What is naming? It is the act of giving a word by which an entity is designated and distinguished from others. So that is the main objective of being named, Identification. But as society evolved throughout the ages, the norms of naming have also changed. Naming becomes much more than that for identification. It went on to define who the person is and.
what is his position in the society. The act of naming became co-related to several norms of the society such as caste, religion, community etc. So when the act of naming is adulterated by the influence of these social norms, the transformation and concentration of power and privilege go into the hands of a certain section of the society and thereby causes inequality. .
Ruth Vanita in her essay "Was Sita Mrs Ram? The Evolution of Women's Surnames" explains how naming helps in transformation of power and privilege. She also explains how the act of changing women's surnames has facilitated the continuous functioning of a male dominated society. It is to be noted to be that this act of changing women's surnames is not a traditional practice. It is more of a result of modernity that came into being during the 1700s. So it is quite evident that the act of naming is more complicated than it is on the outer context. And this where this essay will help you. To go deep into the various parameters of naming, basically understanding it and what implications does it have on our world. Through this essay we will also try to understand the why's and how's of naming that becomes a very.
usual process throughout the different societies but when understood fully will unveil the corrupt notions that we chose not to explore. .
The act of naming can be considered as a facilitator in the transformation of power and privilege to only a small section of the society. Name helps in the identification of a person. But more than that naming helps us in the identification of certain statuses like caste, religion, community etc.