DISCURSIVE STRUCTURES OF GENDERED FAMILY IN THE MANUSMRTI
Keywords:
MANUSMRTI, garhasthyasrama, dharmaAbstract
Religious texts and literature have always been playing significant role in the social formations worldwide. Manusmrti is known as such a text in India that has influenced the organization of social institutions. An analysis of this ancient text would prove the fact that the structure of household and family is conceptualized in it through the descriptions and prescriptions of duties of men and women. The garhasthyasrama and the dharma concepts in the text, not only target the life of Hindu people but it is written with an intention to assist the good life of all human beings. Although such a claim could be accepted, on the basis of the values around the concept dharma, it could be supplemented by doing an analysis based on gender and by interpreting the discursive structures of the institution of family that is generated by the modern discourse around the text.
References
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