Stratification In India Research Articles

Class in caste: Inequalities in human capital investments in children in India

Caste is a unique marker of social stratification in India. There are significant eco- nomic inequalities and considerable disparities in educational achievements between historically disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Unequal investments in their chil- dren’s human capital by caste can perpetuate income inequalities and reproduce class differences between caste groups. This paper analyses caste-based disparities in house- hold expenditure on children’s school education using nationally representative social expenditure data on education from 2007–08 and 2017–18 in India. The paper uses a recentered influence function (RIF) based decomposition analysis to pinpoint the key factors underpinning the disparity in private educational expenditure between disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Further, to overcome the problem of heterogeneity of data the study also employs propensity score matching (PSM) as robustness check for the decomposition analysis. The findings from decomposition and matching approaches reveal that differences in endowments, specifically income differences, between caste groups explain most of the caste-based gap in children’s human capital investments. The study has implications for public policy to address educational and economic disparities between disadvantaged caste groups (ST, SC and OBC) and Others in India.

Uneven burden of multidimensional poverty in India: A caste based analysis.

Poverty is multifaceted. The global poverty profile shows 41% of multidimensionally poor people living in South Asian countries. Though castes and tribes are a more prevalent line of social stratification in India, and their socio-economic characteristics also vary remarkably, hardly any study has explored these dimensions while analysing multidimensional poverty in India. Hence, this study attempts to assess the multidimensional status of poverty among the social groups in India. National Family Health Survey, 2015–16 (NFHS-4) is a source of rich information on 579,698 households’ well-being for this analysis. Alkire- Foster technique was applied to decompose the Multidimensional Poverty Index (M0) across its dimensions and indicators for all the social groups. Three broad dimensions of deprivation–Health, Education and Standard of Living–include 12 indicators, guided by the poverty literature, data availability and the country’s sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There were three main findings in this study: (1) Scheduled Tribes (STs) are the most disadvantaged subgroup in India with remarkably high values of headcount (H = 0.444;), intensity (A = 0.486), and M0 (0.216), followed by Scheduled Castes (SCs) (H = 0.292; A = 0.473; M0 = 0.138), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) (H = 0.245; A = 0.465; M0 = 0.114); and Others category is the most privileged with very low values of H = 0.149, A = 0.463, and M0 = 0.069; (2) STs contribute nearly twice their population share for both H and M0, and the SCs contribution is also noticeably higher than their population share; (3) States located in the central and eastern regions of India have the higher H, A and M0 for all the social groups. This suggests that there is a need for a thorough assessment of poverty at specific levels to uncover the poverty situation in society, improve the effectiveness of evidence-based planning and effective policymaking.

Making of the Sacred in India: Religious or Social Othering?

Sacred in ecclesiastical terms is understood as something kept apart towards attainment of ‘real’ for the social group where real is transcendental. The group is generally considered as one unit, and, therefore, religion in this way becomes instrumental in attainment of higher end of all. Hinduism, when analysed as a religion, provides an epistemic reality of othering in the society and sacred text becomes basis for origin and continuation of peculiar social stratification in India. Looking in this way, Hinduism defies some universal characteristics assigned to the term ‘religion’, especially on the progressive count, and appears to be static and status quoist. This paper is an attempt to highlight such an aspect with the help of a meticulous and erudite analysis by Dr B. R. Ambedkar.

Social Stratification

No society is classes or without strata. Social stratification is part and parcel of social life. Every society defines a means of categorizing each person into a particular social group. The placement of each individual in turn determines his value, as defined by the larger society: hence, the greater role of society in defining every person’s value. Differences in values and statuses of individual engender stratification in the society. If social stratification affected only such matters as who gets elected as president or who becomes the chief executive officer, separate chapter might not be dedicated to its discussion. But social stratification does much more: it results in some members of society benefiting greatly and others suffering. We shall discuss the characteristics of social stratification, forms of social stratification, and social stratification in India.

A new approach for detecting multiple‐equilibria poverty traps

AbstractDespite a large literature, empirical evidence on multiple‐equilibria poverty traps remains elusive. Current empirical methods estimate average welfare‐dynamics, which masks inherent heterogeneity across households. We develop an alternative approach that allows welfare‐dynamics to differ across the household wealth distribution. Drawing on the literature on regression discontinuity designs, we propose a new statistical test for detecting multiple‐equilibria and poverty traps. We demonstrate the approach using panel data on over 6000 rural households in India. Our application contributes to the economic development literature by examining poverty within caste, the main source of social stratification in India.

Social stratification: past, present, and future

ABSTRACT ‘Social Stratification, Past, Present, and Future’ celebrates the 50th anniversary of the annual Cambridge Social Stratification Seminar. This editorial presents a brief characterisation of the ‘Cambridge school’ approach that has featured prominently through the seminar’s lifetime. Then it discusses the domains and topics explored in this issue – education; intergenerational transmission of inequality; family, work and employment; occupations; migration for work; housing, and political preferences. While most of the papers focus on Great Britain, several papers involve international comparisons, one focuses on stratification in India, and another on China. Collectively, researchers reveal how social hierarchy influences people’s lives, and reproduces fairly stably over time. The papers also contribute to understanding the sometimes counter-intuitive outcomes that challenge those charged with policy development.

An Economic Analysis of the Reservation Policy in India

Persistent socio-religious stratification in India has resulted in widespread inequity in all spheres of life, particularly for those born in the lower ranks of the social caste order. The effects of these inequities are visible amongst the lower caste in the form of poverty, low standards of living, unemployment, and lack of education. To counter this, India’s government introduced a reservation policy as a form of affirmative action that reserves a percentage of legislative seats for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Castes in the spheres of education, employment, and politics. This paper looks into the usefulness of this policy in making better opportunities available for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and examines its effectiveness using economic analysis. In doing so, the paper explores certain problems, such as ambiguous data, child labor, and rent-seeking behavior, and recommends setting up better screening methods to rectify these issues in an effort to ensure equitable distribution of welfare benefits amongst the recipients of the reservation policy.

Metaphors of Conquest: Towards the Aesthetics of Dalit Feminism through Select Texts and Contexts

One of the aims of writing dalit literature in India has been to reveal to the readers the injustice, oppression, helplessness and struggles of many of the disadvantaged populations under the social machine of stratification in India. Caste politics in India is unique and culture specific. Dalit feminism is unique in Indian context. The stratified Indian society beguiles the dalit women to the whirlpool of social oppression and exploitation. It is against any sort of class distinction. Conceiving the ideology of Dr B. R. Ambedkar: ‘Educate, agitate, organize’ dalit women write back.

Impact of restricted marital practices on genetic variation in an endogamous Gujarati group

Recent studies have examined the influence on patterns of human genetic variation of a variety of cultural practices. In India, centuries-old marriage customs have introduced extensive social structuring into the contemporary population, potentially with significant consequences for genetic variation. Social stratification in India is evident as social classes that are defined by endogamous groups known as castes. Within a caste, there exist endogamous groups known as gols (marriage circles), each of which comprises a small number of exogamous gotra (lineages). Thus, while consanguinity is strictly avoided and some randomness in mate selection occurs within the gol, gene flow is limited with groups outside the gol. Gujarati Patels practice this form of "exogamic endogamy." We have analyzed genetic variation in one such group of Gujarati Patels, the Chha Gaam Patels (CGP), who comprise individuals from six villages. Population structure analysis of 1,200 autosomal loci offers support for the existence of distinctive multilocus genotypes in the CGP with respect to both non-Gujaratis and other Gujaratis, and indicates that CGP individuals are genetically very similar. Analysis of Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial haplotypes provides support for both patrilocal and patrilineal practices within the gol, and a low-level of female gene flow into the gol. Our study illustrates how the practice of gol endogamy has introduced fine-scale genetic structure into the population of India, and contributes more generally to an understanding of the way in which marriage practices affect patterns of genetic variation.

Caste System and Social Stratification in India

The Castes are hereditary endogamous group with fixed traditional occupations, observing commensal prohibition and social restrictions on interaction. It is believed that there are about 3,000 castes in the country. These castes are grouped as upper castes (like Brahmins, Rajputs, Baniyas,Kayasthas,etc.), intermediate castes (like Ahir,Sunar,Kurmi, etc.) and lower caste (like Dhobi, Nai, etc.). The castes are linked with the four varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas,Vaisya, and Sudra) for determining the status in ritual hierarchy. I am of the opinion that the caste system in Hinduism has been unduly highlighted by the media and state that one way to discredit any system is to highlight its excesses, and this only adds to the sense of inferiority that many Indians feel about their own culture. Caste system is often portrayed as the ultimate horror, in the media Thus Caste system is going to stay permanently in India and all slogans denouncing the system is a pure and mere eye wash. caste system although was not sanctioned by Vedas made inroads into the society and got entrenched. With Government policies, further irreparable damage has been done to the society and it would be impossible to eradicate the evil. Vested interests have developed due to various reservations where merit is thrown to winds.

An empirical analysis of assortative mating in India and the U.S.

This paper uses a conditional logit model to analyze empirically how individuals sort themselves through marriage into households in India and the U.S. The results support positive assortative mating of spouses with respect to age and schooling. We find no evidence in favor of Becker's theory of labor market specialization in couples. Moreover, while similarity in age is the strongest predictor of marital choice in India, education of a prospective spouse plays a more important role in the U.S. Finally, we find that while dowry increases the likelihood of women marrying men with characteristics dissimilar to their own, availability of a mate has a positive effect on the degree of stratification in India.

Book reviews and notices : K.L. SHARMA, Social stratification in India: Issues and themes. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1997. 218 pp. References, index. Rs. 295 (hardback)/Rs. 165 (paperback)

Book reviews and notices : K.L. SHARMA, Social stratification in India: Issues and themes. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1997. 218 pp. References, index. Rs. 295 (hardback)/Rs. 165 (paperback)

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:Peter Chapman, general editor, Historical Records of Australia: Resumed Series III, Despatches and Papers Relating to the History of Tasmania, Volume VII. Tasmania, January–December 1828Various authors, Edward Gibbon Wakefield and the Colonial Dream: A ReconsiderationGed Martin, Edward Gibbon Wakefield: Abductor and MystagogueRosamond Siemon, The Mayne InheritanceStephen Garton, The Cost of War: Australians ReturnBridget Goodwin, Keen As Mustard: Britain’s Horrific Chemical Warfare Experiments in AustraliaMeredith Burgmann and Verity Burgmann, Green Bans, Red Union: Environmentalism and the New South Wales Builders Labourers’ FederationTim M. Berra, A Natural History of AustraliaGregory Melleuish, The Packaging of Australia: Politics and Culture WarsErrol Cocks, Charlie Fox, Mark Brogan and Michael Lee, eds, Under the Blue Skies: The Social Construction of Intellectual Disability in Western AustraliaR.A. Markus, Gregory the Great and His WorldCaroline Litzenberger, The English Reformation and the Laity: Gloucestershire, 1540–1580Peter Marshall, ed., The Impact of the English ReformationTom Webster, Godly Clergy in Early Stuart England: The Caroline Puritan Movement, c. 1620–1643Adrian Wilson, ed., Rethinking Social History: English Society 1570–1920 and its InterpretationDavid Alexander, Richard Newton and English Caricature in the 1790sDavid Taylor, The New Police in Nineteenth‐Century England: Crime, Conflict and ControlBernard Lightman, ed., Victorian Science in ContextGeoffrey V. Sutton, Science for a Polite Society: Gender, Culture and the Demonstration of EnlightenmentEdna Hindie Lemay and Alison Patrick, Revolutionaries at Work: The Constituent Assembly, 1789–1791Martin Kitchen, The Cambridge Illustrated History of GermanyDouglas Newton, British Policy and the Weimar Republic 1918–1919Andrei Sinyavsky, The Russian IntelligentsiaBruce Russett, No Clear and Present Danger A Skeptical View of the United States Entry into World War IIPaul N. Goldstene, Revolution American Style: The Nineteen‐Sixties and BeyondVamik D. Volkan, Norman Itzkowitz and Andrew W. Dod, Richard Nixon: A PsychobiographyEric Jones, Lionel Frost and Colin White, Coming Full Circle: An Economic History of the Pacific RimStephen Alomes and Michael Provis, eds, French Worlds, Pacific Worlds: French Nuclear Testing in Australia’s BackyardNicholas Tarling, Nations and States in Southeast AsiaDavid Kelly and Anthony Reid, eds, Asian Freedoms: The Idea of Freedom in East and Southeast AsiaEdmund Terence Gomez and Jomo K.S., Malaysia’s Political Economy: Politics, Patronage and ProfitsMartin Stuart‐Fox, History of LaosChristopher Kremmer, Stalking the Elephant Kings: In Search of LaosGrant Evans, The Politics of Ritual and Remembrance: Laos Since 1975K.L. Sharma, Social Stratification in India: Issues and ThemesVera Mackie, Creating Socialist Women in Japan: Gender, Labour and Activism, 1990–1937Ian Bellany, The Environment in World Politics: Exploring the LimitsDavid Shearman with Gary Sauer‐Thompson, Green or Gone: Health, Ecology, Plagues, Greed and Our FutureDaniel S. Geller and J. David Singer, Nations at War: A Scientific Study of International ConflictDaniel Pick, War Machine: The Rationalisation of Slaughter in the Modern Age

Social stratification in India: issues and themes

Introduction Theoretical and Methodological Issues Culture and Social Stratification Social Stratification in Rural-Agrarian Settings Social Stratification in Urban-Industrial Settings Social Stratification in Weaker Sections of Society Gender and Social Stratification Social Mobility New Dimensions in the Studies of Caste, Class, Ethnicity and Power

Shaping of the Traditional Pattern of Stratification in India: An Analysis of Processes Through the Ages

Stratification, that is, the structuring of society on the basis of differential social status of various groups, is a common feature of human societies. But the traditional pattern of social stratification in India has certain characteristics which are rather unique, and these have attracted and intrigued many scholars all over the world. The structural and cultural characteristics of the traditional pattern of stratification in India have deep roots in the past. They have stemmed from certain peculiar ethnic constellations that came into being some three thousand years ago, and they have been given many twists and turns by numerous socio-cultural currents and cross currents through all these millennia.

The Emerging Patterns of Urban Social Stratification in India

The Emerging Patterns of Urban Social Stratification in India

Muslim Social Stratification in India: The Basis for Variation

Despite close similarities between Muslim and Hindu stratification in India, anthropologists have been aware of differences. Muslim stratification is looser, purity considerations are less important, and social mobility is easier than they are among Hindu castes. The basis for these differences is found in the structure of Muslim stratification and in the Muslim view of social order. Does Muslim stratification represent in the same sense as the Hindu form? There is no simple answer. This is in part because the nature of Muslim stratification varies throughout India. A typology of forms reveals a range between true caste (comparable to the Hindu form) and organization into classes. Possible causes of this variation are suggested.

Closed Social Stratification in India

I can distinguish four separate referents of ‘caste’ in India. I) Caste as varna. There are four (sometimes five) varna (‘colour’) in India, and in order of ranking these are, as everyone knows, Brahmans or priests, Ksattriyas or warriors, Vaisyas or men of commerce, and Sudras who are workmen. These varna are not groups but categories. They are not exhaustive, since some of the population (e.g. such non-Hindus as Muslims or Tribals, and the Untouchables of Hinduism itself) do not fall within the four categories.