This thesis examines the social construction of Newar women in Kirtipur, Nepal. It finds that Newar women collectively identify through shared religion, caste, language, food, clothing, and history. They take on roles in household duties and promoting culture, though some customs are strictly followed without question. The development of women's groups has helped construct a sense of belonging and support. While internalized social norms influence Newar women's roles and identities, they have also begun negotiating and challenging certain social realities. The thesis concludes that Newar women are socially constructed but demonstrations of changing social truths over time and place show this construction is not fixed.

1. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION
OF NEWAR WOMEN OF
KIRTIPUR
By : Roji Maharjan
Supervised by: Asst. Prof. Dr. Madhu Giri
Thesis viva
Master's program in counseling psychology. Tribhuvan University

2. 1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Theoretical Framework
4.Methodology
5. Major Findings
6. Conclusion
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

3. • Motivation and Inspiration behind
carrying out this thesis
A BRIEF BACKGROUND
1. Introduction
• Brief background on Social construction
theory (SCT)
• Social construction of Reality by Berger
and Luckmann (1966)
• Brief background on Newars

4. Basic Principles of Social Construction Theory
1. Externalization:
2. objectification:
3. Internalization:
Through interaction, people create a meaning.
How people with different perspectives interact with each other,
access the knowledge stocks of others, share the common stocks of
knowledge and make their subjective knowledge explicit.
Through habit things will become fact. Objectification means how
subjective knowledge is generated into objective or
institutionalized knowledge.
Occurs when behaviors & assumptions are learned so thoroughly
that people no longer question them, but simply accept them as
correct.
1. Introduction

5. Research Problem
1.Newar women though have contributed socio-cultural and
religious aspects they are placed in subordinate status.
2. Find the meaning of everyday life
3. And interrelating it with counseling i.e. how their everyday life
impacts their mental health.
1. Introduction

6. To understand factors that make a Newar women of Kirtipur
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To analyze collective identity as the Newar women.
To explore roles of Newar women of Kirtipur

7. 3. THEORITICAL
FRAMEWORK
Albert
Bandura's
Social learning
theory.
(1963)
Social Construction
of Reality by Berger
and Luckmann
(1966)
Lev Vygotsyk's
Sociocultural
theory.
(1934)
Urie
Bronfenbrenne
Ecological
system theory.
(1979)
7
Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory and Marshlow’s
hierarchy of need theory

8. 4. METHODOLOGY
STUDY AREA
Purposive sampling
SAMPLING
Narrative Inquiry
A QUALITATIVE RESERCH
Kirtipur, colloquially known as Kirtipur
danda (hill)/ Kipu
8

9. Participatory observation( 2 household)
My lived experiences
DATA COLLECTION
Primary Data collection
Secondary Data collection
Primary data collection method
Informal discussion and interaction
Unstructured Interview (6 interview)
Key Informant Interview (KII) (4)
Focus group interview (2 groups)
4. METHODOOGY

10. ANALYSIS OF DATA
Braun and Clarke (2006),
Step 1: Familiarization with data
Step 2: Generalization of initial code
Step 3: Searching for themes
Step 4: Reviewing themes
Step 5: Defining themes
Step 6: Producing the report
Thematic Analysis(manually)
4. METHODOLOGY

11. 5. MAJOR FINDINGS
Newar women of Kirtipur
What makes a Newar women ?
Religion
(madness and religion)
Caste Territory
Language
Food, feast and festival Utensils
Clothing
History
Marriage Bura Janku Death rituals
11

12. ROLES
5. MAJOR FINDINGS
Household roles
"Oh hohoho, as a daughter-in-law, I can't even
imagine the amount of work I have to do. Daily
household chores are not even work, producing
alcohol, going to field and what not..." (Chandra
Maharjan, group discussion ,2020)
"I perform works even I don't want to do, with a
fear of what will say, this gives me stress but still I
complete all the chores before going to work."
(Shriju Maharjan, group discussion,2020)
12

13. "I grew up in Newar community and I am sure I will never marry a
Newar ...." (Deeya K.C, group, discussion, 2020)
"Every time my mother says we will have Nakha Bhoye tomorrow, I get
stressed...I can't sleep and feel nauseated and sick remembering the
chore I have to perform the next day...and I am so conditioned to feast
if I don't go I feel guilty" ( Personal reflection from diary, 2020)
"All the decisions are made my head women of the family, males
have very little say in household decisions..." (Chandra Maharjan,
group discussion,2020)
ROLES
5. MAJOR FINDINGS

14. 5. MAJOR FINDINGS
ROLES
Communal roles
Domestic chores.
Promoting culture
Is it only men’s job to promote culture? I have an interest in
dancing Lakhey but culturally only men do it, I dance for 10
minutes and everyone from Kirtipur started to question my
activity and said I will go mad. But nothing happened and I
am sane. I am proud of being able to break the stereotype
and embark place in history for women of our culture. (Roji
Maharjan, telephone interview,2020)
14

15. ‘Us and Them’
Analyzing the collective identity
5. MAJOR FINDINGS
Collective identity is constructed by means of social relationship.
Development of ‘We-ness and Newar-ness’
Collective identity is interrelated with social movements
Newars differentiate us and them through their historical and political
movements
language is another factor to differentiate amongst Newar and non-
Newar
However, within themselves internal caste hierarchies is another
dimension of Us and Them.
The construction of institution like Misa Pucha (Mahila samuha/ Women’s
group) has developed ‘We-ness’ among Newar women . Resulting sense
of belongingness, safe space and social support leading to well-being.

16. 6.Conclusion
Newar women are seen creating knowledge through common
ground(Externalization) and such knowledge is conducted
repetitively (Objectification) however, few customs and norms
are unquestioned and followed by Newar women (
Internalization).
However, they also have started to negotiated few realities,
proving that social construction truth can be changed and be
different according to time and place. Thus, these evidences
shows that Newar women of Kirtipur are socially constructed.

17. Note: Pictures by Raman, Senis and Sushant Maharjan
Thankyou