Anglo-Indian Women in Teaching: The Interplay of Gender, Profession, Community Identities and Religiosity

In the decades following Indian independence, Anglo-Indian women entered school teaching in significant numbers relative to their minority status. A combination of factors including the decisions of community leaders and prevailing social norms supported this trend. This chapter presents findings from qualitative research on the identities of women teachers from the Anglo-Indian community in Bangalore. Based on semi-structured interviews with serving and retired teachers, it examines how gender, community and religion intersect with their personal and professional identities and experiences. Qualitative analysis of interviews found that Anglo-Indian women showed a marked degree of agency in seeking paid employment (earlier than women of similar class positions in other communities), but once they were employed, their agency tended to be circumscribed by gender and community. It can be argued that Anglo-Indian teachers’ professional lives and identities are influenced by a complex web of economic constraints, cultural norms, community loyalties and religiosity.