Page 167 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes The social relations among various castes are assessed not only in terms of seating disparities but
also in terms of manner of greetings and salutations and in mixing during festivals. The relations
could also be perceived on the basis of caste stereotypes prevalent in the society. Some of these
strereotypes are: “Ahir Saath BarasTak Nabalig Hi Rahta Hai” (Ahir remains immatured up to the
age of sixty years); “Kayasth Ka Bachcha Kabhi Na Sachcha” (son of a Kayastha can never be truth-ful);
“Baitha Baniya Kya Kare Idhar Ka Dhan Udhar Kare” (a Baniya, while sitting, keeps on transferring
grains from one place to other), “Kurmi Kisi Ke Liye Vafadar Nahin Ho Sakta” (Kurmi can never be
loyal to anybody); “Sabere Teli Ka Munh Dekhne Se Ann Nahin Milta” (one will not get food the
whole day if he sees Teli’s face early in the morning). Though these stereotypes are not based on any
rational thinking, yet once acquired, they are not easily changed.
The inter-caste relations at various levels have undergone significant changes in the last few decades.
The important changes noticed are:
1. Brahmins no longer show any hesitation in accepting kachcha food from the low caste people.
2. Rules about seating disparities are fading away.
3. Some low castes now invite Brahmins to participate in their ceremonies.
4. Members of low castes no longer meekly obey the dictations of the members of high castes.
5. Members of low castes no longer perform forced labour (begar) for upper castes.
It may be concluded that high caste people are now more tolerant in their attitudes towards low
castes, and backward castes are throwing off the feters with which they were bound few decades
ago. The important factors responsible for this change are: contacts with city people; abolition of
zamindarisystem; reformatory measures adopted by the government; and awareness of rights amongst
lower castes.
Self-Assessment
1. Fill in the blanks:
(i) Smritis was written in ............... .
(ii) In the Rigveda only two varnas have been mentioned: Aryavarna and ............... .
(iii) Rig Veda was written in about ............... .
(iv) Bekanwala is similar to ............... .
(v) Namika means ............... .
6.7 Summary

• The caste system in India has been studied with three perspectives: Indological,socio-
anthropological and sociological. The Indologists have viewed caste from the scriptural point
of view, social anthropologists from the cultural point of view, and sociologists from the
stratificational point of view. The sociological perspective views the caste system in terms of
social stratification in a society, and as a phenomenon of social inequality. The interaction is the
basis of social structures, and types of interaction along with associated norms categorize social
structures.
• The development of the caste system as Indologists and social anthropologists are, or that the
social anthropologists do not accept caste as a phenomenon resultant of social stratification as
the sociologists do. Both sociologists and social anthropologists study the external (relations of
one caste with other castes) and internal aspects (relations with members in the same caste) of
the caste system and the state of affairs as a result of the existence of the (caste) system through
time. As a unit, caste can be defined as a ‘closed rank status group’, that is, a group in which the
status of the members, their occupation, the field of mate-selection, and interaction with others
is fixed. As a system, it refers to interrelated statuses and patterned in-teraction among castes in
terms of collectivity of restrictions, namely, restrictions on change of membership, occupation,
marriage, and commensal relations.

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