https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w To what extent do women in India have more agency as a result of working in the call center industry? (Chapter 2-3,6) Apply the key concepts of culture, power, social relations, society, identity and change to the evidence. en-us 2022-01-18 21:32:36 UTC 2023-01-25 20:53:37 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453853556 The call center jobs are associated with women, as one parent remarked, "'call center job equals call girl job" (53)! Also, many women in the industry have navigated the stereotype that they are partiers who use substances. Women who are out during the night are considered "out of place," and have to deal with assumptions of prostitution from neighbors (54). ]]> 2023-01-23 20:17:51 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453853556 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453854613 The mobile phone gives women more mobility, as it "represents a revolutionary turn in regard to expanding some women's access to night shift income" since it connects women with their employers and family members and allows a sense of security for the owner (62). However, the mobile phone is also continuing to inhibit their movement at night, as it "recodifies gender relations" and sexual harassment (63-64). ]]> 2023-01-23 20:18:50 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453854613 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453854770 "Her research refutes the idea that working in spaces that were traditionally male gives women higher status. Instead, the infusion of women transformed perceptions of call center work from professional to entry-level" (30).
Olivia, Group 2]]> 2023-01-23 20:18:54 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453854770 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855268 Working the night shift does not have a large impact on the family structures and the role of women in the home. Since call center jobs are not as highly regarded as other fields, women who work often do not see a change in the gender roles and expectations, as "notions of who has the 'better job' impact the woman's status at home" (108). Despite this, working the night shift provides women with financial stability and independence, so they are free to purchase items for themselves. Also, after call center employment, a young women's roles may pass on to an older woman in the household, which further perpetuates gender regimes in the household. ]]> 2023-01-23 20:19:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855268 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855295 In terms of physical safety, when traveling at night, women are seen as more likely to experience violent crimes. However, this leads to social safety becoming a more significant reason for women not going out at night. The "'What will people think' narrative" (60) strongly restricts a woman's mobility, especially at nighttime. By risking their safety against bodily violence, they are also risking their and their family's reputation, creating anxiety as a reason for women not traveling at night.]]> 2023-01-23 20:19:23 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855295 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855556 “Anne Bonds, for instance, found that when women joined the call industry in the rural American West, the white-collar status associated with this job was devalued into that of a deskilled, feminized work space,” (30). It was believed that when women took over a certain profession that was usually male-dominated, it gave the job less value and was not as respected anymore.]]> 2023-01-23 20:19:36 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855556 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855856
The mobile phone allows the mobility of women to increase as they have a greater means for physical safety and a private social life. Patel explains that “The necessity associated with having a mobile phone, however, is also intertwined with patriarchal regimes of surveillance that are based on keeping tabs on women” (63). 

]]> 2023-01-23 20:19:53 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453855856 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856159 Women's employment during a night shift can give them a sense of security. They have become so acquainted with following their familial standards, and working under their family and not for them. At home, the women's roles are to do chores, take care of the children, and tend to their husband's needs. When they have a job, however, the source of income for their household is no longer just the men. Working the night shift is allowing them to leave their homes and "escape" the role of a housewife for the nighttime. The women gained financial independence and a sense of self from being employed.]]> 2023-01-23 20:20:10 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856159 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856499 Father John believes that “‘psychologically, emotionally, the whole thing of no creativity is something which I am very sad about. The youth are the best, their creative minds should be channelized,’” (42). He believes that young people going into call center work is not beneficial for their minds in the long run, as creativity is at a peak when you are young. The job may become dull and people may experience burnout. ]]> 2023-01-23 20:20:29 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856499 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856589 Changes in Indian laws have restricted the opportunities and rights of women in the workplace. For instance, the Indian Factory Act of 1911 "went on to restrict women from working before 5:30 A.M. or after 7:00 P.M." (49). This heavily limited the number of women in the workplace especially since they are expected to conform to the role of the homemaker, which makes them less available to work in the daytime. Though these laws claim to protect women, they are actually limiting the female population of the workplace since many companies ended up avoiding such tight restrictions by firing them.]]> 2023-01-23 20:20:34 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856589 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856652 The economic agency women earn from working the night shift does not correlate to gender equality in the household. Patel describes examples of women who earn money for their household (sometimes more than their husbands) but are still expected to “get his clothes ready, prepare his tea, and get their three-year-old son ready for preschool” (108). Women do not have individual agency to split household work with their husbands because of the group expectations of familial care placed on them in the social structure they live. Young women working the night shift also places an increased expectation on older women in the family to help support their daughters' household.]]> 2023-01-23 20:20:38 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856652 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856974 "as a tool for maintaining family connections, mobile phones provide some women with the means to get out of the house and thus expand their mobility"(62).
Mobile phones gave women the ability to work in call centers with less scrutiny as it allowed them to stay connected with their families. Due to this, women's families were more likely to allow them to work in these call centers and they were able to do so in general with less scrutiny from those around them. Overall this gave women the opportunity to have more agency as it granted them with a way to support themselves with their own income, and thus not have to depend on a man]]> 2023-01-23 20:20:55 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453856974 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857250 “…having an husband who does not contribute  equally at home and expects to be served by women in home is a pretty common issue for women”(108)This society has a patriarchal nature with men given an higher social status than women. As discussed in the previous chapters, a job at the call center has been devalued due to the dominance of women in the field. Therefore, regardless of earning more than their husbands, the wives are still looked down upon. On top of working the night shift, women are expected to take care of their family and do household chores. I argue that working the night shift has little to no impact on women’s status in family structure or their roles in the home. ]]> 2023-01-23 20:21:11 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857250 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857656 Feminization of Labor is "associated with a part-time, flexible work schedule that allows women to manage the household and still bring home and income" (30). This focuses on women's participation in the paid labor force and talks about how women working in 'a man's place' gives them a higher status. Women are stereotyped to be "loyal, compliant, deferential, nimble-fingered, nurturing, and not needing to earn as much money" (33), thus creating the pay gap.
Group 6]]> 2023-01-23 20:21:32 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857656 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857865 The primary stigma that female call center employees experience centers around their physical mobility late at night. Their neighbors, family members, and friends are wary of them and suspect that they are “doing drugs, drinking, smoking, and partying and that they are “not a family person” (52) when these women leave for their shifts at night. This stigma is very strong in India, seen as police sometimes get involved, forcing female employees to prove that they are working at the call center, and not engaging in prostitution or other stigmatized activities. The role of the police force in upholding these gendered stigmas is strong in India.]]> 2023-01-23 20:21:43 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453857865 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858023 Technology has had a noticeable impact on the mobility of women. "In many instances, the mobile phone is a technology that women use to gain permission to travel at night." (62) Mobile devices give women and their families an option to contact each other when they are travelling. This safety, whether perceived or actual, gives women more opportunity to be outside of the house at night.]]> 2023-01-23 20:21:51 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858023 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858485 Although the British Colonial rule liberated women, it also restricted them from being able to work openly in different hours and in general, their right to work. For example, there was the Factory and Workshop Act of 1891 that allowed women to work during the night but this could only be applied to factories “‘where a proper system of shifts had been adopted.’” Similar acts like the Indian Factories Act of 1911 “restricted women from working before 5:30 AM or after 7:00 PM.” Because of these acts (and more), many factories like the cotton mills in Mumbai basically fired their female workers and hired male workers to replace them.]]> 2023-01-23 20:22:14 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858485 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858498 The majority of stigmas surrounding women who work the night shift are “That they are doing drugs, drinking, smoking and partying, and that they are ‘not a family person’” (53). Patel explains that the mobility-morality narrative “continues to mark women’s bodies as the site of family honor, purity, and chastity” (50). Because of the gendered norms placed on a woman's body, a woman's actions risk compromising “her own reputation and that of her family” (54).]]> 2023-01-23 20:22:15 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858498 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858777 "There are now tales of consumerism and living the good life."(41) On the other side of the argument is the idea that call center employment is "viewed as a site of exploitation" ]]> 2023-01-23 20:22:31 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453858777 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859108 Since the colonization of India legal structures have prohibited job opportunities for women and impacted their perception in the workplace.  Some laws have been amended in order to give women more agency, but in terms of a patriarchal society, many had adverse effects. In 1929 “the Bombay Maternity Benefit Act was enacted to provide maternity leave for women” (49) Patel explains that after this act was put in place cotton mills fired women in fear of legal strife. This depicts how laws put in place to support women actually harmed them. Patel describes this as “Gendered norms of how women must be protected within male-dominated environments… can have repercussions on women’s employment opportunities” (49). ]]> 2023-01-23 20:22:50 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859108 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859165 Under British colonial rule, the Factory and Workshop Act of 1891 and further amendments of the Indian Factories Act of 1911 and Bombay Maternity Benefit Act were enacted “under the guise of protecting women” however, these laws resulted in greater gender segregation in the workplace. These laws historically pushed women out of the working economy; in 2005, the Indian Factories Act of 1948 was amended to allow women to work in factories at any time of day, as long as employers ensured safe working conditions. Despite this change in legislation, patriarchal forces still controlled Indian women’s careers and roles as a woman in the working economy. ]]> 2023-01-23 20:22:53 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859165 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859445 Originally women have been restricted to house labor and nurturing their families, but as the rate of women being employed has increased, there has been a term used for women that balances both lives. "...it is associated with a part-time, flexible work schedule that allows women to manage the household and still bring home an income, call center employment is considered a 'pink-collar' field" (30). 
Avery, Group 5]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:09 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859445 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859797 Group 3: The text explores how more conservative cities, like Ahmedabad, have less female night-shift workers due to conservative landscapes. Religious and political structures prevent women from holding the same agency as men. This also relates to safety -- conservative, religious-leaning urban centers are viewed as less crime-ridden, and therefore less "promiscuous" for women to enter at night.

]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:26 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859797 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859901 Working the night shift did not change the family structures and women's roles much, if at all in most homes. On top of women's busy work schedules, they were still expected to do all the household chores as men did not want to be emasculated by doing it themselves. It would even go so far as to pass these chores and duties onto another, often elderly woman.  Even with their high salary, women were not respected in their houses due to the stigma around the call center industry. "In this instance, working outside the home does not translate into improved gender relations because notions of who has 'the better job' impact the woman's status at home" (108). The stigma and stereotypes around the night shift led to men remaining the heads of most households.  ]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:31 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859901 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859945 Many felt that Mumbai was physically safer because the risk to get physically violated was much lower. However, when women went out at night, they were worried about social safety. “When a woman stays out all night, she risks rupturing her own reputation and that of her family, which are key concerns in communities where ‘keeping names’ can make or break one’s social and marital opportunities,” (61). Going out at late hours put their reputation and their families reputation at risk]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:34 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453859945 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860049

Patel states that “the notion that when U.S. companies provide jobs in developing countries they free women from traditional forms of bondage is problematic” (52-53). The women who do work the night shifts are call centers still have to face the issues that arise from their jobs conflict with society’s rule as to where and what women should be doing at a specific time. Many people who observe women leaving at night are accused/speculated to be a call girl, bar dancer, etc. Family members, especially male, have negative perceptions of their daughters working night shifts at call centers. 

]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:40 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860049 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860150 The changes in Indian Laws may have been intended to protect women, however it greatly restricted their opportunities and employers didn't want to comply. Women were not allowed to work before 5:30am and after 7:00pm (49), leaving only the day shift. Consequently, to avoid the legal restrictions, cotton mills fired their female workforce and replaced them with men (49). Despite the possible good intentions of the laws, they still restricted the opportunities for women. 

]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:46 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860150 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860362 There are physical dangers to women's safety when going out at night such as risks of assault or rape even from entities that are supposed to protect them like the police. There are also social dangers that can make or break someones reputation and future opportunities. In some areas there is a greater concern from the families of call center employees that they will not have any future opportunities for marriage and that the reputation of the whole family will be tarnished then there is worry about violence. "The "What will people think?" narrative inhibits women from going out as freely as their male counterparts," (61). ]]> 2023-01-23 20:23:55 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453860362 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453862041 "Mobile phones play a role in recodifying gender relations. One the one hand, they keep a woman within reach and accessible to those who claim control over her life (such as family). On the other hand, as a tool for maintaining family connections, mobile phones provide some women with the means to get out of the house and expand their mobility. This expansion, however, does not come from re-envisioning women as individuals who have an inherent right to move about as they see fit. Instead, technology merely provides women with the means to create an existence for themselves outside the household while remaining within the constraints imposed by the household." (Patel, 62).]]> 2023-01-23 20:25:28 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453862041 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453862374 “This expansion, however, does not come from re-envisioning women as individuals …Instead, technology merely provides women with the means to create an existence for themselves outside…”(62) Although the mobile phones and the technology allow women to have the mobility to leave the house and get to work, it still keeps women connected to members of society or family that still societally have control over them. It provides them safety and security when travelling at night, but also allows them to be able to freely create and communicate with intimate partners. Patel sees it as both limiting and expanding women’s agency over their lives, and I see it similarly as well. 

]]> 2023-01-23 20:25:45 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453862374 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453863112 Women in Mumbai come across several interactions that are unsafe. The difference between physical safety and social safety was explained on pages 60 and 61. Physical safety connects to women's presence in urban cities (60). Their well-being is unsafe at night. On the other hand, social safety connects to the women's reputation with her family. This could affect marital opportunities as well.
Avery ]]> 2023-01-23 20:26:27 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453863112 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453864362 Women were often limited in their agency of themselves as they were unable to travel due to lack of public restrooms. In India, public toilets are scarce, and since women are not allowed to relieve themselves publicly, they are forced to limit their movements to being round public toilets. Working in call centers gave women the opportunity to earn their own income while also having public toilets. This gave them more agency as it gave them a way to work where they could still access bathroom facilities while also earning their own income and supporting themselves]]> 2023-01-23 20:27:32 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453864362 https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453868288 Women being present in public spheres like the workforce during times of the day they aren't "supposed" to be out at challenges the gender roles in society and the expectations of women. It's not the quality of their work that bothers people, it is simply that they exist in spaces and places where society says they shouldn't. While creating some more agency for themselves ( being able to earn money and be outside at certain times ) it creates more danger for them due to the negative connotations created by society of women being out (and working) at night.]]> 2023-01-23 20:31:12 UTC https://padlet.com/bryan_lurie/ax7x3etomoiqnb9w/wish/2453868288