Culture and the Environment

Culture

As Rai (2012) points out, just a generation ago, women had far fewer options in India. Even when they attended college, their job prospects were low and they were more frequently diverted to family life and domestic servitude. Now, increasing numbers of Indian women are empowering themselves through the IT services industry. As much flack as outsourcing receives in the United States, the truth is that Indian women are largely the beneficiaries, while Americans are being increasingly challenged to discover creative ways of contributing to the economy. Social norms in India for women differ greatly from those in the United States, where it is much easier for a woman to start a business and avoid marriage and childbirth. In India, a woman is steered in the direction of motherhood at an earlier age and could be socially shunned if her path seems more career-focused than family focused. In many ways, women in India are experiencing what women in America did a hundred years ago during the Industrial Revolution as the "cult of domesticity" gave way to newfound opportunities in the previously male-dominated labor force.

Fertility rates in India have been declining, especially in the southern states. Lewis (2013) claims that India's fertility rate is just slightly higher than that of the United States. Mukherjee (2013) points out that women in India are opting to postpone marriage and childbirth to progress professionally, and attributes the phenomenon to improvements in education and outlook for women. The impact of the empowerment of women is widespread. There are clear economic benefits, as fifty percent of the population will be able to contribute more robustly to entrepreneurship and economic growth. Overpopulation is a major concern worldwide, and declines in population growth are beneficial in freeing up necessary resources and diverting scarce national resources. As the video and external sources point out, women are more able to participate in the global market economy. This is as true for India as for other developing countries. As women become empowered, the middle class in countries like India burgeons and grows. The result is rises in consumer spending, and overall economic growth. Potential downsides include the increase in pollution due to greater numbers of people affording cars and other material goods.

Part B

India is a diverse country, and it is impossible to generalize. It is also important to recognize that arranged marriages are not necessarily a negative thing, and that many arranged marriages create and maintain social harmony. Many arranged marriages las ta long time. Arranged marriages are, however, problematic when they deny the female access to education and opportunities for personal and professional development. Only when the woman is a willing party to meeting someone in an arranged marriage can the practice be considered beneficial for her and society. Therefore, I am not totally against arranged marriages, but I am against them when they impact young women (who are still children) and deny them the opportunity to do anything but become a domestic servant in their own household.