Abstract
A Division of Laborers: Identity and Efficiency in India
Highlights
Work is more than a source of income: it is a part of identity and subject to social norms
To provide an interpretation of the estimated parameter values, let us consider their effects on occupational choice probabilities, which are shifted by exp, as shown in Equation 5
We evaluate the effects of all three channels that link castes to their traditional occupations
Summary
Work is more than a source of income: it is a part of identity and subject to social norms. Occupational choices are not purely economic, but rather the outcome of an individual’s ethnic background, personality, and social aspirations. We analyze occupational choices in the context of the Indian caste system. Each Indian caste is associated with (usually) a single traditional occupation. This occupation was historically seen as the proper vocation for members of that caste in society–their “dharma”. While the end of the link between caste and occupation has often been predicted (Srinivas, 2003), it remains salient for individuals in modern India. Traditional occupations, which are exogenous from the perspective of any single individual, provide a unique opportunity to study the role of identity in occupational choice in a context where an important element of identity is observable and predetermined
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