Sociology II · 10 marks · 150 words

There are contestations related to the nature of caste and class in India, while some view caste and class as polar opposites, others view of nexus between caste and class. Discuss.

Answered by 3 toppers · CSE 2023–2025

Syllabus: Caste System: (a) Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille. (b) Features of caste system. (c) Untouchability - forms and perspectives.

How toppers approached it

From all 3 answers · about 180 words · 67% drew a diagram.

Opening

A definition2 of 3
No separate opening1 of 3

Body

Points and prose2 of 3
Points1 of 3

No separate close2 of 3
A summary1 of 3

The toppers’ answers

Saurabh SharmaAIR 23 · CSE 2023 · 125 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Class was non-existent in pre-British era due to absence of surplus production in case of India.

Body · points and prose

As Srinivas describes in his concept of Westernization, that both inter caste and intra caste mobility took place as forces of modernization arrived.

Diagram

Urban: [upper caste, lower caste] -> [upper class, middle class] Rural: [upper caste, lower caste] -> [middle class, lower class] Caste -> Westernization -> Class

Thus "classization of caste" took place. However according to Srinivas class is n't a homogenius identity in case of India due to the absence of common consciousness.

Andre Beteille describes how commutative inequality gave way to dispersed inequality thus higher class status is no longer restricted to a ritually superior caste.

This "castization of class" has resulted in mushrooming up of multiple identities in case of Indian society.

Interplay between ritual hierarchy and secular hierarchy has resulted in both nexus and breaking of caste and class.

More on Caste System

Perspectives on caste (Ghurye, Srinivas, Dumont, Beteille), the features of the caste system, and how caste is changing.

All Sociology II questions on Caste System