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Paper 2 – Section B –
(ii) Caste System:
(a) Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
(b) Features of caste system.
(c) Untouchability – forms and perspectives
ANDRE BETEILLE
INTRODUCTION
Beteille’s critical contribution has been contextualizing local concepts and understandings, such as caste and class, hierarchy and equality, and in more universal and generalized theories of inequality, stratification and justice. His works draw upon universal categories and concepts. He always places them in the context of empirical ground realities.
PERSPECTIVES OF ANDRE BETEILLE
ON CASTE
Several scholars have considered Indian society as “caste society”. In his study, Beteille also emphasizes the caste structure of the Sripuram village of Tanjore district which was traditionally very complex and conservative district. The whole village is divided into different castes comprising three main segments, namely, Brahmins, non-Brahmins and Adi-Dravids (Untouchables).
According to him, along with caste, one should also study kinship, class and power as well. Kinships also played an important role as individuals often chose the occupation of their parents. He suggests that lower caste were less keen on sanskritization.The interrelation between caste, class and power is not as harmonious as it was before and it can be attributed to factors like growth of education, secularization of society and occupations, migration, politics and democracy.
ON CLASS
Classes, in contrast, are de facto categories. Classes are in principle and, to some extent, in practice open; castes are not open. Classes do not enjoy the kind of legal and religious sanctions which were associated with castes (or, for that matter, with estates in feudal society).
In the context of the agrarian social structure of Sripurum classes are hierarchically arranged social categories, based broadly upon ownership or non-ownership of the means of production. Classes are sub-divided in terms of (i) the types of ownership and control, and (ii) the types of services contributed to the process of production.
ON POWER
One of the aspects of power is institutional and formal which is achieved through political parties and panchayats. For example, the political party which is in government wields more power. Power of caste, class and groups of village transcends also beyond the village. Beteille looks social stratification of the village in context to caste, class and power of the village.
ON AGRARIAN CLASS STRUCTURE
The writings of Beteille are indicative of the shift from caste-oriented studies to class-oriented studies of rural stratification. He pinpoints that a number of intensive studies of village communities do not always give a clear idea of changes in the association between caste and landownership because of the dominance of the caste frame of reference to the relative neglect of the agrarian class structure comprising landowners, tenants and agricultural labourers as a system of relationship itself.
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LOUIS DUMONT
Louis Dumont (1911-1998) was a French anthropologist. The work of Dumont is related to the totality of the social sciences areas: philosophy, history, law, political sciences, sociology, anthropology, that highly contributed from a new way of apprehension of what modernity is.
PERSPECTIVES OF DUMONT
ON CASTE SYSTEM
The most important work is Homo Hierarchicus: Caste system and its implication in 1966. His theory of caste hierarchy locates its basis in pollution and purity distinction. His approach is a combination of indological and structuralist approach with the dual focus on ideology as well as structure. He views caste system in terms of ideas and values. Dumont says that caste is not a form of stratification but a special form of inequality whose essence has to be deciphered by the sociologists. Here he identifies hierarchy as the essential value underlying the caste system supported by Hinduism. He advocated the use of an Indological and structuralist approach to the study of caste system and village social structure in India. Dumont in his Homo Hierarchicus has built up a model of Indian civilization based on non-competitive ritual hierarchical system.
ON SOCIAL CHANGES
Analysis of social change from a cognitive historical viewpoint has been postulated by Dumont. He conceives of Indian society not in terms of systems of relationship but as systems of ideational or value patterns or cognitive structures. The focus in social change study, according to Dumont, should be on “the reaction of Indian minds to the revelation of Western culture”, and on how under the impact of the cognitive elements of western culture such as individualism, freedom, democracy etc., the cognitive system of Indian tradition is reacting with rejection or acceptance.
HOMO HIERARCHICUS
The Caste System and Its Implications (1966) is an unusual work of Dumont in its conception, design and execution. This work is different from others as it begins with a cardinal explanatory principle – hierarchy – and wholly sets out to build a model. Hierarchy is said to distinguish Indian society from ‘modern’ societies whose fundamental social principle is equality. The major theme of this review can be anticipated thus: any hierarchy, like any equalitarian system, is opposed by those who see its effect upon themselves as disadvantageous, no matter how loudly or piously it is advocated by those who benefit from it. Those low in a hierarchical system universally see it as disadvantageous to themselves and object either to the system or to the manner in which it is applied to themselves.