Perspectives on Indian Society

India is a hierarchical society. Whether in North India or South India Hindu or Muslim urban or village virtually all things people and social groups are ranked according to various essential qualities. Although India is a political democracy notions of complete equality are seldom evident in daily life. Societal hierarchy is evident in caste groups amongst individuals and in family and kinship groups. Castes are primarily associated with Hinduism but caste-like groups also exist among Muslims Indian Christians and other religious communities. Within most villages or towns everyone knows the relative rankings of each locally represented caste and behaviour is constantly shaped by this knowledge. Individuals are also ranked according to their wealth and power. For example some powerful people or “big men” sit confidently on chairs while “little men” come before them to make requests either standing or squatting not presuming to sit beside a man of high status as an equal. Hierarchy plays an important role within families and kinship groupings also where men outrank women of similar age and senior relatives outrank junior relatives. Formal respect is accorded family members—for example in northern India a daughter-in-law shows deference to her husband to all senior in-laws and to all daughters of the household. Siblings too recognize age differences with younger siblings addressing older siblings by respectful terms rather than by name. The book is a must for sociology and anthropology teachers NGOs researchers and students. Contents: • The Unique Caste System in Hindu Society • Hallmarks of Hindu Society • Rural Social System • Modern Status of the Caste System • Economic and Political Systems of Society • Religion and Society • Indian Society and Modernization • Feminism Tradition and Modernity • The Pressure to Modernize and Globalize • Culture and Economic Development: Modernization to Globalization