NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Civics Chapter 4 Growing up as Boys and Girls

Question 1.
Are the statements given below true or false? Support your answer with the use of an example:

1. All societies do not think similarly about the roles that boys and girls play.
2. Our society does not make distinctions between boys and girls when they are growing up.
3. Women who stay at home do not work.
4. The work that women do is less valued than that of men.

Answer.

1. True – Samoan society where boys cook and girls help in the preparations and go fishing.
2. False – Ways of dressing and mannerism taught to boys is indicative.
3. False – Household work is physically demanding, entailing lifting, bending, and standing for long hours.
4. True – Household work is devalued and not paid for.

Question 2.
Housework is invisible and unpaid, work.
Housework is physically demanding.
Housework is time-consuming.
Write in your own words what is meant by the terms ‘invisible’, ‘physically demanding’ and ‘time-consuming’? Give one example of each based on the household tasks undertaken by women in your home.
Answer.
Invisible: The term ‘ Invisible ‘ in the context of housework means the work that women do within the home is not recognised as work. It is supposed that this is something that comes naturally to women. For example, cooking food and caring for the children at home. That is why it remains unpaid.

Physically demanding: The term ‘physically demanding means the work that women do as housework requires physical labour and causes great exertion. For example, sweeping and cleaning of the floors, washing clothes and making dishes, cooking by standing for long hours in front of hot-stoves.

Time-consuming: The term ‘time consuming’ in housework means that women spend long hours in working at home. For example, they normally begin as early as five in the morning and end as late as twelve at night. Also caring for children, the old people and sometimes sick takes time.

Question 3.
Make a list of toys and games that boys typically play and another for girls. If there is a difference between the two lists, can you think of some reasons why this is so? Does this have any relationship to the roles children have to play as adults?
Answer.
List of Toys and Games
BOYS Toys                                              GIRLS Toys
• Cars                                                          • Dolls
• Ball                                                           • Cooking apparatus
• Bulldozer                                                 • Washing kit.
Bat and cricket ball
Swimming kit
Bus
Railways (train)
Dog, Lion, Wolf
Games                                                          Games
Kabaddi                                                   • Hide and seek
Cricket                                                     • Playing with dolls
Hockey                                                    • Badminton
Basket Ball                                               • Table Tennis
Volley Ball                                                • Also games played by boys.

• There is a difference between the two lists. It is because of the difference among the boys and girls in respect of physical strength and stamina, along with the influence of society.
• Yes, it has a relationship to the roles children have to play as adults. When they are adults, their role {of boys and girls) changes altogether.

Question 4.
If you have someone working as a domestic help in your house or locality talk to her and find out a little bit more about her life—Who are her family members? Where is her home? How many hours does she work? How much does she get paid? Write a small story based on these details.
Answer.
Sharda has been working in my house for several years as domestic help. She hails from a small village in West Bengal. She lives here in Delhi with her husband and one daughter who is in her teens. She comes to my house in the early morning at 5.30 and gets retired from the daily work in the night at 8 p.m. In between, she goes to her house for two hours. She does every work very efficiently and skillfully.

She never gives a moment of complaints. Due to this fact, we have developed very cordial relations with her and her family. We regard her as our family member. We also pay her a handsome amount. She gets Rs. 3000/- per month with all other facilities like food, clothes, medicines, etc. Her husband is a rickshaw puller who also manages to earn a good amount every day. Thus, Sharda leads a very happy life with us and her family members.

INTEXT QUESTIONS

Question 1.
Study the pictute and answer the questions that follow it:
In what ways do the experiences of Samoan children and teenagers differ from your own experiences of growing up? Is there anything in this experience that you wish was part of your growing up? (NCERT Page 45)
Answer.
Difference between the experiences of Samoan children and teenagers and our own experiences:

Question 2.
Yes, along with studies in school, we should also learn some household works. Study the picture and answer the question that follows: (NCERT Page 45)
Why do girls like to go to school together in groups?
Answer.
The school girls like to go to school together in groups because of the following reasons:

1. Their main purpose is to go to school safely and return to their homes safely.
2. They have fear of being teased or attacked if they walk alone.

Question 3.
Make a drawing of a street or a park in your neighbourhood. Show the different kinds of activities young boys and girls may be engaged in. You could do this individually or in groups. (NCERT Page 46)
Answer.
Do this yourself.

Question 4.
Are there as many girls as boys in your drawing? Most probably you would have drawn fewer girls. Can you think of reasons why there are fewer women and girls in your neighbourhood streets, parks, and markets in the late evenings or at night? (NCERT Page 46)
Answer.

1. No, girls are fewer than boys.
2. Yes, during evenings or at night there is less safe for women and girls from anti-social elements.

Question 5.
Are girls and boys doing different activities? Can you think of reasons why this might be so? What would happen if you replaced the girls with the boys and vice-versa? (NCERT Page 46)
Answer.

1. Yes, this is because nature has made them different and generally they do different activities, with some exceptions.
2. Society would change completely.
3. Though now there is equality of opportunity in the social and professional sphere.

Question 6.

1. Were Harmeet and Shonali correct in saying that Harmeet’s mother did not work? (NCERT Page 49)
2. What do you think would happen if your mother or those involved in doing the work at home went on a strike for a day? (NCERT Page 49)
3. Why do you think that men and boys generally do not do housework? Do you think they should? (NCERT Page 49)

Answer.

1. No Harmeet and Shonali were not correct in saying that Harmeet’s mother did not work because of the following reasons:
   • Housework is the most important work.
   • Without it, no work will be done and chaos will prevail in the house.
   • If Harmeet’s mother, does not work in the house, she will have to pay domestic help, who will work for her.
   • Harmeet’s mother saves a lot of money because she works economically and avoids wastage in cooking food, washing clothes, cleaning the house, etc.
   • The household works need physical labour, it is time-consuming and taxing.
2. If my mother or those involved in doing the work at home went on strike for a day the whole house would be in chaos. It would not be possible for the men to manage it.
3. Men and boys generally do not do housework as they think this work to be the domain of women and girls.
   • The Indian society is a male-dominated society, males think the housework as inferior work.
   • We think that men and boys should also do housework in the spirit in which women and girls do this work.

Question 7.
Below is some data from a special study done by the Central Statistical Organisation of India (1998-1999). See if you can fill in the blanks.

(i) What are the total number of work hours spent by women in Haryana and Tamil Nadu each week?
(ii) How does this compare with the total number of work hours spent by men? (NCERT Page 50)
Answer.
Yes, we can fill the blanks:
(i) Haryana:
Women                53 hours
Men                     40 hours
Tamil Nadu:
Women                54 hours
Men                     44 hours
(ii) Women spend more than 33 percent of their work hours on household work
while men spend only 5 percent of their work hours on household work.

Question 8.
This poster was created by a women’s group in Bengal. Can you write an interesting slogan for the poster? (NCERT Page 52)
Answer.
Worship the Devi (Goddess) – the Women.