CLOTHING, WOMEN'S ETTIQUTTE AND CHANGING LIFESTYLES IN INDIA FROM THE LATE
19TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY

By Shoma Chandra

The colonial and post-colonial era in Bengal witnessed a substantial degree
of change, conflict, rejection, accomodation and transformation in the
lifestyles both among the `bhadralok' as well as between them and the British
rulers. Indicators of such transformation and changes abound. The project will
focus on two important but previously uncharterd territories. First, it will
investigate how changing styles of clothing and dress in Bengal reflect the
dynamics of changing cultural and social outlooks and changes in the
lifestyles of this middle class 'Bhadralok' society in Bengal during the
colonial and post-colonial era; and on a wider all-India canvas for the
post-Independence years to present day. Second, it will also examine how women
who were caught up in this maelstrom of change reacted; because while there
were comparatively few women who had access to education, they nonetheless
began to question both 'traditional' and 'modern' values. Their writings
reflected their concerns at 'an unfair social order', an urge for a fresh look
at the social ideology and gender relations of 'an unequal stratified
society', and quiet but strongly consistent opinions about the changes at
their own personal as wel as at larger social levels. Comparisons of manuals
of etiquette, dress and the 'accepted, correct' norms of behaviour for these
educated Indian women with those of women in the European context will also
form a part of the project.
That clothing in itself could evoke such symbols and images of national and
cultural identity, purity and pollution, the rigth conduct, community, the
gender question and social and political status was due to the important role
that clothes and their accessoires played in Indian society. The areas of
enquiry that the project will address will include how did the meaning and
function of transactions and styles of clothing change in response to general
political, economic, social and cultural trends? How far did the commodization
take place; and what was the social context in which it took place? During the
nationalist phase of the Independence stuggle, how were the concurrent themes
of `swadesi' and `swaraj' translated to the boundaries of community feeling,
brotherhood and polity in terms of the production and consumption processes
of cloth? And how did this find political legitimization? How rapidly should
government promote commodization; and to what extent should it appear to walk
the tigthrope between the singular and the commodity? In post-Independence
India, how did the creation of a single market for manufactured clothing come
about? Which are the cultural institutions through which this developed and
spread (media, advertising, government sensored propaganda, for example)? What
is the relation between gender, ethnic, tradition and fashion in the Indian
context? For instance, regarding the problems and gender and ethnic, how are
these produced between the discourse of national modernity in textual writings
and visual media aids? How far does the universality of commodition
consumption realise itself through the specificity of cultural-historical
forms and practices?
The project will also address the question of how the changing status of women
in the colonial and post-colonial eras was reflected in their own personal
situations, and also how such personal experiences were a reflection of the
changing times on a wider canvas. While the need to improve women's
situations, through reform and education within traditional value systems, was
beeing exhorted, both by the educated `bhadralok' and the ruling British in
late 19th century Bengal, there was little consensus on its pace and
modalities. There was also the latent fear of what consequences migth result
should such forces of change be unleashed. Morally reinforcing literature in
the form of books and treatises on etiquette, the `correct and accepted' modes
of behaviour, dress and comportment became popular by the late 19th century.
Studies of such texts, both in the Indian context, and making a comparison of
them with similar works written for women in the contemporary European
context, will provide an interesting basis for a comparative study. Such texts
reflect the `officially accepted' construction of `correct' feminine
behaviour. When juxtaposed however, with the personal narratives of women,
several levels of construction of feminity become evident. Other problems
which the project will tackle include in what ways, and in however limited a
manner, the small number of educated and aware women overcame these problems
of traditionally structured disadvantages. It is approriate to discuss an
emerging feminine consciousness at all? Questioning of stereotypes is
necessary because such examinations help not only in creating alternative
models, but also in better understanding analytical categories such as a
gender and femininity. The project will also look at how colonial and
post-colonial relations aimed at changing subtly, but pervasively, the entire
world of view of an emergent group. It will discuss the process of middle
class self-definition which necessitated the creation of role models on the
one hand, and the operation of a set of exclusion on the other. Furthermore,
how far did the construction of the `ideal woman' depend upon the exclusion
of culture, behaviour and relation between the genders.
An examination of the problematics posed above have not been studied so far
in any kind of integrated, cohesive fashion. Research carried out here will
form part of a present day increasing interest in the areas of gender, ethnic,
consumption and commodization, as well as throw up fresh areas of enquiry and
provide new insigths into social and cultural flows in the context of changing
lifestyles.
S. Chandra (1958) studied Economics and History at Dehli University from 1974
to 1982 and received a M.A. in history for a thesis entitled:' Handicrafts and
Trade in the District of Dinajpur 1793-1813. From 1982 to 1986 she was
lecturer in History at Dehli University. She obtained her doctorate at the
Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris for a thesis entitled:'
L'interaction des elites bengalies et anglaises dans le cadre de la ville de
Calcutta, 1757-1857'.