НЕФОРМАЛЬНЫЕ ОТНОШЕНИЯ В ИНДИЙСКОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ

Abstract

The article analyzes the structure of Indian society from the perspectives of social exchange theory and social capital theory, and the structures of solidarity are considered in the context of changes of the caste system. One of the practice of getting favours on the basis of informal relation is jān-pahchan. That can be translated as ‘getting something done through someone you know’. This kind of relation is known for years in Indian culture, especially in tribal relations, but then the practice of jān-pehcan got the wide acceptance and common usage of in the business as well as in the social relation as the Indian economy turned into a dynamically emerging market Such informal ties allow individuals to overcome caste barriers and create social capital. Practices like jugād̟ and dalālī also create structures of solidarity. Their appearance is caused by the need for the population to solve vital problems, like poverty, lack of resources and weaknesses of bureaucratic institutions. In India, informal relationships on the basis of exchange of favours have a shortage of reciprocity guaranty. The author offers a three-dimensional approach to the analysis of informal group relationships based on loyalty to the patron. The three main aspects that make up the structure of the group are: loyalty, hierarchy and autonomy of members. These variables can be considered as external determinants. Less hierarchical relationships, well known as jān-pahchan, are usually described in the determinants of friendship (pahcān), reciprocity (len-den) and trust (bharosā). These three dimensions can be considered as internal variables and used to describe other network relationships.