{[['
']]}
']]}My Qualifications/Credibility: Some travel within in India, observing Indian men and women. Some reading about Indian men and women. Loads of BS.
Disclaimers: Some of you might take offence to this. Tough luck. Don't waste your time writing soppy posts that i am either being a chauvinist or a feminist. I will not waste your time or mine responding to such posts.
This theory applies to a majority of men and women in India, obviously not ALL. So, before you beat it down, think of village folk in Sikkim, farmers in UP, traders in Punjab, students in Pune, conservative families in Nagpur...you get the point. Don't just think of the few people around you who are exceptions to the theory. Once you do this, you will realize there is immense truth in the theory.
The theory involves the concept of "free time". I have defined "free time" as one of the following activities: doing nothing, watching tv, staring at blank walls, staring at nothingness in the dark, staring at a fire, staring at nothing in particular, reading more than one newspaper, chilling on a street corner, gossiping on the phone, shopping for non-necessities, gossiping with neighbours relatives either over phone, at home, verandah, in the street, anywhere, staring at yourself in the mirror. There might be other related activities that might be added to this list.
The Theory: As Indian men move from lower to higher economic levels, the amount of "free time" they consume reduces. As Indian women move from lower to higher economic levels, the amount of "free time" they consume increases.
Explanation: If you have not figured out the truth in this already....men when poorer seem to have a lot of free time. The women do most of the cleaning, cooking, fetching water, sometimes firewood, raising the children, hosting guests, washing, etc etc. The men limit their activities to their trade. Apart from that they consume immense amount of "free time". They are doing a lot of staring, gossiping, chilling on street corners, etc etc. Frequently they get paid to consume "free time".
Apart from all the daily chores, women frequently keep a job or put in hours into the trade. Very little "free time" for women when they are lower down on the economic totem pole.
Now, as women get richer, they start acquiring tools to manage basic chores. They also acquire tools to assist them in the consumption of "free time". Hence their consumption of "free time" increases as they move up the ladder. I know what you are thinking. Look at all the women in Bombay who are up the ladder, are working and consume little to no "free time". My friend, this profile of women is a very very small percentage of ALL women in the great nation of India. So, now women are talking on the phone, shopping, staring, watching afternoon soaps, etc etc.
Men on the other hand - as they move up, tend to work longer (or atleast pretend to), go out with friends (now although men go out to gossip and drink, this is not counted as "free time". Why? It is economic activity - consumption of alcohol, food, cigarettes, drugs, movies in theatres, pubs, discos, etc all churn the coffers), spend weekends at work, brood over investments, expand their business, get involved in politics, take religious tours, etc. NOT that they dont consume any free time. Only it is a smaller percentage in comparison to when they were wretched and poor.
So thats that. I will forget all my friends when i win the Nobel Prize for Economics.
Comments, questions, thoughts welcome. Soppy remarks will be sent to the trash can in great haste.
