Page 191 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Social Structure and Social Change

Notes 8.4 Functions of Caste

The functional necessity of stratification of a society into different groups (whether classes or castes)
is the requirement faced by any society of placing and motivating individuals in the social structure.
As a functioning mechanism, a society concerns itself with motivation at two levels: to distribute its
members in social positions, and to induce them to perform the duties attached to these positions.
The Indian system of stratification ascribes a fixed status to individuals which determines their rights
and duties.
According to Laurence Ross (1968: 404), the important functions of the caste system are: (1) modification
of conflict between strata, (2) support of Hindu culture, (3) social integration on an inter-class basis,
and (4) facilitation of personal adjustment.
Hutton (1961: 111-123) has discussed the functions of caste from three points of view: (i) from the
point of view of an individual, (ii) from the point of view of caste as a group/unit, and (iii) from the
point of view of society.
From the Point of View of an Individual
Caste provides an individual a fixed social milieu from birth from which neither wealth or poverty,
nor success or disaster can remove him, unless he so violates the standards of behaviour laid down
by his caste that it ex-communicates him temporarily or permanently. He is provided with a
permanent body of associations which controls almost all his behaviour and contacts. An individual’s
caste, canalizes his choice in marriage, dictates to him the customs to be observed in matters of diet,
observance of ceremonial uncleanliness, etc., prescribes rituals to be observed at birth, marriage
and death, determines his occupation, acts as his club or benefit-society, and provides him protection
against various exigencies of life. In short, it predetermines his pattern of behaviour in this world to
a very considerable degree, leaving much less to individual choice.

From the Point of View of Caste as a Group/Unit
Firstly, caste determines the membership of the community, that is, a particular caste cannot increase
its membership except by means of an increase in the number of births within the caste. It we accept
M.N. Srinivas’s view that recruitment from outside is possible in castes through the process of
sanskritization, the number of persons so recruited is bound to be extremely small.
Secondly, the caste system assigns social status and preferential treatment to each caste in relationship
to other castes. But in this respect, it may be remembered that the exact status of a given caste is
impossible to determine as it varies from village to village and region to region. For example, the Nai
(barber) caste in a caste-hierarchy in one village may have the fifth position but in an another village
it may have the sixth position and in yet another the fourth position. Similarly, in one village, the
Sunar (goldsmith) caste might be given higher status than the Yadav caste but in other, it may be
given a low status. In spite of this flexibility, we can say that in any given area, the status of any given
caste is roughly prescribed with reference to other castes with which it is in contact, by the system as
it obtains locally.
Thirdly, the caste system enables the members of a caste to remain united as one group. Benefiting
from this unity, a caste is able to raise its position in the society. Though this higher rank may not be
very easy to achieve and may perhaps be accomplished only in the course of generations but it has
been done and it is being done. Hutton (1961) says that the position of a caste is raised by altering the
canons of behaviour of its members in the matter of diet and marriage and taking a new name of
some higher caste. He gives some examples like Chandals of Bengal (‘Chandal’ is a word which is
despised and abhorred by everybody; but the Bengali Chandals have succeeded in getting themselves
known by a name which is free from traditional shame or reproach or discredit), Brittal Baniyas of
Assam (apparently they are Doms but now they are spoken of as Baniyas), Viswakarma Brahmins
(artisans), Gahlot Rajputs (Chamars), Nai Brahmins (barbers), and Yadavs (cow-keeping castes) of
northern India.
Some tribal groups have also started claiming a higher position in the society; for example, Kolis in
western India, Turis in Bihar, Paliyan in Madras, Rabha in Assam, and Maria Gonds and Bhils in
Madhya Pradesh. Many occupational groups too have been taken into Hindu society as readymade

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