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The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma
Ep 380: Sowmya Dhanaraj Is Making a Difference
May 6, 2024
Sowmya Dhanaraj, an economist from India, discusses her journey, societal challenges, and empowering women in the workforce. Topics include gender roles, financial empowerment, societal norms, marriage complexities, biases in education selection, balancing responsibilities, applying economic thinking in daily life, and sustainable policies for working women.
04:28:12
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Quick takeaways
- Engagement with real-world complexities trumps reliance on simplistic mental models.
- The shift towards interdisciplinary learning underscores the value of exploring different fields.
- Academia requires structural reforms to promote innovation and eliminate stagnation.
- Economic empowerment doesn't always ensure social autonomy for women due to societal norms.
- Balancing independence and societal expectations is a complex journey for women in households.
- Entrepreneurial barriers, cultural mindsets, and risk aversion hinder dynamic business ecosystems.
Deep dives
Importance of Engaging with the Real World vs. Models in the Head
Engagement with the real world versus relying on mental models is highlighted. It mentions how some professionals prioritize simplistic mental models over engaging with the complexities of the real world.
Personal Journey Towards an Interdisciplinary Approach
The speaker shares her journey from engineering to pursuing finance and later delving into economics. The shift towards an interdisciplinary approach is illustrated through experiences in exploring finance, economics, and the importance of self-study.
Challenges in Academia and Need for Structural Changes
The discussion delves into the challenges within academia, emphasizing the need for structural changes. It critiques the current academic system's focus on quantity metrics, lack of interdisciplinary approaches, and the incentives that lead to stagnation instead of innovation.
Agency and Gender Norms in the Workplace
Women's agency in the workplace is influenced by deeply ingrained gender norms and societal expectations. The podcast delves into how women navigate issues such as control over finances, decision-making, and independence. It highlights examples where women, despite being primary earners, defer key decisions to husbands due to societal norms. The discussion emphasizes the complexities of female agency, where economic empowerment does not always translate into broader social empowerment, reflecting the intricate interplay of traditional beliefs and individual aspirations.
Empowerment and Social Dynamics
Exploring the dynamics of empowerment, the podcast uncovers societal perceptions that impact women's choices and actions. It touches on scenarios where economic independence does not guarantee social autonomy, with women's decisions often influenced by external norms and expectations. The discussion challenges conventional metrics of empowerment, revealing the multifaceted nature of women's agency shaped by cultural constructs and personal experiences.
Navigating Independence and Household Roles
The podcast sheds light on the complexities of balancing independence and societal roles within the household. Through personal anecdotes and societal observations, it underscores the intricate web of expectations and constraints faced by women. Insights into how women navigate societal pressures while striving for autonomy and self-determination illuminate the ongoing challenges in bridging economic empowerment with social transformation.
Challenges in Career Expectations
Many societal expectations fuel gender roles, particularly in career choices. Common viewpoints dictate that men should be self-reliant providers, while women's expectations lean towards managing both work and family life. This disparity leads to limited choices in professions and societal pressure to conform to specific roles and responsibilities.
Impact of Social Norms on Employment Decisions
Deep-rooted societal norms influence employment decisions significantly, especially for women in many communities. The pressure to prioritize marriage and family over personal career goals restricts many women from pursuing their professional aspirations fully. Traditional roles and expectations often overshadow individual preferences and societal advancements.
Barriers to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The lack of a conducive entrepreneurial ecosystem, bureaucratic hurdles, and risk aversion play significant roles in inhibiting entrepreneurship and innovative ventures in society. Cultural mindsets, such as a preference for assured career paths over entrepreneurial risks, alongside challenges in navigating business environments and accessing resources, create barriers to fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial culture across various regions.
Exploring Motivation and Risks in Career Choices
Individuals are encouraged to pursue their true interests and career paths without succumbing to societal pressures or fear of failure. Emphasizing the importance of taking risks and developing a strong will, the podcast highlights the significance of exploring various career options rather than conforming to traditional expectations. It underlines the value of self-discovery through deliberate career choices and overcoming challenges to achieve personal and professional growth.
Balancing Immediate Gratification and Long-Term Satisfaction
The podcast delves into the impact of immediate gratification versus long-term satisfaction in decision-making processes. Drawing from Tyler Cowen's insights, it discusses the struggle individuals face in choosing between momentary pleasures and enduring fulfillment. By distinguishing between fleeting gratification and sustainable life satisfaction, the podcast stresses the importance of cultivating habits that prioritize long-term benefits over short-lived indulgences, challenging prevailing tendencies towards instant rewards.
The Intersection of Economic Thinking in Everyday Life
Economic principles are applied to everyday scenarios, showcasing the relevance of economic thinking in diverse contexts. From understanding human behavior to analyzing societal issues like poverty, domestic violence, and labor dynamics, the podcast illuminates how economic frameworks offer insights into complex social phenomena. By exemplifying the practical applications of economic models in real-world situations, it underscores the interdisciplinary nature of economics and its profound impact on shaping individual choices and societal structures.
Supply Chain Pressures and Environmental Impact
The episode delves into the global supply chain pressures faced by industries, highlighting the challenges of meeting production deadlines and adapting to design changes. It explores how factors like sourcing fabrics and dyeing operations can have environmental implications, with larger firms facing more scrutiny than smaller units. The narrative unveils the outsourcing practices and informal operations that create a microcosm of industry support.
Empowering Workers and Promoting Financial Inclusion
The podcast discusses initiatives aimed at empowering workers, such as financial inclusion projects focusing on women in factories. These efforts include tools like earned wage access and financial diaries to enhance financial literacy among workers. Additionally, the implementation of worker voice tools and anonymous reporting systems in factories is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of addressing workers' needs and improving workplace environments.
How do women live in India? How do workers live? What impact can economics have in the real world? Sowmya Dhanaraj joins Amit Varma in episode 380 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe her life, her work and the churn in our society. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Sowmya Dhanaraj on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Scholar, Good Business Lab and her own website. 2. Male Backlash and Female Guilt: Women’s Employment and Intimate Partner Violence in Urban India -- Sowmya Dhanaraj and Vidya Mahambare. 3. Family structure, education and women’s employment in rural India -- Sowmya Dhanaraj and Vidya Mahambare. 4. The Life and Times of Ira Pande -- Episode 369 of The Seen and the Unseen. 5. Yugank Goyal Is out of the Box -- Episode 370 of The Seen and the Unseen. 6. Fixing the Knowledge Society -- Episode 24 of Everything is Everything. 7. Tell No One -- Harlan Coben. 8. Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach -- Jeffrey Wooldridge. 9. Econometric Analysis -- William Greene. 10. The Beauty of Finance -- Episode 21 of Everything is Everything. 11. Swapna Liddle and the Many Shades of Delhi -- Episode 367 of The Seen and the Unseen. 12. Indian Society: The Last 30 Years — Episode 137 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Santosh Desai). 13. Santosh Desai is Watching You -- Episode 356 of The Seen and the Unseen. 14. Metrics of Empowerment — Episode 88 of The Seen and the Unseen. 15. Challenges of Change: An Experiment Promoting Women to Managerial Roles in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector -- Rocco Macchiavello, Andreas Menzel, Atonu Rabbani & Christopher Woodruff. 16. Women at Work — Episode 132 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Namita Bhandare). 17. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman -- Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 18. Alice Evans Studies the Great Gender Divergence — Episode 297 of The Seen and the Unseen. 19. The Loneliness of the Indian Man — Episode 303 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nikhil Taneja). 20. Sowmya Dhanaraj and Vidya Mahambare speak to Alice Evans on her podcast. 21. We Are All Amits From Africa — Episode 343 of The Seen and the Unseen. 22. India Moving — Chinmay Tumbe. 23. India = Migration — Episode 128 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Chinmay Tumbe). 24. Deepak VS and the Man Behind His Face -- Episode 373 of The Seen and the Unseen. 25. Our Unlucky Children (2008) — Amit Varma. 26. Emergent Ventures. 27. Malini Goyal is the Curious One -- Episode 377 of The Seen and the Unseen. 28. Is Work Fun -- Tyler Cowen. 29. Dance Dance For the Halva Waala — Episode 294 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jai Arjun Singh and Subrat Mohanty). 30. Housefull Economics. 31. This Passing Moment -- Amit Varma's Housefull Economics piece on Opportunity Cost. 32. Who gains from the new Maternity Benefit Act Amendment? — Devika Kher. 33. Here’s What’s Wrong With the Maternity Benefits Act — Suman Joshi. 34. Evicted -- Matthew Despond. 35. Whole Numbers And Half Truths -- Rukmini S. 36. The Importance of Data Journalism — Episode 196 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rukmini S). 37. Rukmini Sees India’s Multitudes — Episode 261 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rukmini S). 38. The Great Indian Kitchen -- Jeo Baby. 39. Pariyerum Perumal -- Mari Selvaraj. Amit’s newsletter is explosively active again. Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It’s free! Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Machinery of Society’ by Simahina.
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