge societal norms, particularly those related to gender and identity. The play discusses the global contexts. The present study underscores the play’s relevance to ongoing discussions about gender, power, and the legitimacy of women’s aspirations. Karnad’s work emerges as a transformative piece that not only questions established narratives but also proposes a reimagining of women’s roles in society, advocating for a space where women can assert their desires and identity free from patriarchal limitations.

Construction of Ideal Self in Salman Rushdie’s Victory City

Indian literature often employs mystic characters to reflect sociopolitical themes. The central narrative of Salman Rushdie’s Victory City (2023) revolves around Pampa Kampana, a young female protagonist. Through mystical direction, she builds an empire and uses poetry to pass on her cultural legacy. The objective of this research is to demonstrate Pampa’s progression using the framework of self-construal theory. Nevertheless, her interaction with diverse personalities and surrounding settings during her 247-year lifespan demonstrates her interdependent construal. Her character arc changes significantly as she goes from being a young orphan who lost her family and experienced tragedy to being a resolute queen and mother of Bisnaga City. Her pursuit of the throne within the societal constraints of gender showcases her resolute nature as an individual. External variables cause her self-construal to become unstable. Her journey, from being a vulnerable orphan who experienced physical abuse to becoming a champion for gender equality in Bisnaga, demonstrates her remarkable resilience. The research highlights how Pampa Kampana eschews independence in favour of interdependence when navigating social dynamics, familial ties, and cultural norms of human civilization. It mirrors the struggles and journey faced by most women.

Narratives of Resilience and Marginality: A Study of Gender and Identity in Mahasweta Devi’s Till Death Do us Part

This research paper delves into the thematic exploration of gender identity, female resilience, and the subversion of societal norms in Mahasweta Devi's collection of translated stories, Till Death Do Us Part. The collection spans over thirty years and encompasses five stories: "The Divorce", "The Saga of Kagaboga", "The Poet's Wife", “He, said Pani”, and, “Love Story”. In these narratives, Mahasweta Devi deviates from the conventional satirical and socially-critical writing style and shows extraordinary sensitivity in the portrayal of her characters. The stories are centered on the lives of five elderly women who struggle with several challenges and societal constraints. Simultaneously, they diligently explore unconventional approaches to contest prevailing norms and masculine hegemony. This research study aims to dissect these distinctive qualities in Devi's storytelling within the context of her collection, “Till Death Do Us Part”.

Maternal Health Challenges in Pakistan: Addressing a Crucial Concern

This article underscores the pivotal role that maternal health plays in shaping Pakistan's overall well-being and developmental trajectory. The narrative elucidates the persisting challenges that hinder advancements in maternal health, consequently contributing to elevated maternal mortality rates, perpetuation of poverty cycles, and imposition of societal constraints. The elevated maternal mortality ratio coupled with deficiencies in healthcare services accentuates concerns regarding accessibility and quality. Maternal malnutrition, deeply entrenched in poverty and cultural norms, further exacerbates complications. The inadequacies in rural healthcare infrastructure act as impediments to timely access to care. Compounding these challenges are adolescent pregnancies, which heighten risks due to physiological immaturity. Addressing these multifaceted issues necessitates a comprehensive strategy encompassing enhancements in healthcare infrastructure, nutritional interventions, educational initiatives, policy reforms, and heightened cultural awareness. Vital components of this strategy involve promoting female education, combating early marriages, empowering women in decision-making processes, bolstering family planning services, and ensuring effective policy implementation. The realization of improved maternal health outcomes in Pakistan hinges upon the successful execution of these measures.

The Letters of John H. Crowder

In the midst of the American Civil War, sixteen-year-old John H. Crowder, a free person of color, penned a series of letters that offer insight into the experiences, hopes, obstacles, and discrimination faced by young African Americans during the nineteenth century. Serving in the Louisiana Native Guard, one of the Union’s pioneering regiments that welcomed people of color, Crowder writes to declare his youthful ambitions and his unwavering resilience against his often disapproving superior officers. Additionally, within these letters Crowder’s profound love for his mother and a female friend is revealed, along with his determination to secure a stable future for the women in his life. The preservation of Crowder’s letters, alongside the story of his mother's pursuit of a military pension after Crowder’s death, brings to light the oft-overlooked contributions and experiences of African Americans in the post-Antebellum South. In this “Spotlight on Juvenilia,” I delve into the story behind the preservation of Crowder’s letters, exploring the unique challenges and triumphs experienced by young African Americans, as well as their significant role in shaping the Civil War narrative. Moreover, I emphasize the importance of amplifying diverse historical perspectives, particularly those of youth and people of color. By shedding light on the interplay between personal agency and societal constraints for Crowder, this exploration underscores the significance of his community’s voices in reshaping historical discourses and highlights the far-reaching implications of their experiences during this pivotal period in history.

Unveiling Lady Audley’s Secret: Navigating Femininity, Autonomy, and Societal Constraints in Victorian Literature

The paper analyzes Lady Audley's Secret in the context of Victorian gender inequality. During this era, women faced societal expectations rooted in domesticity, limiting their access to education and public life. Braddon's novel challenges these norms, portraying a complex heroine, Lady Audley, who engages in criminal activities to navigate the constraints of her gender and social expectations. The novel explores themes of economic dependence, the limitations of marriage, and the use of madness as a societal tool. Lady Audley's character embodies paradoxes, reflecting the tension between societal ideals and individual desires. Braddon's portrayal of ordinary women's struggles provides a nuanced perspective on femininity, challenging the prevailing stereotypes of the time. The analysis examines the societal implications of madness and the consequences of resisting prescribed gender roles. Lady Audley's Secret emerges as a subversive work that addresses the invisible lives and personal conflicts of ordinary women, contributing to the broader discourse on female autonomy in the Victorian era.

The Status of Women in the Poetry of Wordsworth

Abstract: Exploring Wordsworth's poetic universe unveils intriguing insights into the portrayal of women. This abstract delves into the multifaceted status of women within Wordsworth's poetry. Through an extensive analysis of his works, it scrutinizes the nuanced roles, perceptions, and treatment of women, shedding light on their significance as muses, nurturers, and symbols of nature's purity. Wordsworth's verses often depict women in varying lights, from ethereal beings embodying innocence and grace to pragmatic figures grounding human experiences. The abstract navigates through the spectrum of emotions evoked by Wordsworth's portrayal, revealing the dichotomy between idealized femininity and societal constraints. Moreover, this study examines the socio-cultural milieu influencing Wordsworth's depictions, emphasizing the intersections of gender, power, and societal norms prevalent during the Romantic era. It also analyzes how these representations resonate with contemporary discourses on gender equality and empowerment. Ultimately, this abstract aims to unravel the complexities surrounding women in Wordsworth's poetry, providing a comprehensive understanding of their roles, significance, and the poetic nuances shaping their portrayal.

Analyzing the Influences on Women’s Upbringing and Their Educational Significance Using the Case of Estella, the Heroine of Great Expectations

This paper explores the influences on women’s upbringing and their educational significance by using the character Estella from Great Expectations as a case study. Through analyzing the impact of social environment, family education, and self-awakening, this article aims to promote gender equality and the construction of a feminist cognitive community. It delves into the class divisions of 19th-century England, the manipulative family education imposed on Estella by Miss Havisham, and Estella’s journey towards self-consciousness after her foster mother’s death. The study highlights the challenges faced by women in societal constraints, family expectations, and the importance of self-discovery in overcoming these limitations.

Young, Noisy and Angry: Voice of Baceprot and Feminism in Metal Band

This paper examines the significance of the Indonesian all-female teenage metal band Voice of Baceprot (VoB) in spreading messages of empowerment and social change through music. Drawing on feminist critical discourse analysis and textual analysis, this study analysed four VoB song lyrics. The analysis reveals three central themes in VoB music: resisting systemic oppression of women, advocating for freedom of self-expression and identity, and voicing sociopolitical criticism. This paper argues that VoB’s lyrics portray empowerment as exposing and dismantling the prejudicial roots of injustice, making space for marginalised voices, and demanding human rights and equity as lived realities. The VoB suggests that empowerment requires transgressing societal constraints to integrate identity into one’s own terms. As hijabi women perform metal music, the VoB signifies the radical possibilities of claiming space through art and courage. Their songs convey that empowerment starts by refusing control and determining one's path. Despite receiving some criticism regarding the inappropriateness of Muslim women playing in a metal band, the VoB's success illuminates the possibility of change through grassroots efforts. The paper concludes that VoB's lyrics envision alternative futures by advocating justice, equality, and empowerment. Their messages make empowerment possible by calling for oppression and creating space for marginalised voices. VoB represents hope for change, driven by creativity and perseverance.

“Our Teaching Transcends a Subject Matter”: Learning From Black Women Educators’ Beliefs about Literacy Instruction During Extraordinary Times

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic, the United States’ racial reckoning, and nationwide educational “anti-woke” legislation—along with long-standing accountability policies—acutely constrained teachers’ experiences and have solidified public portrayals of educators as mistrustful and docile. Yet research suggests that, in the face of school and societal constraints, Black women educators develop and enact beliefs about teaching that challenge prevailing opinion to provide equitable and just learning experiences for their students. The 2020–2021 school year, an extraordinary moment in the United States, provided an important context to understand Black women educators’ developing beliefs about teaching secondary literacy, a politicized and contested subject. Purpose: This study builds off of historical and contemporary research on Black women educators to understand how two teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy in a middle school with a diverse student population during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. Drawing on Black feminist theory and asset-based pedagogies, it also sought to understand what individual and collective meaning they made out of their teaching experience. Research Design: The qualitative study centered on two Black women educators who taught seventh-grade English language arts and history during the 2020–2021 school year. The two teachers worked at a suburban middle school serving a racially diverse student population. The study involved three interviews with each participant and seven group discussions with both participants throughout the year. I employed grounded theory methodology to analyze the data and to develop themes about how the teachers developed their beliefs about teaching literacy. Findings: During an extraordinary moment in the United States—characterized by the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid instruction, and a countrywide racial reckoning—the participants felt empowered to call out the deficit ideologies that their colleagues voiced. Calling out deficit ideologies informed three beliefs about teaching literacy: upholding students’ humanity, elevating classroom discussion, and teaching a complex narrative of people of Color. These findings affirm the mutuality between action and beliefs and emphasize a more socially and politically oriented conceptualization of literacy pedagogy. Recommendations: This study informs how educational leaders can support Black women educators with professional learning that positions culturally affirming school expectations and critical self-reflection as a precedent to the empowering literacy instruction teachers could enact in classrooms. Future research can examine school-level and social factors shaping teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices.

Kerala’s celebrated Kudumbashree scheme for poverty reduction: a critical look through a feminist lens

This paper critically examines whether the Kudumbashree scheme of the Kerala government was successful in both reducing poverty and enhancing the social capital of women. The evidence shows that while Kudumbashree’s programmes made a significant contribution to Kerala’s broader efforts to reduce absolute poverty and empower women, not enough is being done to remove societal constraints on women’s roles and advancement.

Role of women in non-cooperation movement

The paper explores the integral role of women in India's Non-Cooperation Movement, a pivotal phase in the nation's fight for independence led by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s. Amid this nonviolent resistance against British rule, women assumed multifaceted roles that extended beyond societal boundaries. Engaging in protests, rallies, and boycotts, they vehemently rejected British-made products, institutions, and symbols, showcasing their resolute dedication to change. Despite societal constraints relegating women to domestic roles, they defied convention, organizing picketing and promoting indigenous khadi cloth as alternatives to British imports, fostering self-reliance. Their involvement not only disrupted British economic activities but also reshaped gender dynamics, endowing women with newfound agency and empowerment. This abstract emphasizes that women's contributions were not passive or peripheral; instead, they were driving forces in reshaping the movement's landscape. Their resilience and commitment left an enduring impact on India's struggle for independence, while simultaneously propelling a transformative shift in women's societal roles and aspirations, setting an enduring precedent for their sustained involvement in subsequent phases of the freedom movement and beyond.

Developing virtual acoustic terrain for Urban Air Mobility trajectory planning

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a transformative concept that must operate harmoniously within the constraints imposed by societal impacts. Noise-aware flight trajectory planning can address UAM’s community noise concerns. However, the traditional trajectory optimization paradigm requires repetitive computations of a flight’s noise footprints in complex urban environments and is computationally expensive. In this work, we propose virtual acoustic terrain, a novel concept to enable an efficient trajectory optimization paradigm. By applying acoustic ray tracing and the principle of reciprocity in a complex urban environment, we convert different noise constraints into 3D exclusion zones which UAM operations should avoid to maintain limited noise impact. It combines with the physical urban terrain to define an acceptable fly zone for non-repetitive noise-aware trajectory optimization. This framework provides a new angle to future urban area airspace management and can also accommodate other forms of societal constraints.

Women Identity in the selected Novels of Manju Kapur- A Critical Analysis

In the realm of literature, feminism can be understood as the liberation of women both physically and psychologically from the longstanding societal constraints that have been predominantly established by men. Throughout history, notably in Asian nations such as India, societal norms and traditions have predominantly been influenced by male dominance. The literary works of Manju Kapur extend beyond merely highlighting the limitations imposed on women. Instead, they delve into a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to issues related to identity crises, personal fulfillment, and interpersonal relationships.

Life-Centred Design of a Packaging Value Cycle

Packaging is omnipresent and has evolved through times reflecting the changes in society and in our lifestyles. The modern packaging industry gradually shifted its focus from a product-centred to a human-centred approach and is now starting to embrace a new era in which packaging is considered from a broader perspective — a so-called life-centred design perspective. The reasons behind the constant change are many, from market demands, rapid technological development, rapid population growth, to political steering due to resource and other societal constraints. A life-centred design of packaging value cycles is one that will take into account the well-being of and interaction between all ecosystems. Answers will be discovered through an inclusive exploratory journey of how it should be done.

Modelling the long-term consequences of implementing hormone-free reproductive management on the sustainability of a dairy sheep farm

Livestock production systems are strongly influenced by societal constraints which induce changes in their overall chain value organization. In dairy sheep farming, practices such as the male effect (ME) supported by new precision tools (heat detector) can be used to stop the use of hormonal treatments (HT) for heat induction and synchronization. However, the effectiveness of these “hormone-free” (HF) methods for managing ewes’ reproduction remains more uncertain than that of HT. Thus, introduction of HF practices in farms currently managed with HT could imply collateral impacts on the overall functioning of the production system and affect its long-term sustainability. In this work, a new multi-agent model (called REPRIN'OV) was designed to simulate consequences of introducing a HF reproduction management on a series of biotechnical, economic and environmental farm performance indicators, including farmer workload. Three reproduction management scenarios were simulated over five consecutive years for the case study of a French dairy sheep farm considered as conventional (i.e. using HT for reproduction management). They were defined as: use of HTs and insemination (HAI); no use of HTs while preserving insemination practice (HFAI); no use of HTs and direct mating only (i.e., no insemination; HFM). Results confirm that implementing HF reproductive management without accompanying it with further changes in farm management, could negatively impact several indicators of the farm sustainability in the medium and long-term. Indeed, the HF scenarios resulted in overall lower farm biotechnical performances (e.g., −4% for the fertility rate; P < 0.05) due to a more variable heat induction. An increase in farmer's workload during the lambing period (+34% and +33% of h/L of milk in HFAI and HFM, respectively; P < 0.05) was also observed, mainly due to more staggered lambing periods. As for the simulated environmental indicators, they were increased, mostly due to the reduction of the total milk production in HF’s (e.g., +6% of farm methane emissions per L of milk for both HFAI and HFM; P < 0.05). Nevertheless, positive outcomes were also simulated in the HFs as ewes lambing peaks were lower than in HAI suggesting, e.g., a possibility to improve ewes and lamb surveillance during lambing. HF scenarios also led to higher gross margin (GM) per litre of milk produced because no HT was used, reducing the production costs compare to HAI. In addition, implementing insemination in HFAI improved farm milk production and quality (i.e., fat and protein content), which resulted in improved total GM compared to HFM. Still, the reduction in the total milk production in HFs was too important compared with the improvement of the GM per litre, resulting in a reduced total GM in these scenarios (-4% and −5% in HFAI and HFM, respectively; P < 0.05). Overall, simulation results showed that to warrant sustainable introduction of HF strategies (including ME), new frameworks in the organization of key operations at the farm level should be explored (e.g., extending reproduction or milking periods length) and trade-offs should be discussed, considering all involved stakeholders of the dairy sheep industry and the chain’s value requirements. The REPRIN’OV model, may provide an effective tool to simulate the collateral impacts of establishing HF reproductive management and could be used as a decision support system to accompany the ambitious transition towards a HF dairy sheep industry in Europe and beyond.

Adventurous play in schools: The parent perspective

AbstractAdventurous play (play that is exciting and thrilling, where children take age‐appropriate risks, for example climbing trees and jumping from rocks) is increasingly being recognised as beneficial for child health and development. Despite this, children's opportunities for and engagement in this type of play have declined in recent decades. Break times in schools may provide an ideal opportunity to provide adventurous play opportunities for all children. Recent work has identified myriad factors that help and hinder schools in offering adventurous play opportunities, but parent perspectives have largely been absent. Through one‐to‐one semistructured qualitative interviews, this study aimed at capture parents' perspectives on adventurous play happening in schools and what they perceive as the key barriers to and facilitators of adventurous play in schools. The findings were analysed using reflective thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: Needs, Schools as Gatekeepers, Risks and Benefits, Societal Constraints and Individual Differences. Findings are discussed with reference to parental support for adventurous play, as well as parent and school level needs that should be addressed if barriers that may hinder adventurous play opportunities in school are to be overcome.

Sustainable Rural Community Development Experiences and Lessons

The purpose of this article is multifactorial. The primary question we investigate here refers to human barriers and established practices in a local county that obstructs pathways towards a sustainable future, as well as the measures taken to overcome difficulties and their societal impact. We base our analysis solely on the experience gained during the 2012-2015 planning period for the sustainable development of Vytina county-Greece. Our research focuses on sustainable development and its dependence on local community behaviours, as well as alternative ways for citizen involvement in the development process in order to avoid obstacles encountered in established bottom-up methodologies. Societal constraints include the complexity of communications and relationships between residents, the community's existing internal processes, a complex external environment, and a lack of shared vision which all contribute to the ego of the inhabitants, and to their time availability. These constraints represent obstacles and threats. The fundamentals of the planning process should neutralize and override these obstacles. It is important to recognize and measure these constraints and evaluate their societal impact. Weak predictions/estimates, inconsistent goals, top-down policy decisions, short-sighted planning, resistance to change, and intractable local government can all be barriers to bottom-up methodologies. The bottom-up process, fair and meaningful, is somewhat cumbersome and requires time to mature in order for sustainability practices to be effective. But the pilot application can help foster alternative approaches that allow the citizen to enter the era of sustainability easier and faster. The prerequisite is the existence of a rich cultural heritage. Facing all these problems in the planning for the sustainable development of a local community today, I wonder how a sustainable outer space civilization can be accomplished in the distant future when we have finally arrived at, what Michio K aku refers to as, the God equation or theory of everything.

Multilevel Continua of Mothers, Fathers and Childless Women and Men’s Work–Life “Choices” and Their Constraints, Enablers and Consequences

Gendered and classed working, parenting and other life contexts create multifaceted interactions between quantitative (including time and effort-intensive) and qualitative (including needs, interests, aspirations and identities) work and life contexts. This research aimed to understand mothers, fathers and childless women and men’s gendered and classed strategies for managing multifaceted work and life interactions in their multilevel contexts. The research consisted of a qualitative case study of a large Australian organisation that ostensibly prioritised diversity and inclusion and offered flexible working arrangements to all employees. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse forty-seven employees’ responses to open-ended questions in a self-administered questionnaire, combined with iterative in-depth interviews with 10 employees. The findings suggested mothers, fathers, childless women and men’s nuanced strategies for managing multifaceted work–life interactions were explained by multilevel continua of “choices” between incompatible quantitative and qualitative work and life contexts, embedded in gendered and classed individual, family, community, organisational and societal constraints, enablers and consequences, which inhibited agency to make genuine work–life choices. These “choices” reflected and reinforced societally and organisationally hegemonic working, mothering, fathering and childlessness discourses.

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises: An Appraisal of the Role of Taxation and Intellectual Property on Their Growth in Nigeria

This research critically analyzes the concept of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and looks at the tax and intellectual property implications and considerations. The aim is to expose how Intellectual Property law can help sustain Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the marketplace and improve the growth and development of the Nigerian economy through taxation. To achieve these, the research examined the essential roles of Intellectual Property in the growth and development of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. The rights and remedies to which the owners of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are entitled, as well as the challenges of Intellectual Property Laws and their corresponding tax liabilities under the relevant pieces of legislation in Nigeria, are considered. This research evaluates the factors contributing to the non-compliance of SMEs with tax obligations. These include complex filing procedures, multiple taxations of SMEs, and a lack of proper enlightenment. The finding reveals that SMEs have performed below expectations due to specific reasons ranging from societal constraints to issues of lack of awareness, instability, and change in the economy. Tax compliance among SMEs in Nigeria is poor. To enhance the growth of Nigerian SMEs, there is a need to explore enlightenment and awareness through the use of intellectual property and taxation.