social institutions continuity and change

I. Caste

The term is derived from the Portuguese word ‘casta’which means pure breed. In other words it also means a group/community of people. Caste is also called ‘jati’

Features

1. Ascribed status: determined by birth, you are bom into your status, no choice, permanent.

2. Hierarchical System

3. Endogamous Marriage: Marriage within your caste but outside your gotra, there are honour killings associated with intercaste marriage.

4. Concept of communalist: Each caste has its own rules and regulations in terms of food, rituals, belief, norms etc. and the members have to follow them strictly.

5. Concept of pollution purity: Brahmins are considered as superior and pure and shudras were considered as inferior and impure, hence if a lower caste person touched an upper caste person they considered themselves as impure and go through rituals to clean themselves.

6. Segmental Division: The whole society is divided into castes and sub-castes.

7. Occupation: Brahmins were meant to be priests, teacher, kshatriyas were meant to be warriors, vaishyas were meant to be businessmen or traders, shudras were meant to serve the rest and do all the dirty work.

8. No social mobility: There was no mobility in terms of occupation.

Principles of Caste

1. Differentiation and Separation: Separation in each caste is distinct by itself and has its own rules and regulations:

• Ascribed status

• Occupation

• Endogamous marriage

• Concept of communality

• Concept of pollution and purity

2. Wholism and Hierarchy: Each caste is dependent on the other caste system rather than

egalitarian system. Each caste has its place in the hierarchal system.

• Each caste also has its own occupation, but there was no social mobility.

• Hierarchal system

• Concept of pollution and purity

• Segmental division

Caste and Colonialism

• When the British came to India, they were shocked by two things:

(i) Untouchability

(ii) The number of sub-castes

• They decided to take some initiatives:

(i) Census: To make sure of number and sizes of the castes and sub-castes.

(ii) They wanted to know the values, beliefs, customs, etc of different sections of society,

(iii) Land settlements

• There were three types:

(i) Zamindari: The zamindars/landlords were appointed to collect tax on behalf of the British. However they exploited the farmers and collected more tax than required.

(ii) Ryatwari: They saw that there was a lot of exploitation in the zamindari system. The head of the family collected revenue from the members, this ensures much less exploitation from the zamindari system.

(iii) Mahalwari: Each village was appointed a head who collected taxes from the villagers and this also ensured much less exploitation than the zamindari system.

• Government of India Act of 1935: They used the term Scheduled caste’ and Scheduled Tribes’ and they felt that these people should be looked after.

Caste System and Freedom Struggle

• Everyone came together, including the lower caste people (untouchables)

• Names used for the lower caste: Shudras —» untouchables —» harijans -» schedule castes dalits.

• Many people fought for the upliftment of the Harijan and made it part of the national movement.

e.g. Mahatma Gandhi (Brahmin), BR Ambedkar (Dalit), and Jyotiba Phule (Dalit)

Gandhi’s views

• Harijans should not be ill-treated which includes removal of untouchability and other social evils.

• Upliftment of Harijans was required.

• Even when Harijans are uplifted, the rights and superiority of the Brahmins will remain.

• They should be included in the national movement.

Caste in Contemporary India

• Abolition of untouchability: The implementation of Article 17 was difficult initially because of upper caste people protest.

• Constitution: People should be given jobs without considering castes etc, it should be based on achievements. Now there are reservation for SCs and STs therefore successful SCs and STs become a part of the mainstream leading to the upliftment of the SCs and STs.

• In urban areas, industries were encouraged and job opportunities were given to people irrespective of their caste and based on their skill and qualification.

• However, till today in small areas etc, people still offer jobs based on ones caste e.g. in BSP of Ms Mayawati there are 80% dalits.

• Two aspects where caste is still important

— Marriage– rural areas – honour killings for inter-caste marriage, urban areas – inter caste marriages now accepted.

— Politics– reservation in educational systems, parties etc. It is also called politicisation of caste.

Sanskritisation

When the lower caste tries to copy/imitate, model of the upper caste, without changing their

caste.

Advantage

• Better standard of living.

• Improve social status of everyone.

• The gap between upper caste and lower caste is reduced.

Disadvantage

• Their culture gets eroded.

• They automatically become inferior because they copy them.

• Copy practices such as dowry which declines the position of women.

• It is a positional change, not a structural change.

• People look down to people of their own caste of copying others.

How do they copy?

• Tribals give up eating non-veg and give up drinking alcohol. They thought by giving up their practices, people would consider them of a higher caste/status/ position.

Dominant Caste

After independence there was the zamindari system where the zamindar’s land was sold off to marginal, small and/or landless farmers due to the Land Ceiling Act.

The zamindars thus sold off their land to work in the industries.

Thus the middle/medium landowners acquired the land.

So they had social, political and economic power.

These people comprised of the dominant caste.

Even some shudras got land.

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Upper Caste

• Caste is invisible.

• Achieved status is given more importance than the ascribed status.

• Life chances are better.

• Education also plays a very important role.

• Had resources available (technological and educational).

• Qualifications will be considered.

Lower Caste

• Caste is visible.

• For education there is reservations and it leads to upliftment of the castes.

• In rural areas especially in occupation more importance is given to ascribed status.

• The lower castes take advantages of reservations using caste to push themselves forward.

• They did not have life clauses before but now they use their caste to power themselves.

Tribal Community

• The total population of tribes in India is 8.2%.

• They are also called Janjatis, Adivasis (first inhabitants of our planet), vanjatis and Harijans.

• Have hierarchy but have an egalitarian society.

• Share same name, language, area, occupation, culture e.g. Gonds, Santhals, Gujjars.

• Isolated community are trying to get them into mainstream.

Classification of Tribal Societies

1. Features: