From: chitoor@dori.cis.udel.edu (Srikrishnan R. Chitoor)
Subject: Re: SOCIETAL PRESSURE AND INHIBITIONS IN PEOPLE
Organization: University of Delaware, Newark
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 03:37:33 GMT

In article <48271@ogicse.ogi.edu> partha@mse.ogi.edu (R. Parthasarathy) writes:
>The ongoing discussions on eve-teasing prompted me to think on a
>related issue in Tamil Nadu. I do agree that eve-teasers are a
>bunch of cowards who cannot look at any woman right in her eyes,
>let alone have the courage to talk to one without any inhibitions. 
>
>I have felt bad about the excessive segretation between members of
>the opposite sex in Tamil Nadu. Right from childhood our people are
>brought up with too much of consciousness about sexual differences.
>Girls are discouraged not to talk to boys and vice versa. Even if
>someone did in a normal fashion, she is mistaken as "a kind of a
>girl" (anthap poNNu oru mAthiri). I feel that most adoloscent boys
>and young men would fall in love with any woman they speak to for
>the first time.  I have seen often a sense of guilty feeling among
>my peers in approaching women even for trivial matters. People
>don't feel relaxed in dealing with members of the opposite sex in
>day to day activities.  If a man and a woman simply talk to each
>other, stories will be framed about them and eye brows will go up
>right away. So even those girls who are normal and would like to
>deal with men as fellow human beings have to play the role of the
>traditional female. Men and women feel uneasy sitting next to each
>other in buses or trains. People become tense in such situations. 
>
>This kind of an atmosphere does not contribute to a healthy mental
>growth and outlook. Boys and girls must be brought up with free
>mindedness towards each other right from the beginning. Then
>definitely when they grow up, men would consider women as human
>beings. Teachers should tell boys and girls that they don't have to
>fall in love or feel tense in order to just talk to each other.
>People can always be friends. If that outlook developes, people
>would get less biased and prejudiced. Then probably there would be
>no need for a separate women's seats in buses. Societal pressure on
>men and women is too much in Tamil Nadu. There is nothing amoral in
>talking or moving with members of the opposite sex like normal
>human beings. Every man and woman don't have to be married or
>engaged to each other in order to move without inhibitions. 
>I am not advocating nudist colonies in Tamil Nadu now. I do feel
>that too much inhibitions in people can warp them into being
>perverts.
>
>Partha sarathy

I agree with the points given in the article. Actually this brings
back some of my school day memories. Our school director made a
bunch of six people kneel down (her favorite punishment) just 
because they had played volleyball with a bunch of girls. With such
prejudices it is going to take a looong time to stop harrassment
using this method.
The analysis and the long term solution presented in the article were good,
but have been given from a gender specific perspective (does not say if a 
girl will feel comfortable approaching a guy for `trivial matters' etc) 
May be some of the women netters can throw some light on this.

-Krishna.
Opinions are mine.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian