Report of Research Colloquium

Report of Research Colloquium

Organized by Centre for Women’s Studies

On July 31,2021

Title of the event: Research Colloquium

Type of Event: Hybrid Session

Date: 31 July 2021

Venue: IISU Campus

Name of Resource person: Prof. Roopa Mathur, Prof. Nisha Yadav, Prof Sharad Rathore

No. of Participants: 10 Research Scholars

Name of the activity Coordinator: Dr. Arti Sharma

Research Colloquium Series, which is an initiative by Centre for Women’s Studies to provide a platform to budding researchers for discussion of research work on women related issues and also dissemination of knowledge across disciplines.

In this series, an online Research Colloquium was jointly organized by Centre for Women’s Studies and Research Promotion Committee on 31st July, 2021 which was attended by the faculty members and research scholars of the University. At the onset, the Director of Centre for Women’s Studies, Prof. RoopaMathur, welcomed the participants and enlightened them with the objectives of the discussion. She then, introduced the expert panel of academicians whichincluded Prof. Nisha Yadav, Prof. SharadRathore, Dr. RimikaSinghvi and Dr. ShipraMathur. The presentation was given by AnkitaChoudhary, Research Scholar from Department of English titled “The Diasporic Journey: From the South Asian to the British Brown, with Reference to women characters in selected fictional Writers”.  Her work was supervised by Dr. Sucharita Sharma, Sr. Assistant Professor from Department of English.” She presented the patriarchal conduct and marriage in South Asian immigrants’ families living in London portrayed in Monica Ali’s Brick Lane and Atima Srivastava’s Looking for Maya. The study examined how these two subjects encourage the physical desires of Ali’s religious and culture-obedient Nazneen, and Srivastava’s high-spirited and dangerously naïve Mira. Gaining liberty through a job and their wish to explore the outside world brought them to romantic sexual experiences. Their decision caused new complexities and also led them to have an affair which introduced them to an imagined world of romance and a horrifying world of unchastity-in case of Nazneen, and trauma-in case of Mira. The complex emotions and helplessness at becoming emotionally and physically involved with a man consequently lead them to self-discovery.

After the presentation, various issues and perspectives were raised and taken up for discussion by the panelist on Diaspora, ethnicity, gender and equality, justice and liberty, patriarchy, women’s right and breaking up of stereotype. It gave an inter-disciplinary perspective which was brought in by expert panelist to the colloquium. As discussed by panel of expert, Prof. Nisha Yadav highlighted how patriarchy is deeply structured where both men and women are shaped by a typical socialization pattern that is responsible for their social behaviour and expectations. Dr. Shipra Mathur, discussed and pointed at regional variations in terms of gender identities and shared her perspective on how women in challenging times are challenging norms. Dr Rimika Singhvi discussed that the sense of freedom is also imposed on women and accordingly every society will have its own explanation. At the end, the Prof. Roopa Mathur concluded the research colloquium with vote of thanks to all the participants and the panelist.