Inter-group relationships of interdependence between the Adivasi people and the Jesuits in India: Emergence of a new identity

Abstract

This study aims at exploring relationships between social groups from the perspective of the historical colonization. The general objective of the study has been to comprehend the nature of the relation between identities that have come in contact with each other with reference to differences in power. In this article, we seek to understand the nature of the encounter between the Jesuit identity and the Adivasi identity in two Jesuit provinces in India. A total of fifty-six interviews were conducted. Using grounded theory methodology, we have built a model of interdependence among the identities of these groups. The analysis reveals how the interaction centred in the self-respect facilitates the construction of inclusive identities. In this way, a potential model has been drawn into which the identity frontiers can blur to conform to the construction of more inclusive identities.