A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1999

Spatial and social processes are inextricably linked. Hence gender relations as an inherent part of social relations get built into spatial forms of any society. Spatial segregation by the sexes was the mark of traditional societies. This has diminished somewhat in modern and postmodern societies due to various factors, perhaps the most important being the entry of women into the public sphere and their associated economic independence. This study looks at the traditional, modern and postmodern types of housing in two cities - Ahmedabad and Berlin - through the lens of gender and culture. The method employed is to understand women's and men's choices and preferences, how they have not been incorporated in the builtform and how they even differ from architect's conceptualization. While there have been changes over time, these changes in housing have not been in proportion with the changes in gender relations in society which, in turn, have not kept pace with the way women's needs and priorities have changed. The modern and the postmodern framework help understand the changes occurring in the built form. And feminist standpoint analysis helps understand the various biases that have crept into the housing even during these so-called progressive movements, thus maintaining and perpetuating gender imbalances. The housing must reflect the current needs of society, and that entails reflecting the needs of both women and men equally. It is also necessary that the houses achieve flexibility, allowing for change · over time in household consumption and size. The larger need, however, is for a reconceptualization of gender roles such that spatial differences start dissolving. This will also correspond with the changing status of women in society vis a vis men.