Aishwaryam Prajapati: Sociology II answer copy

Family, in India, is valued, so much that every deity in Hinduism is depicted with family. Am Shah and Pauline Kolenda broke the myth that family is a static institution. AM SHAH'S TYPOLOGY 1. Am shah in his study of Jahanabad (gujrat) says that family is to be seen in terms of orientation towards functions and obligations. 2. He says a family may be structurally nuclear but functionally joint. 3. diagram | Joint family | Son marriage (nuclear family) | child birth again (JOINT family) | child marriage (nuclear family) Thus a family is joint or nuclear by nature of progression or sysession. diagram | Child birth, marriage, adoption | death, Seperation, migration 2. IP Desai study of Mahuwa village, says that Degree of kinship defined family. 1) 0 degree of jointness = Nuclear family (50%) 2) Some degree of jointness = Mutual fulfilment of obligation 3) Highest degree of jointness = A joint family (10%) 3. Paul Kolenda - says that there is a cyclical variation such as diagram | Patrilocal (JF) - Joint | (NF) - Nuclear | Patrilocal (JF) - Joint Thus changing nature of family, has made "Household" a new concept, a dwelling unit more important for analysis. Mandelbaum has described Tribes a people who share some characteristics such as live in forest, no organisational hierarchy, no surplus production, and having a psychological bent to enjoy life. However due to: - diversity of occupation - linguistic diversity - Racial diversity No single definition is universally agreed. SIMILAR FEATURES OF TRIBE IN INDIA 1. Poor representation in government services. 2. High instance of poverty. NITI AAYOG MPI index. every 4 out of 5 poor is a tribal. ST: 8.33% are on verge of Multidimensionally poor. 3. Discrimination - both in covert and manifest form in accessing public places, temples etc. 4. Violence - all tribal people are subject to violence now and then. eg: MP case of man urinating on tribal person. 5. Traditional knowledge - tribals share traditional knowledge and preserve it through generations (through folklores, songs etc). 6. Indigenous language - every tribe has Indigenous mother tongue. 7. Totem - act as unifying symbols. DIVERSE FEATURES - 1. Linguistic diversity: N-E tribes = Austric langug; South tribes = dravidian language. 2. Racial diversity (BS Guha): Proto Australoid (Mundas), Mongolian (Kuki, meiti), Negrito (onges, sentinelese). 3. Religious diversity: chakma, Hajong = Buddhism, Naga, Mizo = Hinduism, Meitis = Christianity. 4. Occupational diversity: shifting cultivation (N-E tribes), Settled agriculture (Santhals), hunting gathering (Bhils). Thus constituting 8% of Indian population (CENSUS 2011) tribals diversity have raised a challange to fit them into ONE SIZE FIT ALL Category, which needs to be corrected. The dawn of 19th century led Indian Renaissance, and many socio-religious reform movements attacked superstition, prejudice and mysticism. SOCIO-RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS 1. Bramho Samaj - Raja Ram Mohan Roy's Bramho Samaj looked forward to: - widow remarriage - end "sati" pratha - women education (David Hare college, Roy's Vedanta college). AR Desai call Raja Mohan Roy as Pioneer of social reform movements. 2. Arya Samaj - vied for: - increasing age of marriage of girls to 16 - women emancipation through wester education. 3. Satyashodhak samaj - by Jyotiba Phule: - pioneered girls education in pune with 35 girls. - set up "Balhatya Nirvan Samiti" to prevent female infanticide and foeticide. 4. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - favoured women education. Taught 30 girls on his own expence. Campaign against widow remarriage led Widow remarriage act. However these socio-reform movements were criticised as-: - Narrow Base with upper caste men and not women participation. - Based on ideas of Western liberalism not suited to India. - grievances of poor, low caste, Dalit women not gave voice, Rather too much focus on religious aspect than socio and economic. However, despite such criticism, socio reform movements brought revolutionary changes to women life by initiating a debate about inequalities suffered by them. Caste is an endogamous group, with common name and association to an occupation. It's reality lies in "Jati" whereas clan has an industrial origin says TB Bottomore. It is based on access and control over forces of production (FOP). CASTE-CLASS NEXUS: 1. Scholars like AD Beremen considers that Caste and power (class) are not two distinct entities but two sides of same coin. He criticises Louis dumont, on seperation and independence of class and caste. 2. Marxist scholar Kathleen gough says that Class and caste have synthesised themselves in her study of kumbapetta village, she shows Agrarian Caste and class structure coincid.. Big Bourgeoisie farmer = High caste; landless farmer = low caste. 3. KV Varghese also says that caste based oppression provides for class based oppression. He says caste acts as a springboard for class oppression, leading to dominance of few. 4. Daniel Thorner also puts through his classification of Malik, Kisan, Mazdoor corresponding to caste (High, low). CASTE-CLASS OPPOSITION: 1) Louis dumont - says that they are distinct, clan and power is independent of caste (such as King status is lower than Brahmin). 2) Andre Beteille through interactionist approach says that now class-caste inequalities has been dispersed, not cumulative (in his Sripuram village study). 3) while caste is a rigid institution, offering less mobility, class offers higher mobility.