CBSE Class 7 Social Science Political Science Revision Notes Chapter 4

CBSE Class 7 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 4 Notes – Growing up as Boys and Girls

Being a girl or a boy today can be seen as a very significant step in a person’s identity formation. The culture that surrounds us constantly tries to instil in us the idea that boys and girls should behave differently. In other words, society dictates what boys and girls are capable of. While the majority of people might believe that these demands on boys and girls are fairly universal, this may not be the case. Do the norms for girls and boys in these societies tend to be the same? Students will learn and discuss this issue in Chapter 4 of Class 7 Political Science. 

The Class 7 Chapter 4 Notes Growing Up as Boy and Girl mention two distinct case studies. These case studies discuss how boys and girls are raised in various societies. Students will benefit from this in their understanding of socialisation as a whole and how it differs from person to person. In actuality, there have been some changes to the rules over time.

Extramarks Class 7 Political Science Chapter 4 Notes explain the growth of children in society as boys and girls. These notes explain the value and status of men and women and their respective roles in our society. 

Students can rely on these notes to have a better understanding of the entire chapter as explained by subject matter experts. They can refer to these Extramarks Revision Notes to navigate through the chapter’s challenging concepts and better prepare for the exams. These notes can be easily accessed from the Extramarks website.

Growing up as Boys and Girls Class 7 Political Science (Civics) Chapter 4 Notes

Access Class 7 Social Science Chapter 4 – Growing Up As Boys & Girls Notes

Case Study 1: The Samoan Society: Growing up During The 1920s

One of several small islands in the southern Pacific Ocean is the Samoan Islands. The establishment of a specific society known as the Samoan society took place in the 1920s. Some reports on this given society claim that the youngsters were not allowed to get an education or go to school. Children were usually forced to learn specific skills from an early age, including caring for the home and raising other children. Older children were made to help with household duties irrespective of gender.

In Samoan society, fishing was a significant activity. They were first instructed on how to go on lengthy fishing expeditions. Throughout their childhood, they learned a variety of abilities.

As soon as babies could walk, older children as young as five years old would look after the babies. Boys and girls were both in charge of looking after their younger siblings.

Boys began working outdoors with older children at the age of nine, doing tasks like fishing and planting coconuts.

Up until they reached their teen years, girls were also expected to care for children and complete small tasks for adults.

They were given much more freedom when they were teenagers. They began working in plantations at the age of fourteen, going fishing with their families, and learning how to weave baskets.

Girls assisted with preparations while boys did the majority of the cooking.

Case Study 2: Growing up in the 1960s Madhya Pradesh

This case study is an account of the experience of a small town in India’s Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s. Starting from Class VI, kids of different genders were assigned to different schools. The boys’ school was designed for the boys’ students, just as the girls’ school was. The girls’ school had a sizable central courtyard where they could play in safety and seclusion from the outside world. However, there was no courtyard at the boys’ school, and the area was completely open. When school ended, it was typical for boys to relax and enjoy while girls appeared to be more concerned about going home straight after classes. Students from the girls’ school always travelled in groups to reduce the possibility of being attacked or teased. The safety of the girls was becoming increasingly important.

The aforementioned examples demonstrate that there is no right way to grow up. Our experiences may differ greatly from those of our parents or other elders in the family.

The examples also demonstrate that there are distinct differences being made between boys and girls that begin at a very young age. For instance, while girls get dolls and kitchen sets, boys typically receive toy cars.

Even though both toys can be equally enjoyable for children of both sexes, making this distinction teaches kids that they will have different futures as men and women.

The smallest and most commonplace things also exhibit these differences. It is possible to communicate to young minds what roles they should expect to play as adults by dictating how girls should dress, talk, and walk, as well as what games boys should play.

These deeply ingrained gender concepts also influence the majority of boys’ and girls’ subject and career choices. Most societies do not value the roles that men and women play in society or the work that they do equally. Their status is frequently different as well.

Through these case studies explained in Class 7 Civics Chapter 4 Notes, students will understand how children are raised and develop a mindset instilled by various components of society. These studies also make it fairly obvious that there are always minute yet significant distinctions made between boys and girls over time.

The Main Value and Responsibility of Housework

These days, women are primarily responsible for carrying out household chores. Not to mention that they are in charge of the majority of family caregiving duties, including looking after the kids and other family members. However, it is generally noticed that this kind of household duty performed by women is not considered work. Additionally, there is a presumption that a girl or woman should have a natural aptitude for this kind of work. As a result of the devaluation of the work, women are not compensated for the housework that they perform.

Understanding the Lives of the Domestic Workers

Many households in cities and towns employ domestic help. Additionally, they perform a variety of household tasks like sweeping, mopping, dusting, doing laundry, doing dishes, cooking, and caring for young children and the elderly. Most of these domestic helpers are women, but occasionally young boys and girls are also seen working as domestic help.

There are so many different kinds of tasks that fall under the category of housework. For some of these tasks, a lot of physical effort is required. Girls and women of all ages are asked to perform the following tasks in some urban and most rural areas.

• Water from ponds and wells is supposed to be fetched by women and girls.
• They are also expected to transport massive loads of cookware and firewood.
• Cleaning, washing clothes, picking loads, sweeping, cooling, lifting, and many other duties are expected of women.

Due to the low value placed on their work, domestic workers receive low pay. Even after putting in fourteen to fifteen hours a day of work, they are often not respected in their homes.

Melani, a domestic helper in Delhi, revealed her past experiences when she was asked about her work. She said that the memsahib or the employer frequently yelled at house helpers and served them two dry rotis and a cup of tea for breakfast and dinner. She also never gave them a third roti or let them wear slippers, not even in Delhi’s bitterly cold winters.

Many household chores involve hard physical labour and great strength requirements, such as the requirement for women and girls to fetch water in both urban and rural settings.

In the village, women and girls have to carry heavy loads of firewood on their heads to perform daily tasks like sweeping, picking up the loads, washing clothes, and cleaning utensils. Every job involves bending, lifting, and carrying. Additionally, cooking necessitates spending a lot of time hunched over hot stoves.

Although the aforementioned tasks demand great strength and are physically taxing, we still tend to associate these attributes only with men.

Most people are unaware of how time-consuming housework is. In actuality, women work significantly more hours than men do both inside and outside the home.

Women also receive little time for rest or leisure.

According to a study, women were paid 19 hours per week in Tamil Nadu and 23 hours per week in the state of Haryana. Men worked an average of 38 hours per week and 40 hours per week, respectively.

For women in Haryana and Tamil Nadu, unpaid work accounted for 30 and 35 hours per week, respectively. These figures were 2 hours and 4 hours per week for men, respectively.

In Haryana, men worked a total of 40 hours per week and women worked 53 hours per week. For Tamil Nadu, the data was 54 hours per week for women and 44 hours per week for men.

It cannot be disputed that women typically put in a lot of effort at physically demanding jobs. Not to mention how much time it takes up for them as well. Women spend more time and effort than men on housework in addition to the work they typically do outside the home, so they have much less time to prioritise their own needs. More information is available to students in Chapter 4 Growing Up As Boy and Girl Class 7 Notes.

Equality in Women’s Work

The Indian Constitution includes the principle of equality, which is very important and has greatly aided in promoting the education of girls. According to the right for equality, discrimination against any individual on the basis of their gender is considered illegal. In most regions of the country, new laws have been implemented that require businesses to hire women.

The fact that girls and women are solely held responsible for childcare and household duties is one of the clear causes of discrimination.

This affects whether they would enrol in school or look for employment. It affects their ability to choose a career and the types of jobs they can have.

The government implemented legislation requiring childcare facilities from companies with more than 30 female employees in order to address the issue, and constructed Anganwadis, or child-care centres, in rural areas.

The daycare centre enables young girls to go to school and supports women in finding regular paying jobs.