The comparison of Individualism-collectivism for China and India scores India really made me realize I may not have a particularly good understanding of these countries’ cultures. I know that China is a communist government nation, so their score being so low on the individualism side did not shock me. The state provides for everyone, so everyone in turn works for the state. India though, being right on the average of the world really got me asking myself what I really knew about the Indian culture. My opinions are based on the vague understanding of the caste system, the staggering number of gang rapes that used to make the news of women, and that it was quite possibly the most beautiful but dirtiest places in the world at the same time.
The world average for the cultural dimension of individualism is 45.17, and India’s score of 48 is almost the same as the world average. That means that India contains a blend of individualistic and collectivistic tendencies.[1] How can a culture with rules in place dictating someone’s future based on their caste system score right in line with the rest of the world? My limited understanding is that you are born into a caste grouping and then the rest of your life is based on that caste. You marry within that caste; certain careers are open to you based on your caste system. So how does this county not score lower, since to me it is more of a collectivism country?
Before I could begin to get to the bottom of this, I realized I might need a refresher on the caste system in place. The caste system is the Hindu social and religious hierarchy, created a few thousand years ago. Traditionally, a person’s caste is determined at birth and channels them into that caste’s occupation. At the top are Brahmins, priests and religious scholars. At the bottom are Dalits, who are technically outside the caste system and do the dirtiest jobs — cleaning sewers, taking away dead animals, tanning leather and other tasks considered to pollute a person in Hinduism. [2] As I read this article, I felt even more confused, as to me I was basically reading what I has assumed was the case all along. People in India are born into a caste and there is no way out of that caste.
The article I found on this follows a Dalit man named Suraj Yengde, who broke free from this caste system to America, and became a very successful lawyer with a masters of law and a doctorate and is currently a fellow at the Shorenstein Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. I stopped as I read that part of the story, wondering to myself how difficult that journey must have been. The Indian Constitution of 1950 deemed caste discrimination to be illegal, but here this article is written in 2019 and this young man broken thru this discrimination to become an outlier. Suraj makes this powerful statement about the caste system. “Caste is primarily an occupation-based system. You are given the position in the job hierarchy,” he says. “So the filthiest or the lowest-considered jobs were given to the ‘Untouchable’ population, and their ancestors and their ancestors and on and on, have been doing the same job — cleaning the human filth with their bare hands.”[3] So again, I am more confused at ow this county had a median score basically. Then I did some searching on how this can be and of course, it hit me as soon as I read the next article.
The score is reflective of not only the caste system in place, but because of the Hindu religion. In a piece by Hofstede Insights, it was written clear as day. The Individualist aspect of Indian society is seen as a result of its dominant religion/philosophy – Hinduism. The Hindus believe in a cycle of death and rebirth, with the manner of each rebirth being dependent upon how the individual lived the preceding life. People are, therefore, individually responsible for the way they lead their lives and the impact it will have upon their rebirth. This focus on individualism interacts with the otherwise collectivist tendencies of the Indian society which leads to its intermediate score on this dimension.[4] And just like that BOOM! The answer I was looking for, and honestly never once had I even thought religion would be the reason. But still, I feel baffled because on one hand the religion drives you to individualism et still there is blatant discrimination and violence against those deemed unworthy, from a caste system that dictates most people’s lives and jobs? I feel like I will have to venture deepen down the rabbit hole to really et an understanding but for now, at least I answered one questions that I had after reading lesson 10.
[1] canvas learning management system. Penn State Canvas Login. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075490/modules/items/29697204.
[2] Martin, P. (2019, March 5). Even with a Harvard pedigree, caste follows ‘like a shadow’. The World from PRX. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-05/even-harvard-pedigree-caste-follows-shadow.
[3] Martin, P. (2019, March 5). Even with a Harvard pedigree, caste follows ‘like a shadow’. The World from PRX. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-05/even-harvard-pedigree-caste-follows-shadow.
[4] Country Comparison. Hofstede Insights. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/india/.
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