Ishan BhatnagarAIR 5 · CSE 2025 · 197 wordsTheir whole copy
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Plural societies like India have multiple bases of identity like religion, race, caste, gender, place of nativity etc. Crenshaw proposes an intersectional approach that sees identities and deprivations as cumulative.
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Role of religion in shaping social identities
1.> Religion as a way of life | In 'Religious Consciousness' G.S. Ghurye argued that religion shapes lifestyles, customs, ways of dressing, values etc.
2.> Religion as totalizing experience | T.N. Madan argues that religion is a totalizing factor that incorporates even the domain of the secular, decision of business, family etc.
3.> Impact on construction of family — Religion reinforces patriarchal values (Leela Dube), and
impacts view of marriage as sacrament (Hinduism), contract (Islam).
Role of religion in shaping political identities
1.> Communalism → "false consciousness" (Bipan Chandra) where religious identity used to create narrative of conflicting interests → basis of communalization.
2.> Political entrepreneurs → misuse religious identity for mobilization, including riots during elections (Paul Brass).
3.> Religiosity, coupled with relative deprivation and historical narrative of oppression leads to majoritarianism and minoritarianism (Jaffrelot).
Ashish Nandy thus argues against de-emphasizing innate religious identity but rather emphasizing tolerance as founding value of religion in India for social peace and harmony.
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