Research Programme funded by Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Berlin:

The IDSK signed an agreement with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Berlin, on 11 March 2004. According to this agreement, IDSK as the nodal centre, will implement a three year long research programme entitled Women and Media in the Context of Globalisation. Four leading centres of gender-studies -- School of Women's Studies, Jadavpur University; School of Women's Studies, Bhubaneswar, Utkal University; Women's Studies Research Centre, Gauhati University, Guwahati and Institute of Women's Studies, Lucknow University, Lucknow have been invited to join as partner institutes in this programme

This programme is engaged in studying gender-based power relationships embedded in cultural formations and cultural practices in so far as these respond to or are influenced by the agenda of globalisation. This involves the examination and evaluation of the representation of women and gender issues in the media, both print and audio-visual as well as study of reception of and responses to such representation. Moreover, the research and documentation will be supplemented by action and advocacy.

cheap cigarettes Since the signing of the agreement with RLS, the IDSK has organised three seminars cum workshops as well as a meeting of the members of the Advisory Committee. The four partner institutes engaged in the project -- School of Women's Studies, Jadavpur University; Institute of Women's Studies, Lucknow University; School of Women's Studies, Utkal University; Women's Studies Research Centre, Gauhati University -- participated in the seminars and workshops held at IDSK.

While the first seminar (April 16-17, 2004) concentrated on the broad theoretical issues related to the concepts of globalisation and gender-representation and on preparing a concept note on documentation for the partners, the second seminar cum workshop (June 24-25, 2004), discussed specific themes relevant to the project such as 'Conceptual Tools Required', 'Nationalism, Women and Media' based on presentations. In the second session of this meeting, partners reported on the documentation in progress and also drew up a methodology and programme for the fieldwork which will begin in November 2004.

The third seminar and workshop was held on September 9 and 10, 2004. The objective of this workshop, attended by Coordinators, research assistants and some resource persons, was to discuss intensively the experience of the research assistants with documentation work in the first phase of the project.

Presentations were made on the subject, 'Women and Media in the Context of Globalisation' by all the teams of Nodal/Partner institutes. They also submitted brief reports in writing on work done. After the presentations, Barnita Bagchi of IDSK briefly described the recent formation of an e-group for the project so that information technology might be used for interchange of opinions and networking. Next, Debjani Sinha made a brief presentation on documentation work done by her on the representation of gender in corporate media. The research assistants were then asked to choose one each from given clippings, to index it and to make a thematic analysis. Each research assistant then gave a defence of the analyses made.

The rest of the workshop consisted largely of thorough discussion on issues raised during presentations by research assistants. In this discussion apart from the active participation of the Research Assistants and coordinators, rich inputs came from Professor Amiya Bagchi, Professor Mihir Bhattacharya, Dr. Moinak Biswas, Dr. Barnita Bagchi, Correspondent from 'Ganashakti', Professor Ishita Mukherjee, Dr. Dipankar Sinha, Mr S. A. Sayeed and others. Some of the issues raised related to using the thematic index and questions were asked regarding inclusion of themes like certain kinds of criminality in women as well as men promoted by the ethics of globalization; the question of male gaze; higher incidence of suicides and crimes against women; higher incidence of mental stress; etc. Apart from this, the issue of what globalization meant came up again and again from many different angles. For instance, the issue of the on-going protest movement of women in Manipur --- do we or don't we relate it to globalization? Other points raised were regarding the distinction made in the index between modernity and westernisation, lifestyle and consumerism.

At the valedictory session Prof Jasodhara Bagchi talked about the inevitability of differences in interpretation in this very complex area of query. She said, this is all the more reason why we need to substantiate why certain news items are chosen rather than others as samples or examples. She pointed out that gender refers to the construction of masculinity as well as femininity and this needs to be included within our purview. A film on Rosa Luxemburg by Margaret Von Trotta was shown to participants at the end of the workshop.

Along with the IDSK, the partner-institutes have also set up Advisory Committees whose members as resource persons are guiding the work of the project.

An e-group has been created under Yahoo Groups. The group is called Women, Media and Globalization.

Its web page is :             http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosa_idsk

To subscribe and participate in the group, please send an e-mail to the following address: