BGDG 172 key facts: June 2026
- Course code: BGDG 172
- Subject: Gender Sensitization: Society and Culture
- Course type: Generic Elective, School of Gender and Development Studies
- Programmes: BAG, BAGS and several BA Honours streams
- Credits: 6 (term-end exam 70 per cent, assignments 30 per cent)
- Blocks and units: 6 blocks, 15 units
- Maximum marks: 100
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the June 2026 paper: 14 (Section A: 8 of 15 marks, Section B: 6 of 10 marks); answer any 4 from each
- Word limits: about 500 words per 15-mark answer, 300 words per 10-mark answer
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q3 and Q9); all 14 in the paid file
BGDG 172 Solved Question Paper June 2026 is our fully answered version of the official IGNOU term-end paper for Gender Sensitization: Society and Culture, a 6-credit Generic Elective taken in BAG, BAGS and BA Honours programmes.
1. What the June 2026 Solved Paper Gives You
The June 2026 paper carries 14 questions across two sections, and our subject experts have written a complete answer for every one of them. Each answer follows the word length the paper asks for, opens with a clear definition and closes with an Indian example, which is what examiners in this course look for.
This paper leans heavily on the family block. Q1, Q6 and Q10 all come from the Motherhood unit, and Q3 asks about forms of marriage, so a student who skipped Block 2 would have struggled to find four confident Section A answers.
If you are collecting papers for your whole semester, the BAG Question Paper collection lists every course in the programme by code, so you can match this file with your other electives.
2. Two Answers Solved in Full, Twelve Held Back
Two of the 14 questions are answered in full below, one long Section A answer and one short Section B answer, so you can judge the quality before asking for the rest.
Both question texts are reproduced exactly as printed, with the paper's own numbering. Q3 is a 15-mark question written to about 500 words and Q9 is a 10-mark question written to about 300 words.
Marriage and its forms
Question 3: Define marriage. Discuss the forms of marriage. (15)
Marriage is a socially approved union, in most societies between a man and a woman, that creates rights and duties between the partners and gives social legitimacy to their children. Edward Westermarck, in The History of Human Marriage (1891), described it as a relation of one or more men to one or more women that is recognised by custom or law and carries rights and duties for the partners and for the children born of the union.
Seen through a gender lens, marriage is never only a private bond. It decides where a woman will live after the wedding, whose name the children carry, who inherits property and who does the unpaid work of the home. That is why the course studies marriage together with the family as an institution shaped by patriarchy.
1. Forms based on the number of partners
- Monogamy is marriage to one spouse at a time and is the most common form. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 made it legally compulsory for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. Serial monogamy, where a person remarries after divorce or the death of a spouse, is a variant.
- Polygyny is one man with two or more wives. It may be sororal, when the wives are sisters, or non-sororal. Muslim personal law in India permits a man up to four wives. Polygyny usually reflects male control over land, labour and women's reproduction.
- Polyandry is one woman with two or more husbands. In fraternal or adelphic polyandry the husbands are brothers, as practised by the Todas of the Nilgiris and the Khasa of Jaunsar-Bawar in Uttarakhand. The Nayars of Kerala historically followed a non-fraternal form.
- Group marriage, several men with several women, is rare and largely theoretical.
2. Forms based on rules of choice
- Endogamy requires marriage within one's own caste, sub-caste or religion, and in India it is the main mechanism that keeps caste boundaries alive.
- Exogamy requires marriage outside a group, such as gotra and sapinda exogamy among Hindus or village exogamy across much of north India.
- Hypergamy (anuloma) is a woman marrying into a family of higher status, while hypogamy (pratiloma) is a woman marrying below her status, which was traditionally condemned. Hypergamy is closely tied to dowry, because the bride's family is expected to pay for the higher status, even though the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 bans the practice.
3. Preferential and other forms
Cross-cousin marriage is preferred in many South Indian communities. Under the levirate a widow marries her dead husband's brother, and under the sororate a widower marries his dead wife's sister. Both keep the woman, her labour and her children within the husband's lineage.
Among several tribal communities, anthropologists also record marriage by capture, purchase through bride price, service, exchange, elopement and probation. In modern India, couples choose between arranged and self-chosen marriages, and the Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows civil marriage across caste and religion without conversion.
Gender analysis and conclusion
Feminist scholars point out that most forms of marriage are patrilocal, so the woman leaves her natal home, and that rules like endogamy and hypergamy control women's choices far more than men's. Recognition is also limited: in October 2023 the Supreme Court, in Supriyo v. Union of India, declined to recognise same-sex marriage and left the question to Parliament.
In short, marriage is a social and legal institution whose forms vary by number of partners, rules of choice and mode of acquiring a spouse. Each form distributes power, property and labour between women and men, which is why a gender-sensitive reading begins by questioning how marriage is arranged.
Masculinity and femininity
Question 9: What are "masculinity" and "femininity"? Explain. (10)
Masculinity and femininity are the sets of traits, behaviours and roles that a society expects from men and from women. They are not fixed by biology. They are learned through the family, school, religion and media, which is why they differ across cultures and change over time.
Masculinity is usually linked with strength, control, courage, rationality and the role of provider. R.W. Connell, in Masculinities (1995), argued that there are many masculinities arranged in a hierarchy. Hegemonic masculinity is the dominant ideal, while complicit, subordinated and marginalised masculinities sit below it. A boy told that "boys don't cry" is being trained into the hegemonic ideal.
Femininity is usually linked with care, gentleness, modesty, beauty and the role of homemaker. Connell called the form shaped to fit male dominance emphasised femininity. Simone de Beauvoir, in The Second Sex (1949), argued that a woman is made by society rather than born. A girl given dolls and kitchen sets while her brother gets cricket bats learns this script early.
In India both ideas are shaped by caste, class and region. A Dalit agricultural labourer and an urban professional woman are expected to perform femininity in very different ways, and a man without a job may feel he has failed as a man.
Rigid ideas harm everyone. They push women into unpaid care work and limit their mobility, and they pressure men to hide emotions and prove themselves through aggression, which is linked to violence against women. Recognising both as social constructions, rather than natural facts, is the first step towards gender equality and towards wider choices for women and men alike.
3. Questions Answered Only in the Full File
The remaining 12 questions from the June 2026 paper are listed below exactly as printed. Their answers are available only in the full solved file.
Section A (15 marks each, answer any four)
Question 1: Explain the interlinkages between patriarchy, capitalism and the maternal body in a cross-cultural context.
Question 2: Discuss the social construction of sexuality with the help of examples.
Question 4: Discuss the myths and reality related to sexual harassment in India.
Question 5: Explain the forms of domestic violence in India.
Question 6: Do you agree that caste and class differences matter in relation to motherhood? Explain with suitable examples.
Question 7: Discuss the impact of globalization on women's employment.
Question 8: Explain the concepts of close reading, visualizing and representation in the context of gender.
Section B (10 marks each, answer any four)
Question 10: Discuss the relationship between patriarchy and capitalism with reference to the contribution of Eva Feder Kittay and Jana Sawicki to the discourse on motherhood.
Question 11: Discuss the relationship between reproduction and surrogacy in the context of reproductive rights.
Question 12: Write your understanding of the Global Gender Gap Report (2014) in the context of work.
Question 13: Discuss the issues related to gender-based violence at work.
Question 14: What is the significance of access to education and employment for disabled women? Explain with suitable examples.
4. Syllabus Across 6 Blocks and 15 Units
BGDG 172 is taught through 6 blocks and 15 units, moving from basic concepts to family, work, health, law and media.
The table maps each unit to the specific topics that have turned into exam questions, so you can see which pages of the course book matter most for June and December papers.
| Block | Unit | Topics to master |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Conceptualising Gender | Unit 1: Understanding Gender and Related Concepts | Sex versus gender, gender roles and stereotyping, patriarchy and feminism |
| Block 1: Conceptualising Gender | Unit 2: Gender and Sexualities | How sexuality is socially constructed, sexual hierarchy, non-normative sexualities |
| Block 1: Conceptualising Gender | Unit 3: Masculinities | Construction of masculinities, hegemonic and subordinate forms, links with violence |
| Block 1: Conceptualising Gender | Unit 4: Gender in Everyday Life | Socialisation of the girl child, the public and private binary, gender boundaries |
| Block 2: Gender and Family | Unit 5: Family and Marriage | Liberal and radical feminist views of family, forms of marriage, dowry and patrilocality |
| Block 2: Gender and Family | Unit 6: Motherhood | Rural and migrant mothers, caste and class in mothering, Kittay and Sawicki |
| Block 3: Gender and Work | Unit 7: Gendering Work | Productive and reproductive work, enumeration of work, paid care work and the double burden |
| Block 3: Gender and Work | Unit 8: Gender Issues in Work and Labour Market | Gender gaps in labour force participation, migration, glass ceiling and decent work |
| Block 4: Health and Gender | Unit 9: Reproductive Health and Rights | Reproductive health indicators, reproductive rights, surrogacy debates |
| Block 4: Health and Gender | Unit 10: Gender and Disability | Double discrimination, disability and violence, access to schooling and jobs |
| Block 5: Gender, Law and Society | Unit 11 | Categories of violence, domestic violence, case studies |
| Block 5: Gender, Law and Society | Unit 12 | Forms and causes of workplace harassment, Vishaka guidelines, myths that silence complainants |
| Block 6: Gender, Representation and Media | Unit 13: Gender and Language | Gender differences in vocabulary and language use, women's voice in literary texts |
| Block 6: Gender, Representation and Media | Unit 14: Gender and Media | Gender roles in advertisements, electronic media, women inside media houses |
| Block 6: Gender, Representation and Media | Unit 15: Reading and Visualising Gender | Close reading of texts, visualising, representation of women and men |
For the full unit text, start with our BGDG 172 Study Material, which follows the same block order as the table above.
5. Paper Pattern and How the 100 Marks Split
The June 2026 paper is a 3-hour, 100-mark exam in which you answer eight questions, four from each section.
| Section | Questions offered | To answer | Marks | Expected length | Section total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | 8 questions (Q1 to Q8) | Any 4 | 15 each | About 500 words | 60 |
| Section B | 6 questions (Q9 to Q14) | Any 4 | 10 each | About 300 words | 40 |
Do not assume the format is fixed. Over the last seven sessions IGNOU has switched between a single list of eight 20-mark questions and the two-section layout used in June 2026.
| Session | Format used |
|---|---|
| December 2022 | 8 questions, any 5 at 20 marks, Q8 short notes |
| June 2023 | 8 questions, any 5 at 20 marks, Q8 short notes |
| June 2024 | Two sections, 8 plus 6 questions, 4 from each |
| December 2024 | 8 questions, any 5 at 20 marks, Q8 short notes |
| June 2025 | 8 questions, any 5 at 20 marks, Q8 short notes |
| December 2025 | Two sections, 8 plus 4 questions, 4 from each |
| June 2026 | Two sections, 8 plus 6 questions, 4 from each |
You can compare these formats yourself with our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper section, where older papers for this course are grouped by session.
6. Topics IGNOU Keeps Repeating Since December 2022
Across six official IGNOU papers from December 2022 to December 2025, the social construction of gender appeared every single time and masculinity appeared five times.
We counted a topic once per paper, whether it came as a long question or a short note. The papers used were December 2022, June 2023, June 2024, December 2024, June 2025 and December 2025, all from ignou.ac.in or webservices.ignou.ac.in. The December 2023 paper could not be found on either site, so it is not counted.
| Topic | Sessions where it appeared | Count (of 6) | In the June 2026 paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social construction of gender, sex and gender | Dec 2022 (note), Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 6 | Not directly; Q2 applies the idea to sexuality |
| Masculinity and its forms | Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 5 | Yes, Q9 pairs it with femininity (Sample 2) |
| Gender and language | Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 5 | — (a likely return in December 2026) |
| Gender and media | Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 (note), Dec 2025 | 5 | Only through representation in Q8 |
| Reproductive health and rights | Dec 2022, Jun 2023 (note), Jun 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 5 | Yes, Q11 on surrogacy |
| Gender gaps in work and labour force | Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 5 | Yes, Q7 and Q12 |
| Sexual harassment at the workplace | Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 4 | Yes, Q4 and Q13 |
| Gender-based and domestic violence | Dec 2022, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 (note) | 4 | Yes, Q5 |
| Feminist views of the family | Dec 2022, Jun 2024, Dec 2024 (note), Dec 2025 | 4 | — |
| Motherhood | Dec 2022, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 3 | Yes, Q1, Q6 and Q10 |
| Gender and disability | Dec 2022, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | 3 | Yes, Q14 |
| Sexuality | Dec 2022, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 (note) | 3 | Yes, Q2 |
| Close reading and visualising | Jun 2023 (note), Jun 2024 | 2 | Yes, Q8 adds representation |
| Forms of marriage | Dec 2024 | 1 | Yes, Q3 (Sample 1) |
Gender and language is the clearest gap. It appeared in five of the six earlier papers but is missing from June 2026, which makes it a strong candidate for December 2026.
We track the same patterns for other courses on our IGNOU Solved Guess Paper page, built from official papers in the same way.
7. How We Write and Check Every Answer
Every answer is written by a subject expert after studying past BGDG 172 papers and the course units, then checked by a second reviewer before it enters the file.
Our writers took the official June 2026 paper and matched each question to its unit before writing. Long answers follow an introduction, body and conclusion plan with subheadings, and short answers stay close to 300 words so they can be copied by hand within exam time.
Facts are tied to sources an examiner can check, such as the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Special Marriage Act, 1954 or R.W. Connell's work on masculinities. Where a question asks for Indian examples, the answer uses Indian communities, laws and cases rather than generic ones.
8. Solved File Index for All 14 Questions
The full file answers all 14 questions: 2 are shown on this page and 12 are answered only in the file.
Use this index to see which unit each question comes from. Block 2, Gender and Family, supplies 4 of the 14 questions, the highest of any block in this paper.
| Question | Section and marks | Topic | Course unit | Where the answer is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | A, 15 | Patriarchy, capitalism and the maternal body | Block 2, Unit 6 | Full file |
| Q2 | A, 15 | Social construction of sexuality | Block 1, Unit 2 | Full file |
| Q3 | A, 15 | Definition and forms of marriage | Block 2, Unit 5 | Sample 1 above |
| Q4 | A, 15 | Myths and reality of sexual harassment | Block 5, Unit 12 | Full file |
| Q5 | A, 15 | Forms of domestic violence in India | Block 5, Unit 11 | Full file |
| Q6 | A, 15 | Caste, class and motherhood | Block 2, Unit 6 | Full file |
| Q7 | A, 15 | Globalisation and women's employment | Block 3, Unit 8 | Full file |
| Q8 | A, 15 | Close reading, visualising and representation | Block 6, Unit 15 | Full file |
| Q9 | B, 10 | Masculinity and femininity | Block 1, Units 1 and 3 | Sample 2 above |
| Q10 | B, 10 | Kittay and Sawicki on motherhood | Block 2, Unit 6 | Full file |
| Q11 | B, 10 | Reproduction and surrogacy | Block 4, Unit 9 | Full file |
| Q12 | B, 10 | Global Gender Gap Report 2014 | Block 3, Unit 8 | Full file |
| Q13 | B, 10 | Gender-based violence at work | Block 5, Unit 12 | Full file |
| Q14 | B, 10 | Education and jobs for disabled women | Block 4, Unit 10 | Full file |
9. Programmes That Offer BGDG 172
BGDG 172 Gender Sensitization: Society and Culture is a Generic Elective, so learners from several IGNOU undergraduate programmes sit the same paper.
- Bachelor of Arts (General) (BAG)
- Bachelor of Arts (Gender Studies) (BAGS)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History (BAHIH)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Political Science (BAPSH)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology (BAPCH)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Public Administration (BAPAH)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) English (BAEGH)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) Anthropology (BSCANH)
Most of our buyers for this course are enrolled in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (General), where it sits beside core papers in history, sociology and political science.
The June 2026 paper header names only BAG and BAGS, but Honours learners who chose this elective receive the identical paper, so one solved file covers every stream listed above.
10. How to Get the Full Solved Question Paper
Message WhatsApp 9899436384 with the code BGDG 172 and the session June 2026 to receive the full solved file with all 14 answers.
You have read 2 answers here. The file adds the other 12, including the three Motherhood questions, the Global Gender Gap Report question and the surrogacy question that many students found hardest this session.
Our team confirms the price on chat and sends the PDF to the same WhatsApp number. If you also need other courses from your semester, mention their codes in the same message.
11. BGDG 172 Gender Sensitization FAQs
These answers cover the questions BGDG 172 students ask us most before buying the solved paper.
How do I get the full solved question paper on WhatsApp?
Send a message to WhatsApp 9899436384 with the course code BGDG 172 and the session June 2026. Our team replies with the price and delivery details, and the solved PDF reaches you on the same chat. The full file answers all 14 questions in the paper, which includes the 2 shown on this page and the 12 that are answered only in the file.
Which questions are answered in full on this page?
Two questions from the June 2026 paper are answered in full here. Q3, a 15-mark Section A question, defines marriage and explains its forms with Indian laws and examples. Q9, a 10-mark Section B question, explains masculinity and femininity using Connell and de Beauvoir. Together they show the depth and word length you can expect in every other answer of the file.
How many questions does the June 2026 paper have?
The June 2026 paper has 14 questions in two sections. Section A offers 8 questions of 15 marks each and Section B offers 6 questions of 10 marks each. You answer four from each section, so eight answers in all, for a maximum of 100 marks in 3 hours. Section A expects about 500 words and Section B about 300.
How many credits is BGDG 172?
BGDG 172 Gender Sensitization: Society and Culture is a 6-credit Generic Elective offered by the School of Gender and Development Studies. In the final result, assignments carry 30 per cent weightage and the term-end exam carries 70 per cent, so a strong exam script still decides most of your grade in this course.
Which programmes include BGDG 172?
BGDG 172 is taken by learners in the Bachelor of Arts (General), Bachelor of Arts (Gender Studies) and several Honours streams, namely History, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration and English, plus the B.Sc. (Honours) Anthropology. All of them sit the same question paper on the same date, so this solved paper works for every one of these programme codes.
Which BGDG 172 topics repeat most often in IGNOU papers?
In six official papers from December 2022 to December 2025, the social construction of gender appeared every time. Masculinity, gender and language, gender and media, reproductive health and gender gaps in work each appeared in five papers. Sexual harassment at the workplace and gender-based violence appeared in four, which makes these the safest areas to prepare first.
Did the exam pattern change for June 2026?
Yes, the BGDG 172 pattern has changed several times. Older papers asked any five of eight questions at 20 marks each. June 2024, December 2025 and June 2026 instead used two sections, with 15-mark long answers and 10-mark short answers. Practise both 500-word and 300-word answers, because IGNOU has moved between the two formats from one session to the next.
How should I use the solved paper for December 2026?
Read each answer once for content, then try writing the same question yourself within the word limit and compare. Pay extra attention to the Motherhood unit, which supplied three questions in June 2026, and to language and media, which were missing this time but appeared in five earlier papers. Finish by timing a full eight-answer practice paper in three hours.
12. Who Wrote and Checked the BGDG 172 Answers
The BGDG 172 answers were written by the Unnati Educations subject team and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola.
Prateek Talwar, founder of Unnati Educations, leads the IGNOU solved-paper series and prepares answers from the course blocks and the official term-end paper. Sheetal Kirola, Academic Head (M.Ed.), checks every answer for accuracy, word length and plain language before it is sent to students.