TY - BOOK AU - N.B.,Lekha AU - Palackal,Antony TI - Unveiling the Gender Paradox: Dynamics of Power, Sexuality and Property in Kerala SN - 9783031096990 U1 - 305.3 23 PY - 2022/// CY - Cham PB - Springer International Publishing, Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan KW - Sex KW - Sociology KW - Social groups KW - Social structure KW - Equality KW - Property KW - Common law KW - Gender Studies KW - Sexuality Studies KW - Sociology of Family, Youth and Aging KW - Social Structure KW - Common Property and Land Law N1 - Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Gender within Matriliny -- Chapter 3: Women, Sexuality and property Rights -- Chapter 4: Making of Culture in a Caste Matrix -- Chapter 5: Female Authority Intersecting Ideology and Identity -- Chapter 6: Property Matters -- Chapter 7: Changing Gender Relations -- Chapter 8: Conclusion N2 - Both nationally and internationally, the south Indian state of Kerala has been an object of study for its matrilineal kinship organization among some communities, as well as its achievements in education, literacy, and life expectancy for women against a weak economic base. Nonetheless, scholars have drawn attention to a paradox in Kerala's model of development, namely women's deteriorating social position in Kerala and the rise in violence against women. Against this backdrop, this book explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, marriage, family and kinship as related to the matrilineal Nayar community in Kerala. Chapters unravel the interplay between the triple categories of gender, power and social development as they play out at the micro, meso, and macro levels of society, probing the ways in which Nayar women practice agency. Ultimately, the authors explore how the strength of the Nayar community can be used as a case study toward circumventing the prevailing gender paradox and re-imagine a more liberated, empowered and self-reliant woman not only in Kerala, but in India at large. This book will be of interest to scholars in sociology, cultural studies, gender studies, and development studies, particularly those with a focus on South Asia UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09699-0 ER -