NCERT Solutions Class – 7th Social Science (Civics) Chapter – 4 Growing up as Boys and Girls Notes Who grows faster a girl or a boy?, What age do girls stop growing?, What is the concept of growing up?, What is the best part of growing up?, What is the hardest part of growing up?, Do girls grow taller after 18?, Do girls grow after 21?, Why do girls develop breasts?, What’s the hardest age child?, Which age is difficult in life?
NCERT Solutions Class – 7th Social Science (Civics) Chapter – 4 Growing up as Boys and Girls
Chapter – 4
Growing up as Boys and Girls
Notes
Most of the societies value men and women differently – The role women play and the work they do are usually valued less than the roles men play and the work they do. This clears the fact that men and women do not have the same status.
Growing up in Samoa in the 1920s – The Samoan Islands are part of a large group of small islands in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. In the 1920s, according to research reports on Samoan society, children did not go to school.
They learnt many things, such as how to take care of children or do household work from older children and from adults. Fishing was a very important activity on the islands. Young people, therefore, learnt to undertake long fishing expeditions. But they learnt these things at different points in their childhood.
Gender justice is an important issue to be highlighted.
Samoan Islands
• The Samoan islands are one of the large groups of small islands in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. Till the 1920s, children in this island did not go to school. When the babies started walking on own, they were left under the care of their older brothers and sisters. Children as old as five years looked after their younger siblings.
• After attaining nine years of age, boys joined the older boys for outdoor activities like fishing and planting coconuts. However, girls continued looking after the younger ones.
• When girls became teenagers, i.e., 14 years of age, they were allowed more freedom as they could then go for fishing and plantation activities or help their mothers in cooking, etc.
Madhya Pradesh
• In Madhya Pradesh, India, boys and girls had a different outlook. The school for boys was open while the one for girls was closed.
• Men and women do equal work, but it is not valued equally.
Valuing Housework
• Many women work in offices and many do only household work.
• Valuing housework is an important element which needs to be propagated in society.
• If we look at the lives of domestic workers, they are involved in activities like sweeping, cleaning, cooking, washing clothes and dishes or looking after children. Most of these are women.
• A number of housework actually involves many different tasks. The work requires strenuous and physically demanding situation.
Women’s work and equality – As we now know, equality is an important principle of our Constitution. The Constitution says that being male or female should not become a reason for discrimination. In reality, inequality between the sexes exists.
The government is, therefore, committed to understanding the reasons for this and taking positive steps to remedy the situation. For example, it recognises that burden of child-care and housework falls on women and girls
Lives of domestic workers – A domestic worker’s day can begin as early as five in the morning and end as late as twelve at night! Despite the hard work they do, their employers often do not show them much respect
Caregiving – Looking after the family with great sincerity.
Devalue – When we do not give due recognition for work, it means we devalue it. In our society, women’s work is easily devalued.
Double-burden – There are several women who work both inside and outside the home. This is known as a double burden.
Identity – It is a sense of awareness of who one is For example, a person can be a brother, a pilot, an engineer, etc.
Physically demanding – It refers to the household tasks which are very tough and demand great physical strength.
Time-consuming – It refers to the various household tasks which take much time.
Strenuous – Very tough and difficult.
Glossary Identity – Identity is a sense of self-awareness of who one is. Typically, a person can have several identities. For example, a person can be a girl, a sister and a musician.
Double-burden – Literally means a double load. This term is commonly used to describe the women’s work situation. It has emerged from a recognition that women typically labour both inside the home (housework) and outside.
Care-giving – Care-giving refers to a range of tasks related to looking after and nurturing. Besides physical tasks, they also involve a strong emotional aspect.
De-valued – When someone is not given due recognition for a task or job they have done, they can feel de-valued. For example, if a boy has put in a lot of effort into making a special birthday gift for his friend and this friend does not say anything about this, then the boy may feel de-valued
Q 1. Which gender is harder to raise?
boys were easier to raise than girls
Q 2. What is the role of a boy and a girl?
Men are considered to be the earning members of society. And women contribute by doing the silent often unseen domestic work and are primary caregivers to the young
Q 3. Do boys and girls develop the same?
girls are slightly more advanced
Q 4. Who is more mature girl or boy?
girls mature faster than boys
Q 5. How girls and boys are equal?
enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections.
Q 6. Are girls more social than boys?
girls were rated moderately higher in social skills from kindergarten to sixth grade
Q 7. What is the best relationship between boy and girl?
Friendship
Q 8. Why a girl is special to a boy?
A girl plays a major role in his father’s life and helps him in climbing the stairs of matureness
Q 9. What should a boy do for a girl?
try and impress her
Q 10. Which gender enjoys more?
men want more sex than women do at all stages of the relationship
NCERT Solution Class 7th Civics All Chapters Notes
