Since the 1990’s India has been experiencing a wave of industrialization that looks to modernize its political and social infrastructure by altering long existing laws and traditions which limit its economic capability in a modern world. Possessing a well-educated, English speaking labor force along with natural resources has made India a long sought-after market for foreign investors. However, a protectionist mindset and a culture that is leery of foreigners has produced laws and customs adverse to such investment. However, with changes to their Constitution as well as leaders originating from the lower castes, India has adopted democratic policies which seek to leverage the power distance factor identified by Hofstede (Moran Abramson 2014), placing it in a better position to optimize the resources found in its labor force. Actions such as industrial deregulation, the privatization of formerly state-owned businesses, and reduced controls of foreign investment and international trade are examples of initiatives designed to bolster its economy (Moran Abramson 2014). One of the effects of this modernization is the pressure to abolish use of its ancient caste system, which has traditionally prevented upward mobilization of lower castes and isolated intermingling of members between castes.
For more than 3000 years India’s social structure has been dominated by customs and traditions established as a result of their dominant religion: Hinduism. It is through Hinduism that Brahma, the God of Creation in the Hindu belief system established and sanctioned the stratification of India’s people according to their family occupation within society. This system of division is referred to as the caste system. Each caste, or varna, is represented by a different part of Brahma’s body in order of descending priority beginning from the head moving down to the feet. Considered the most esteemed in society and therefore the highest caste, or varna, are Brahmins. Represented by the head of Brahma are doctors, teachers, engineers, and priests. Moving down in prestige, representing the arms, are the Kshatriyas, who are traditionally the rulers or warriors. Next are the Vaishyas. They are represented by the legs of Brahma and work as merchants, farmers, and traders. Next to last are the Shudras, who typically work as laborers, and are represented by the feet of the deity. A final caste of society which is believed to be excluded from this list due to the undesirable nature of their work are the Dalits. They serve as streetsweepers or latrine cleaners. They are considered the outcasts of society (BBC 2019). Within the main castes are to be found more than three thousand divisions of castes as well as twenty-five thousand subcategories. These are referred to as jatis. The caste system was developed as a way to organize people and add structure to society. Within the caste system members of different castes are not allowed to intermarry, socialize, or live within the same communities. Prior to the British colonialization of India in the eighteenth century, the caste system was not rigidly enforced. Members among the various castes experienced more relaxed social rules. However, during colonialization, the British, in an effort to conduct census and establish better systems of classification enforced the ancient tradition of the caste system.
As India’s economy becomes more industrialized and with it the creation of jobs requiring higher levels of education for both men and women, long held attitudes and values such as the role of women in society and the relegation of members to menial jobs based solely on the caste system are being challenged. With these challenges members of lower castes seek social mobility. Social mobility is the movement from the traditional occupation of one caste to a better occupation found within another. A study by Divya Vaid (The Caste-Class Association in India 2012) examines the effects of modernization on India’s caste system. It not only seeks to answer the question of whether these changes have facilitated social mobility between the castes, varnas, but also examines mobility of various classes of people, jatis, within the castes. What this study found is that upward mobility exists primarily amongst those members of the intermediate castes such as the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, leaving occupations traditional to their caste, and working in those found in higher castes. Interestingly enough, the author found the extremes of the caste system the most rigid when it came to social mobility. Those of the highest caste such as the Brahmins and those of the lowest caste such as the Dalits tended to remain in their traditional occupations. When the author examined the causes for this, her research indicated the Dalits wanted to advance into occupations of those held by upper castes, however, resistance from those of the higher castes wanting to sustain traditional roles was strong. Despite this trend, data indicates while members of the outcast groups found it difficult to move between castes, this did not imply that members of the uppermost caste were insulated from downward mobility.
This disparity between the castes is also changing as a result of a fluid political structure. As India becomes more socially liberal, which seems to be an inevitable byproduct of modernization, changes in the law follow. On 26 January 1950 the Indian Constitution was adopted. With this adoption came several changes in how society operates. One such change is the development of “reservations”. These are constitutionally recognized groups afforded preferential policies. As a result of this, quotas are reserved for those of the lower castes in institutions of higher learning, public sector jobs, and within the legislature. Also, today discrimination based on caste is illegal (Moran Abramson 2014). These initiatives reflect an India that recognizes that systems that may have worked in the past will no longer be appropriate in the future and that the road to advancement and prosperity lies with the undeveloped human resources inherent in its people across all castes and classes and not just the upper echelon. Two examples of this are BR Ambedkar, a member of the Dalit caste, who authored the Indian Constitution; and KR Narayanan, the nation’s first Dalit president. These two men represent examples of the benefits of the democracy in comparison to the caste system.
Resources
BBC. (2019). What is India’s Caste System? 19 June, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35650616
Vaid, Divya. (2012). The Caste-Class Association in India: An Empirical Analysis. Asian Survey, Vol. 52, No. 2 (March/April 2012). University of California Press pp. 395-422.
Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. Chapter 1: Global Leaders, Culture, and a Changing World. (New York: Routledge). p.19, 368, 369.
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