Aim and Objective (of the research paper)

The aim of this research paper is to explore, how the primary school curriculum implicitly influences the gendered capabilities of its female pupils in a North Indian context.

The objective of my research is to explore the following statement within the framework of Amartya Sen’s perspective of capability approach:

•    Drawing on the teachers’ and pupils’ perspectives, to examine the extent to which the wider institutional school context and its practices limit or provide opportunities for developing the gendered capabilities of its female pupils.

Theoretical Framework:

Amartya Sen, a pioneer of the capability approach, made a huge contribution to social sciences and humanities (Flores-Crespo 2004 & Seeberg 2011). The capabilities framework has widely been used to evaluate and access several dimensions of people’s well-being and social structures (Robeyns 2003). The approach recognises people’s achievement beyond their economic aspect and allows to look at what person manages ‘to do or to be’ (Arellano 2017), which s/he has reason to value (Sen 1985).

In my research paper, I would cast light on the functionings, capabilities, and agency, of female pupils through the lens of Sen's normative approach to Capabilities. Sen (1999), suggests that it is not the means of living that require our attention as it may not be the reason for us to lead a good life, whereas, we need to 'focus on the actual living' (Tao 2017, p3). Sen (1999) further explains, it is the actual living that people achieve, which is a result of freedom. For example, in this research paper, I investigate female pupils' of primary school in India who has the means to access the school because of Universal Primary Education (UNESCO April 2015 & Ragmi 2015) and Right to Education Act (2009) in India (DofE, India 2010). However, the freedom to translate the means (which is access to school in this case) for a female may vary from male pupils, mainly because the opportunities for both are different.  Secondly, Maths lessons, which both male and female pupils have access to is a result of functionings. Whereas, while converting the Math skills (functionings) into capabilities, both (female and male pupils) may have difference in freedom. The male pupils have access to the outside world more to do grocery shopping, which will further help them to brush up their educational knowledge in a practical way. Whereas, once the school time is over female pupils are confide to the four walls of the home and are not allowed to go out. Hence, it is the actual living conditions or difference in freedom for male and female pupils to convert their 'beings and doings' (functionings) that they value. In other words, Robeyns (2011. p.63) argues, ‘the freedom between functioning and a capability is similar to the difference between achievement and the freedom to achieve something, or between an outcome and an opportunity’.

This paper is set on the capability approach's normative evaluations of gendered differences in the wider institutional school context. As the approach focuses on individual’s capabilities, I will elaborate and argue how mere ‘participating in education’ (Vaughanp 2007. p117) as a result of functioning, cannot help one attain, develop or enhance capabilities, perhaps, it can also be lost over the period of time. Hence, it is not just the functioning of being and doings, it is, the actual living that people achieve as a result of freedom.

This research paper is an ethnographic case study of ‘two’ primary sections in Indian senior secondary schools. Both the schools are co-educational until primary level; however, one becomes only girls’ school after primary schooling. The schools are situated in Chandigarh, the Union Territory, which is the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana. The male and female pupils of both the schools (the all-girls and the co-educational school) are from the 5th grade, in the age group of 10-12 years. Male and female pupils’ both were observed and interviewed mainly to include and understand male pupils’ perspective on gender issues in India. In this ethnographic case study, one hundred and seven pupils, five teachers, and two head teachers participated over a period of six months. The data collection methods include, field observations, field notes, focus-group interviews, and student-led photo-elicitation interviews over the period of six months. The observational data provided me an insight into the ‘routine and normal of everyday life’ (Denscombe, 1998; Breg and Lune 2012), of a school and classroom. Observing mundane practices helped me to understand the gendered relations of female pupils and their interconnection with other subjects (of the research) within the classroom and school. Whereas, focus-group interviews were conducted with all male and all female (five to seven pupils/per group) groups and there were four mixed groups. The male pupils’ enthusiasm to answer on behalf of female pupils and female pupils’ reluctance to speak led me to explore other options like a photo-elicitation interview (PEI). However, the data generated from the focus-group interviews is also valuable and produced a deep insight into the gendered aspects in school settings. The PEI’s were selected because of the unsatisfactory linguistic data that was generated from focus-group interviews of 5th grade pupils’. Nevertheless, to generate more equal, meaningful voices and to be able to provide “an opportunity to show rather to tell aspect of their identity” (Croghan et. al., 2008 p.345), led to PEIs. The PEIs allowed each pupil of class 5 to control and generate data, which was independent of any prompting from the researcher or their teacher. It also allowed them to be creative with their thoughts and ideas around gendered experiences, which were personal and based on their experiences. Moreover, PEI’s allowed me to discuss gender issues which is a sensitive topic to discuss in India. The use of PEI also helped me to build a stronger argument and to triangulate my findings.

The paper draws on my ethnographic case study of fifth grade (11-13 years old) female and male Indian primary school pupils, in which I have used participant observations, photo-elicitation and focus group interviews. Photo-elicitation interviews as an exploratory methodology enabled me to unpack the gendered experiences, whereas, it evoked participants’ voices regarding their gendered association, identities and gender shaping. The findings suggest participants’ gendered association and experience with places, spaces and time. The findings also demonstrate the presence of clear boundaries around gendered roles and gender stereotyping in connection to those places, spaces and time. Sen’s capability lens helps to contextualise these gendered spaces, places and time which are the major obstacles for female pupils to attain the valued capabilities. To conclude, the focus remains on how the primary school curriculum implicitly influences the gendered capabilities of its female pupils in a wider institutional school context. Moreover, how institutional practices limit the opportunities of female pupils from developing the valued capability. Nevertheless, in spite of obstacles female pupils' identify agency as a source to negotiate with the gendered aspect of places, spaces and time.

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