Latent feminisation in teaching profession: Questioning patriarchal hegemony in greater Kolkata, India

It is usually an image of a woman that first comes to our mind when we talk about a teacher. Teaching profession has been run by women everywhere around the world. This global phenomenon of gender-bias is firmly rooted in issues relating to position of women in society, economic development, cultural innovations of masculinity and the value of childcare. The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding into what encourages young adults, particularly young women, to select school teaching as a career. The study was conducted in the teacher education institutions (B.Ed. collegesj, secondary and higher secondary schools in Kolkata and the districts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. As this study is based on a combined method including quantitative and qualitative approach, a perception survey had been done on the basis of two sets of self-constructed questionnaires. On the other hand, focus group discussion (FGDj was conducted for school teachers and B.Ed. college students (Trainee teachersj. The findings of the study that can be highlighted are - there is an established link between teaching as a profession and traditional caring role of women; low salary and its related socio-economic position are the key factors in men not being attracted towards teaching as a profession.