Culture, Power and Agency : Gender in Indian Ethnography

Examining the notions and meanings of gender, power and agency, this book bridges theoretical discussions with empirical studies on agency and power. The rich variety of recent empirical studies on subversive activities have been inadequately theorized and conceptualized. The contributors ask: Does agency empower women? Do cultural, gender-based alternatives, openly or secretly, assist women in search of the freedom to voice themselves? At what costs are women prepared to extend their newly acquired agency? Critically examining the relationship between agency and symbolic structures, the book presents the growing reality confronting Indian women.