Samyukta: A Journal of Gender and Culture

The Culture of the Pandemic: The Spectre of the Literary and the Afterlife of the Plague Narratives in Orhan Pamuk's Nights of Plague

Anu Lekshmi U G — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article analyses the discourses on the first, second, and third bubonic plague pandemics to reveal the contingencies associated with their interpretation, reinterpretation, and the revisionist literature on these events that have emerged across different time periods, framing a culture of the pandemic. The paper draws on the ideas of William Viney, Felicity Callard, and Angela Woods to argue that disciplinary boundaries, such as those between the arts, humanities, and social sciences, undermine the entangled web of knowledge systems that constitute biomedical culture. The critical scholarship in the modern era has been concerned with the encroachment of literary imagination in the narrativisations of plague in the pre-modern era. By the Enlightenment period, the narrative norm for describing an empirical and scientific phenomenon as a disease was perceived as a matter-of-fact descriptive account. The article analyses how the cultural imaginary of the plague pandemic is constructed between the interstices of disciplines. It examines how Orhan Pamuk’s Nights of Plague (2022), in a self-reflexive fashion, foregrounds the constructionality of plague narratives and exposes their modern cultural politics, which were intricately tied to the colonial agenda by initiating a resignification of the disease once described as the Oriental plague.

The Politics of Care: A Critical Analysis of Arogya Niketan

Jilu Jose Devasia — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Literature plays a significant role in understanding the experience of illness and promotes an understanding of the lived reality. The lived reality is often miscommunicated and misinterpreted as the doctor is expected to possess all knowledge of illness that the patient undergoes. Moreover, the doctor hardly acknowledges the limitation to treat completely when illness is life threatening and carry the burden of saving, when extending and providing quality is the only possibility. The use of medical terminologies by doctors creates a gap between the doctor-patient relationship, as the affected feels a void between the people around. The void can be palpable when articulated effectively and the world of sickness is not misguided by assumptions and misconceptions like social stigmas and stereotypes on illness. Arogya Niketan by Tarasankar Banerjee explores human health, suffering and death in close quarters. The story revolves around the doctor, Jiban Moshay, who unravels an ailment and predict the longevity of the person by checking the pulse of the patient which is illogical. The conflict between Jiban Moshay and Pradyut alludes the treatment between ayurveda and allopathy and how ages before the southern perspective on holistic care of the patient, where medicine is not business but a means of vocation is installed. The gradual transition from holistic treatment to western concept of treating only the disease can be seen. The need for integrating human connection becomes a realization to Pradyut who witnesses the death of Moshay. The paper attempts to explore the entanglements in doctor-patient relationships by using the concept of Foucault's medical gaze. The concept of medical gaze seeks to establish how medical professionals objectify the 'patients’ body' from the 'patient's person The framework of critical medical humanities helps us to foster the need for empathy, ethics in medicine and the importance of social justice. Additionally, the non-medical aspects like infallibility, intuition, beliefs are interrogated.

Reviewing Trauma Theory through Health Humanities: A Reading of Select Narratives on Miscarriage

Raj Sree M. S — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Miscarriage as a form of reproductive loss and trauma constitutes a pervasive yet culturally marginalized phenomenon. Traditional trauma theory has been instrumental in elucidating the psychic impact of catastrophic events, yet its primary focus on extraordinary events such as war and assault excludes reproductive trauma, including miscarriage. This exclusion results in miscarriage trauma being largely unacknowledged in public and clinical domains, thereby exacerbating psychological suffering and complicating recovery. The health humanities paradigm introduces a novel framework that repositions trauma as a lived, embodied, and socially mediated phenomenon. This shift expands trauma discourse beyond the realm of psychic fragmentation and foregrounds embodied experience, meaning-making, and ethical care.

This study integrates trauma theory and health humanities to investigate miscarriage trauma through literary representations in selected narratives on miscarriage. The texts examined provide rich narrative spaces that convey miscarriage as embodied suffering embedded in socially fraught and culturally silenced contexts. This integrated framework elucidates the limits of trauma theory when used in isolation and highlights the scope of health humanities in expanding understandings of reproductive trauma by incorporating questions of embodiment and relationality.

This study examines how these novels portray miscarriage as trauma, assessing the explanatory power and limitations of trauma theory regarding narrative disruption and delayed grief, and demonstrating how health humanities expand trauma discourse by validating embodied grief. This study explores the role of literary narratives as testimonial forums that resist disenfranchisement and offer a platform for social recognition and healing. This approach has significant implications for reconfiguring clinical practices and literary criticism, fostering more holistic representations and responses to miscarriage trauma.

Role of Sexism and Gender Stereotyping on Male Default Language Use.

Riya Suthar, Deepa Pandey — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gender bias in default language—utilizing masculine generic words for persons whose sex is unknown—is an implicit cue to long-standing and deeply held views about gender roles. Past research has demonstrated that male generics routinely elicit mental images of men and support androcentric perspectives regardless of language used. This study investigated whether acceptance of gender stereotypes, hostile sexism, and benevolent sexism predicted use of masculine generic words by Indian youth. A sample of cross-sectional subjects completed a pronoun-choice task, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), and the Gender Stereotype Scale; each measure was reliable. The correlations found that both increased levels of acceptance of gender stereotypes and benevolent sexism correlated with increased reliance on male generics; however, the correlation with hostile sexism was lessened. The regression results indicated that acceptance of gender stereotypes and benevolent sexism were the two most significant predictors of the use of masculine generics; furthermore, males relied upon masculine generics more so than did females. These results demonstrate the manner in which even subtle sexist orientations can foster and continue gender biased language, and therefore, there is a clear need for gender inclusivity and interventions.

Tilting of the balance between family and work: a gender inequality problem for the Underprivileged Married Women

Jayasree Das — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The post globalisation modern age juggles with the conceptual existence of work-life balance, a characteristic feature often assumed to have universal accessibility. However, this utopic vision is more than often denied to underprivileged married women in developing countries, and their experience varies significantly from those who enjoy social and financial stability. This paper attempts to navigate and explore the ways and means employed by these women with questionable resources as they confront and tackle the tug-of-war between work and family responsibilities. It also examines how far the perceptions of "balance" exists in their lives. Globally, developing regions endure socio-economic constraints, cultural norms, and limited institutional support which fester the quality of work-life balance, rendering its deterioration as a growing social hazard. Through the interviews and interactions with underprivileged married women, this study has identified key themes that contribute to their understanding and shaping of balance, such as economic necessity, societal expectations, and lack of support systems. The paper hopes to generate greater awareness on the importance of work-life balance, strengthen gender equality, and advocate for stronger social protections by sharing the stories of these women’s lived experiences with a larger reading audience. Addressing work-life imbalance in these contexts becomes essential for improving the quality of life of underprivileged women and advancing societal progress of womenfolk as a group.

Necropolitical Landscapes: Queer Death and Resistance in My Government Means to Kill Me

Malavika R, Anish K. Joseph — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents a queer necropolitical re-reading of Rasheed Newson’s My Government Means to Kill Me by placing the novel within the framework of state-sanctioned abandonment, racialized queer vulnerability, and resistance. Even though the novel is often looked at and read as a work of historical or LGBTQ fiction, this article tries to reread it through the lens of queer necropolitics, drawing from the theoretical contributions of scholars like Michel Foucault, Achille Mbembe, and Jasbir Puar. It tries to analyse how institutions like the state, the prison-industrial complex, the medical system, and even certain segments of the queer community participate in regulating life and orchestrating slow death for marginalized queer subjects, especially poor and Black individuals. The analysis demonstrates how the novel exposes mechanisms of biopolitical neglect. This article argues that My Government Means to Kill Me does not simply document the AIDS crisis, or gay history in America. Rather, it offers a way to look at the necropolitical logic that continues to determine which lives are grievable and which are rendered disposable.

Role of Religion in Shaping Attitudes Towards the LGBTQ+ Community and its Impact on Social Equality

Narendra Narottam — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The role of religion in shaping societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community remains a complex and often contentious issue across cultures and regions. This paper explores how various religious doctrines, traditions, and institutional practices influence perceptions of LGBTQ+ identities, behaviors, and rights. Drawing on interdisciplinary sources—including theology, sociology, psychology, and human rights—it examines both affirming and non-affirming religious responses to sexual and gender diversity. While some religious interpretations have historically contributed to the marginalization of LGBTQ+ individuals, others have evolved to support inclusion and dignity. The paper further analyzes the broader social consequences of these religiously-informed attitudes, particularly their impact on the pursuit of social equality, legal recognition, and mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals. Ultimately, the study highlights the need for fostering more equitable and compassionate societies, while also addressing issues of religious freedom and human rights in pluralistic democracies.

Full (PDF) Vol.11 No.1

samyukta journal — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Period Tracking Apps and Data Privacy in India: Risks, Awareness and Empowerment Gaps

Arpit Kaur, Reshmi S — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Period tracking apps hold out the promise of empowerment for Indian consumers, but they collect intensely personal health information – cycles, symptoms, moods – that poses very significant privacy threats. In India, where comprehensive data protection legislation is in its infancy, this sensitive data is exposed to risks: probable leaks, abuse by third parties (such as insurers or advertisers), or even state surveillance. Alarmingly, user knowledge of such threats and how apps process data is still drastically low. Most users of these tools blindly trust them without realizing the privacy trade-offs involved, thus creating a perilous gap. Such ignorance negates the very empowerment the apps provide. Real digital empowerment not only demands the tool but also knowledge and agency over one’s data. In reality, tremendous gaps between user awareness, regulatory protections, and app provider transparency prevail, endangering Indian users while trying to monitor their health.

The Period Paradox: Evaluating Contemporary Indian Advertisements for Menstrual Pads

Amritha Balakrishnan, K. Karthik — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Before the advent of modern medicine, menstruation was deemed supernatural. Nonetheless, it is paradoxical that menstruation is still shrouded in myths and taboos. Today, the primary mode of communication about menstruation often comes through advertising menstrual management products (MMPs). While menstruation encompasses physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects, advertising only overplays hygiene. Disposable menstrual pads are the most widely used commercial option among the products designed for menstrual flow management. Despite the proliferation of marketing and advertising for disposable menstrual pads over the years, the silence and shame surrounding menstruation are paradoxical. In this context, this study aims to critically analyse the content of advertisements promoted by MMP manufacturers, with the following objectives: (1) To identify the primary concerns, prominent themes and key messages in the advertisements of leading brands of disposable menstrual pads. (2) To evaluate the inclusivity of these advertisements through the lens of intersectionality. Using a qualitative approach, ten advertisements launched from 2022 to 2023 by Whisper and Stayfree, the top two brands of MMPs in India, were scrutinised from an intersectional feminist perspective using multimodal critical discourse analysis. The analysis exemplifies that the advertisements foreground menstruation as a hygiene concern and overlook taboos and myths about menstruation.

The Healing Pair: Reuniting Story and Science in Health Humanities

Harsh Panchal — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Health Humanities bridges the divide between biomedical practice and the lived experiences of patients, positioning narrative and empathy as essential companions to clinical care. This paper explores how the deliberate pairing of scientific reasoning with storytelling, ethics, and cultural context fosters a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system. Drawing from narrative medicine, gender studies, and disability studies, the paper argues for a model of care that embraces multiplicity—acknowledging patients not only as clinical subjects but also as narrators of their own bodies and histories. Through case studies and critical analysis, this study demonstrates how this "healing pair" transforms both practice and pedagogy in contemporary healthcare.

Cripping Care: Gender, Disability, and the Medical Gaze in Naseema: The Incredible Story

Athira. S — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the intersections of disability, gender, and healthcare in Indian women’s autobiographical writing, focusing specifically on Naseema: The Incredible Story by Naseema Hurzuk. It argues that such autobiographies challenge dominant biomedical discourses and offer alternative frameworks for understanding care, health, and agency. These narratives, often marginalized in mainstream medical or literary discourse, confront the clinic with stories grounded in emotional labour, gendered embodiment, and social resistance. Using the lens of disability studies and feminist narrative theory, this paper analyzes how Hurzuk’s narrative articulates resistance against reductive medical gaze and reclaims narrative agency through lived experience. The text critiques ableist assumptions within both clinical and social settings, offering insight into the complexities of patient-hood and survival for disabled women in India.

By locating disability within socio-political contexts, Hurzuk’s story redefines recovery not as a return to normativity, but as an ongoing negotiation with structural barriers and inner resilience. In doing so, such narratives enact what scholars’ term “crip epistemologies,” proposing new a new ethics of care, rooted in interdependence, activism, and radical hope. This paper contributes to conversations in narrative medicine, feminist disability studies, and postcolonial health humanities by centering patient narratives that resist erasure and demand visibility.

Representation of Queer in Films

Tharalekshmi S — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

LGBTQIA+ individuals are people whose sexual orientation or identity is different from societal norms. Anything that deviates from the norm is seen as polluted and abnormal. LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and more. The LGBTQIA+ individuals often face discrimination, prejudice and violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. A gamut of issues got representation in Indian cinema from freedom to unemployment, from poverty to exploitation, from dowry to women’s emancipation, from social conflict to national integration, from education to fantasy oriented entertainment. With the transformation of the society, the Issues confronting it keep on changing and so also the themes adopted for film making. The cinematic medium possesses a unique ability to evoke emotions, inspire ideas, and challenge perspectives, thereby influencing individual behaviors and collective consciousness. However in the midst of all preconceived notions and social injustices against LGBTQIA+ community, ‘film’ stands as a strong medium of communication and a voice for the LGBTQA+ community who are seen as ‘nobodies’ in the society. They are to be seen in different roles in the society which helps them to have a space for themselves.

This paper investigates the psychological distress experiences by LGBTQIA+ individuals who remain closeted about their sexual orientation. The paper delves into historical stigmatisation of homosexuality and the challenges faced by the individual coming out and disclosing their sexual orientation to loved ones, often leading to self concealment.

My ‘experiences’ with Cinemeducation

P Ravi Shankar — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, the author explores his experiences with movie screening and activities at a medical school in the Caribbean. The process has been described in detail. The issues addressed during the movies and the activities are also mentioned. The author also highlights his experiences with facilitating workshops for faculty members during different medical education conferences. His experiences with webinars on cinemeducation are also mentioned.

Kiri in Avatar: The Way of Water: Disability, Difference, and Posthuman Embodiment in a Cinematic Ecosystem

Naila Anjum — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores the character of Kiri in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) through a disability studies lens, engaging with concepts of posthuman embodiment, crip ecologies, and the medical vs. social models of disability. Though not explicitly categorized as disabled, Kiri’s portrayal as neurologically and physically “othered” resonates with disability narratives of misunderstood difference, embodied nonconformity, and a spiritual reimagining of the body. Her seizure-like episodes and profound connection with Eywa position her outside normative frameworks of ability, evoking both medicalization and reverence. Using theoretical insights from Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Donna Haraway, and Alison Kafer, this paper argues that Kiri’s hybrid identity challenges ableist narratives and offers a posthuman, eco-spiritual vision of interdependence. The study concludes that Avatar: The Way of Water subtly celebrates embodied difference, offering a radical rethinking of ability through cinematic storytelling.

Pausing Stereotypes: A Neo Menopausal Rendering through Select Movies Streamed Online

Neha N.S — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Discussions of menopause are often considered taboo in India which continues to be a silent experience that happens in every menstruating woman who reaches middle age. The available narratives on menopause always stressed its biological importance and forgot its psychological and cultural aspects. Menopause is an issue that has been largely forgotten or ignored, even in films produced in India. It would not be inaccurate to say that the popular movie industry had forgotten the seriousness of menopause as an essential transition in women's life. With the advent of multiple online streaming platforms and their various episodes, the experiences of menopause are getting depicted in movies. Alankrita Srivastava’s Bombay Begums (2021), a drama series released on Netflix and Saumitra Singh’s Painful Pride (2019), a short film streamed on Vimeo, are selected for analysing of the representations of menopause. These selected Bollywood movies will be analysed by giving close attention to the experiences of menopause by their female protagonists. The representation of menopausal experiences is studied within the contexts of social stigmatisation and the construction of feminine ethos. The biological changes in the female body won't be focused on here in detail.

Rainbow Reels: The Evolution of LGBTQIA+ Portrayals in Indian Cinema After Section 377

Pradumna Kumar Mishra — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper looks at how the reading down of Section 377 transformed the lives of LGBTQ+ people, especially in how they’ve been portrayed in cinema. It explores how their characters were shown in the past and how that portrayal has slowly shifted away from harsh stigma. Movies like Raja Harishchandra to Bhishma Pitamah provide testimony that there has always been a quiet presence of queerness. Films like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Sadak, and Mastizaade reflect how queer lives were often misrepresented, exaggerated, or pushed to the margins. But the change after the reading down of Section 377 was significant. With movies like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Badhaai Do, we can now see how mainstream cinema is shifting from outdated stereotypes toward a more thoughtful, nuanced kind of acceptance. This paper explores that shift.

Fictionalised Portrayals of Organ Donation in Select Indian Movies: A Study Based on Medical Ethics

Ashish Manohar — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Organ transplantation continues to be one of the most coveted achievements of the medical field. The field has evolved in leaps and bounds, significantly improving the quality of life. This has also meant that there is a case of heightened sensitivity around the discourse of organ donation. Despite the changing iterations around organ donation, it continues to be shrouded in ill-informed beliefs and unethical practices. The entertainment industry, over the years, has been a critical determiner in shaping public sentiments around the idea of organ donation with its varied portrayals. This paper attempts to parse the fictionalised portrayals of organ donation in select Indian movies, in a bid to engage with the representational schemas that signpost these depictions. To this end, the paper looks into five Indian films—Ship of Theseus (2012), Thank You (2015), Phir Zindagi (2015) and Traffic (2016). Critiquing the highly sensationalised and hyper-romanticised nature of organ donation in these storylines, the paper argues that there is a deliberate obliteration of the ethical quandaries that engender the very act of organ donation. The paper foregrounds the idea that the unidimensional rendering of organ donation as an act of benevolence, based on an inflated notion of moral obligation, tends to look past the overbearing factors involved in the positionalities of donor-receiver, including their class social affiliations and capital. Such uninformed portrayals, this paper argues, can only serve in occluding the cultural valence that the very idea of ‘body’ and its various imaginings occupy in the Indian social apparatus.