ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Caste discriminationSubscribe to Caste discrimination

From Resources to Functionings

The role of social and cultural capital in reproducing caste hierarchies and shaping the capabilities and functioning of different caste groups in percussion arts in Kerala is examined. The macro-sociological framework of Pierre Bourdieu and the individual-centric capabilities approach of Amartya Sen is integrated, for this inquiry. Emphasising the artists’ lived experiences of caste discrimination in the field of performing arts, the interviews elaborate upon the role of caste status in maintaining power and domination of the “upper”-caste artists. This adversely affects the opportunities for performance, recognition in the field, upward economic mobility and even the expression of dissent for the artists from the historically marginalised castes.

Legislating against Caste

Capturing Caste in Law: The Legal Regulation of Caste Discrimination by Annapurna Waughray; New York: Routledge, 2022; pp 336, £130.

Anti-caste Legislations in Seattle and California

Marking a historic moment in the global struggle against caste injustice, recent legislations in Seattle and California explicitly ban caste discrimination. The legal category of caste in these pieces of legislation is a product of decades of transnational activism by Dalits. It is also a category with a signifi cant history in the United States.

Who Does a Cyclone Actually Affect? Analysing the Impacts of Major Cyclones in India

While “natural disasters” such as cyclones cause widespread and indiscriminate devastation, their impact is much worse for vulnerable communities. Such groups face the brunt of not only the cyclone but also of inefficient government planning, caste discrimination, health problems and apathy.

Regurgitative Violence

The violence against marginalised students by a teacher at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is intrinsically related to the Brahminic cultural psyche of elite higher education institutions in India. It stands as testimony that post-independence India’s modern secular education has failed to replace caste as an institution to build “character” in terms of the capacity for living with others. The vitality rather than the ideology of caste is the subject of this analysis, tracing the historical and social formation of these elite institutions and caste in them.

 

Caste and Labour Market

This paper estimates the extent of discrimination in employment, occupation and wages against the Scheduled Castes and its impact on poverty in urban regular salaried labour market in recent years. Discrimination in employment and wages is found to be very high in private sector and lesser in public sector. Discrimination in employment and wages leads to reduced wage income which enhances poverty of the discriminated group. The finding calls for policy reform in both private and public sectors to ensure non-discriminatory access to SCs in employment and wages.

 

 

COVID-19: Examining the Impact of Lockdown in India after One Year

One year after its announcement in March 2020, the consequences of India’s strict COVID-19 lockdown measures and ineffective policy responses continue to be felt, be it in terms of livelihood loss and economic downturn or increased marginalisation of vulnerable sections of society.

Dalit Narrative and Dalit Representation in Indian Cinema

While Hollywood has begun making some amends for the poor representation of marginalised communities, Indian cinema has a long way to go.

The Intersection of Caste and Child Labour in Bihar

Bihar has the third-largest number of child labourers in the country. Although there have been numerous legislations and schemes to address the issue, they could not provide a lasting solution. The need of the hour is to look at the inextricable link between caste and the children who form the workforce, and to devise solutions accordingly.

Reconciliations of Caste and Medical Power in Rural Public Health Services

Drawing from an ethnographic study conducted in a Karnataka village, the unfavourable differential treatments against Dalit patients in rural public health services are delineated. An analysis of medical interactions shows that as compared to non-Dalits, Dalit patients experienced more apathy, denial, and avoidance behaviours from service providers. Surprisingly, most Dalits did not attribute this to their caste, but to the flaws of the public health delivery system. Caste and allopathic medical practice are embedded in the rural public health delivery system, and both camouflage and normalise discrimination in paternalistic medical interactions. This sustains the favourable environment for caste-based discrimination in rural public health services even in places where Dalit consciousness is strong.

Caste Discrimination in Higher Education

The death of Rohith Vemula once again triggered an intense debate on the prevalence of caste discrimination in higher education. Addressing the situation from a legal perspective, the shortcomings of the existing legal norms on caste discrimination become apparent, especially when compared with the regulations on ragging. Effective measures to overcome caste discrimination in higher education are then the need of the hour.

Pages

Back to Top