SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

household. Their VOIce tends to be relatively stronger in sericulture
households, concerning the question of accountability from their menfolle
In some households, particularly where they play an active role in
sericulture, women control the income to the extent of channelising the
expenditure in the right direction. Their needs are generally selfrestrained
with a greater concern for the family and so are met without
much resistance.
The dominant role of men in decision making process could be
observed in the activities like irrigation practices, fertilizer inputs, choice
of crops and marketing of the produce. As for sericulture decision are
concerned, in those households where women play a role of active
support, male members take the women into confidence in any decision
making process. The sericulture decisions are made predominantly by
men in consultation with women. In those families where women are the
main sericulturists, they have a major say in many of the household
decisions.
There is an inner thirst among women for recognition and
concern from the men-folk. Sometimes, there is also a feeling among
women., of the disproportionate labour distribution. It is their feeling that
men concern themselves with just one or two specific activities that
pertain to the family and go in their own way and while-away their time.
On the other hand, the whole mind of the womenfolk is fixed in the
management and maintenance of the entire spectrum of activities that
concern the family and overload themselves with work. This dual nature
of the family roles, sometimes, disturbs their minds though they do not
raise a voice of dissent lest it disturbs the peace of the family
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