Poewe, KarlaCurry, Nancy D.2005-08-162005-08-1620040612976378http://hdl.handle.net/1880/41432Bibliography: p. 123-130Pakistan's Hindu women of the Thar Desert have robust, complex notions about what it is to be female. In their gender-divided society, female ideology intersects with, even as it diverges from, that of their men. Throughout life, these women experience shifts in value, role and expectation and are reliant on female solidarity both in their natal and affine families. Seniority and sons bring considerable influence. Within the veils of personal head covering, female space and ideology, women act as ritual specialists and bear the responsibility for maintaining morally upright households. Senior women exert power in decision-making for their families in areas of health care and education. This thesis employs mixed genre writing, to represent and analyse the internal dynamism of a small group of such women with whom I had opportunity to live from 1983-1987. Personal and identifying place names have been changed to protect the privacy of these individuals.vi, 130 leaves ; 30 cm.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.master thesis10.11575/PRISM/15414AC1 .T484 2004 C87