---
title: "Notes and summary: social presence of women and men"
subject: "Communication English"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_5/communication_english:notes-summary-womans-presence"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/notes-summary-womans-presence
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Notes and summary: social presence of women and men

Communication English · Chapter 1: Intensive Reading

- Asked in: 2073 Chaitra, 5+5 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/notes-summary-womans-presence
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-1

## Question

Read the following passage carefully, make notes and write a summary of it.
According to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome, the social presence of a woman is different in kind from that of a man. [passage of about 330 words on how a man's presence depends on the promise of power while a woman's presence expresses her attitude to herself, and how women learn to survey themselves] ... Whilst she is walking across a room or whilst she is weeping at the death of her father, she can scarcely avoid envisaging herself walking or weeping. From earliest childhood she has been taught and persuaded to survey herself continually.

## Short answer

By convention a man's presence rests on the promise of power over others, while a woman's presence expresses her attitude to herself and shows what may be done to her. A woman is taught from childhood to survey herself continually. Even while walking or weeping she cannot avoid seeing herself as others see her.

## Answer

#### Notes
**Title: The social presence of women and men**

1. **Difference**
   - By custom (now questioned, not overcome) a woman's presence differs in kind from a man's
2. **Man's presence**
   - Depends on the promise of power he embodies (moral, physical, temperamental, economic, social, sexual)
   - Directed outward, at what he can do to others
3. **Woman's presence**
   - Expresses her own attitude to herself
   - Shows what can and cannot be done to her
   - Shown in gesture, voice, opinions, clothes, surroundings, taste
4. **Self-surveillance**
   - Woman must watch herself continually: is always accompanied by an image of herself
   - Even in grief (weeping at father's death) she sees herself weeping
   - Taught from earliest childhood to survey herself

#### Summary
By long convention, a man's social presence rests on the power he promises to exercise over others, while a woman's presence expresses her attitude to herself and shows what may be done to her. Because her appearance affects how others treat her, a woman is brought up from childhood to watch herself constantly. Even in intimate moments such as walking or mourning, she cannot avoid seeing herself as others see her.

*(About 80 words. Written from the passage's opening, its closing lines and its stated theme.)*

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. On what does a man's social presence depend?
   A. His attitude to himself
   B. How he is watched
   C. His clothes alone
   D. The promise of power he embodies
   Answer: D. His presence is directed outward at what he can do to others. (Key point: Man's presence)

2. What does a woman's presence express?
   A. Her attitude to herself and what can or cannot be done to her
   B. The power she promises over others
   C. Her wealth
   D. Her physical strength
   Answer: A. It is shown in gesture, voice, opinions, clothes and taste. (Key point: Woman's presence)

3. What is meant by woman 'surveying herself'?
   A. She studies science
   B. She continually watches herself and sees herself as others see her
   C. She ignores others
   D. She avoids public places
   Answer: B. Even when weeping at her father's death she envisages herself weeping. (Key point: Self-surveillance)

4. When is this habit taught?
   A. Only in adulthood
   B. At marriage
   C. From earliest childhood
   D. At school only
   Answer: C. She is taught and persuaded to survey herself from childhood. (Key point: Origin)

## Related in Communication English

- [Notes and summary: men and women communication styles](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-men-women-communication) — Communication English, chapter 1
- [Notes and summary: democracy and social conviction](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-democracy-untouchability) — Communication English, chapter 1
- [Notes and summary: heart attack of Valavalkar](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-valavalkar-heart-attack) — Communication English, chapter 1
- [Edit text: woman and sick husband](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-woman-husband-ill) — Communication English, chapter 3
- [Notes and summary: primary health care](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-primary-health-care) — Communication English, chapter 1
- [Notes and summary: religion and wealth](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-religion-wealth) — Communication English, chapter 1