Lec #18: Caste, Religion, and Identity in India and beyond Flashcards

1
Q

What is Caste?

A

its a hierarchical system based on:

  • Birth (your descent and biological relationship)
  • Hereditary occupation
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2
Q

What does it mean by caste is a closed system?

A
  • it means it blocks human possibility
  • ascribed status: someones membership is determined at birth
  • restricts upward mobility (which creates discrimination against lower levels of people)
  • marriage is restricted to members of ones own caste (endogamous)
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3
Q

Who are the Dalits (untouchables)?

A
  • the word Dalits means broken, ground down, or oppressed”
  • They do manual jobs like cleaning streets, parks, cleaning toilets, garbage picking
  • considered impure and polluting, so they are physically and socially excluded and isolated from the rest of society
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4
Q

What are some examples of the violence the dalits endured?

A
  • dalits are deprived of reasonable wage for their work and they are often denied education, health care, and employment (due to discriminatory state policies)
  • since dalits are considered impure, higher caste people not supposed to touch them (the idea of superiority and inferiority)
  • dalits are considered less human than all other 4 caste people
  • dalits or lower caste women are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, discrimination, physical violence and sexual abuse
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5
Q

Is the caste system in India racist? Why?

A
  • yes it is b/c clear injustices and inequalities are created to justify all forms of injustices:
  • direct and structural violence (sexual abuse, physical harm, hatred)
  • it produces the idea of racial superiority and inferiority because of the levels each person is at in the caste system
  • considers some humans as less and impure/untouchables
  • degrading people of lower castes
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6
Q

what roles did the british colonial government have in perpetuating caste system in india?

A
  • people always had to identify which caste they were in
  • the privilege of some caste and the oppression of other became more intense
  • they also added the element of colour to the class hierarchy
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