Ungendered Social Support for Cancer Patients in the Patriarchal Hegemony in Kerala

Abstract

Although the hallmark set for the Kerala development model is an
egalitarian ideology, the increasing incidence of dowry deaths and gender
discrimination calls for comprehensive and intensive investigations into
the prevailing social reality on gender equality in Kerala. This study explored
one of the worst scenarios in life to find out whether people discriminate
against women there. The study’s objective was to compare the perceived
social support and hope among women and men who have cancer in the
Ernakulam district of Kerala. This study adopted a quantitative survey
method and collected data from 240 cancer patients in 15 randomly selected
panchayats in the Ernakulam district. It elicited their sociodemographic
data, perceived social support and hope, using a self-structured
questionnaire, the multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and
the Herth Hope Index