This book delves into the socialisation process in the distinctive spheres of the family, community and school, highlighting its unfavourable impact on girls' schooling and their 'school life expectancy' in India. Through extensive fieldwork in selected tribal and rural areas in the Indian State of Odisha, it carefully explores various dimensions of the disempowering process of socialisation in relation to schooling and dropping out among tribal, other backward classes and scheduled caste girls.This volume makes an important intervention in gender and education by focusing on the sociological implications of how education is gendered for girls. It aims to explore the complexity of societal factors contributing to girls leaving formal education prematurely. It examines the societal, cultural and systemic barriers they face and how girls enrolled in a particular community construct their educational goals. It also assesses the feasibility of those goals and addresses or overcomes the obstacles to completing their education, especially in rural settings.This book will make a significant contribution to the field by offering valuable insights to scholars in education, gender studies, sociology, anthropology, development studies, policymakers and anyone else interested in promoting gender equality in education. It will also be crucial as it comprehensively explains the complexities surrounding girls' education, contextualised within the India's social and cultural context.
