Joan Scott Gender Dailiness

Gender and Dailiness : A Convergence

The concept of gender and gender roles has been sewn into the very fabric of society. The stereotypes associated with them shape the habits, thought and lifestyle of an individual and influence their actions. Gender is a routine influence in life, whether in a subtle or forthright manner. This “dailiness” of gender is seen in Joan Scott’s essay “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis” and in Imtiaz Dharker’s collections of poems “The Terrorist at my Table” and “Postcards from God”. The relationship between gender and dailiness enables us to examine its the very foundation. Every entity is gendered, thereby making gender an intrinsic part of dailiness. Gender is commonly divided into two categories – male and female, and the characteristics and stereotypes stemming from both the genders are classified masculine and feminine respectively. An entity being gendered refers to it being kept for the exclusive use of females or males, or rather being prescribed certain characteristics thar make it more “feminine” or “masculine” in nature. As Scott states, “the rules of social interaction are gendered” where social interaction is the major entity. It is gendered as certain rules of social

A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. These stereotypes are a part of language, the very essence of dailiness. As Scott states “man fucks woman, subject verb object”. A woman is usually stereotyoed as a possesion that is delicate, innocent and needs to protected at all cost. “Ladies fingers, they call them, elegant and pointed” , this line from “Woman on a Train” by Dharker represents an ideal of feminity where even the romanticization of fingers is not spared. Stereotypes represent a contradiction, as the lead to understanding of ideas and are often understood as