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Janhvi Singh
Keywords:
Hegemonic masculinity, male youth, school dropout, informal employment, gender identity, India, labour economics.
Abstract:
In India, the early exit of male youth from schooling into the informal workforce is conventionally explained through the lens of household poverty. This article argues that such explanations, while partially valid, are incomplete. Drawing on R. W. Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus, and using secondary data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2022–23) and the NSSO 75th Round, the article demonstrates that gender identity — specifically the internalized belief that a "real man" must earn — operates as an independent driver of early school dropout among male youth, accelerating workforce entry even in households where immediate economic survival is not the primary constraint. Cross-tabulations show a persistent male–female dropout gap within identical income quintiles, and higher male dropout even where a household earner is already present, patterns that a purely economic account cannot explain. The article concludes that policy responses built solely around financial incentives are insufficient, and that lasting change requires parallel cultural interventions that decouple masculine self-worth from premature earning. The findings contribute to the emerging interdisciplinary literature bridging gender sociology and labour economics in the Indian context.
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International Journal of Recent Research and Review
ISSN: 2277-8322
Vol. XIX, Issue 3
September 2026
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PUBLISHED
September 2026
ISSUE
Vol. XIX, Issue 3
SECTION
Articles
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