Q. Analyse the changing nature of caste as a status group.

Model Answer:

Caste as a status group

The caste system in India has undergone significant transformations, evolving from a rigid social hierarchy to a more complex and dynamic structure in contemporary society. Traditionally, as Max Weber described, caste was a closed system of stratification based on ritual purity and occupation. However, modernization, urbanization, and legal reforms have altered its manifestation as a status group.

• Mobility: While historically, caste status was ascribed at birth, there is now increased social and economic mobility. M.N. Srinivas’s concept of “Sanskritization” explains how lower castes adopt practices of higher castes to improve their status.

• Political dimension: Caste has become a significant factor in democratic politics, with caste-based parties and vote banks emerging. This has led to what Rajni Kothari termed “politicization of caste.”

• Economic changes: Economic liberalization has created new opportunities, somewhat weakening the link between caste and occupation. However, as Andre Beteille notes, caste networks still play a role in business and employment.

• Identity assertion: Lower castes have mobilized to demand rights and representation, exemplified by movements like the Dalit Panthers.

Despite these changes, caste continues to influence social interactions, marriages, and discrimination in subtle ways, demonstrating its persistence as a status group in modern India.