INTRODUCTION:
Since last two-decade higher education in India has been witnessing an increase in enrollment number across social groups such as first generation, female, rural and the lower caste students. This has changed student demographics in academic disciplines. Due to diverse students’ group on college campuses, the higher education institutions are facing diversity, social justice and discrimination issues. Caste-based discrimination is one of the issues which is pervasive across the institutions in India (Neelakandan & Patil, 2012; Nambissan, 2006 & 2009; Patwardhan & Palshikar, 1992). The lower caste students have been experiencing discrimination from primary education to higher education institutions. Caste-based discrimination is under researched (Thorat & Kumar, 2008) topic, thus nature of discrimination and its impact on academic outcome of the lower caste students demand comprehensive studies through various theoretical perspectives. In the paper, caste-based discrimination in higher education is studied and classified through “Microaggression” theory (Sue et al., 2007). The caste is an identity status and a caste identity is one of the most significant social identity in Indian society and it is a fundamental identification character of an individual. In the theory of microaggression, an identity plays a crucial role between a recipient (subordinate) and a perpetrator (dominant). The paper encompasses social identity theory (Harro, 2013; Smith, 2005) to
The Caste system has aroused much controversy than any other feature of India’s society. Every day, Dalits are butchered, assaulted, abused, raped, lynched, shot or openly mutilated without considering any consequences of the offenders. The deaths of pregnant women who are not able to pay the bribes at government hospitals, some boys with eyes raised completely out for falling in love with a girl of a superior caste, and horrid stories of employees boiled to death because of spewing out arguments with the boss are continuously reported in mainstream newspapers. After years of democracy, the social structure stands to practice the caste system disregarding abolishment laws. Every international or national effort to abolish caste differentiation and segregation has been proven ineffective. The caste system of India is a deeply inculcated social problem requiring immense commitment domestically and internationally in understanding what has stopped the measures to get rid of this ancient system and what measures are needed to complete elimination of the system.
Throughout our experience, we have encountered so many challenges when it comes to gender in the society. Gender is being used as a basis for stratifying people in the society. In this article, the racial caste system that used to exist in the United State is depicted. In that the black women were denied the access to justice because of their status. They were perceived to be people who do not have any right within the society and no one could believed them when they were raped by the white men because all the court judges were white men according to this article. The women were classified to be from poor background and they should remain at a low class in the society.
For decades without end, members of the Sikh faith have suffered countless injustices at the hands of their fellow countrymen. The Sikh religion was started in India during the fifteenth century by the first guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Sikh were a peace loving people who spread messages of freedom and equality. They even went as far as too risk their lives to help out other religions. Despite all this in the past century the decedents of the very people the Sikhs sacrificed and continue to sacrifice themselves to save have turned their back on them. India reduced Sikh's to second class citizens, and didn't even consider them as a proper religion. During the independence movements Sikh's were the ones who contributed the most, despite
The caste system has been extremely stable in India for over two thousand years. It is only since the more modern, independent state of India was formed that the system has come under any scrutiny at all. It is presently outlawed, but many of the practices, attitudes and traditions remain ingrained in Hindu society (University of Wyoming, 1997).
During the last centuries of the classical era, India and many other civilizations modified their culture while other lifestyles continued on with the way they had always been. During the periods from 300 – 600 C.E, Indian civilizations kept their political structure of the caste system and also their religion of Hinduism, but slowly departed away from long distance trade with other societies.
Caste-system oppression has been a staple in human culture for centuries. It hasn’t always been centered around race, but was initially centralized around a 3-teired caste system. The ideals surrounding oppression, slavery, segregation, and social injustice were created by the wealthy class centuries ago and have served a lasting influence on our culture still today. Many problems faced today aren’t a result of a war of the races, but instead a war of the classes. This idea of a fair America and the whole essence behind “the American dream” is long gone, and many blame it on our country’s adherence to capitalism and greed. Others might believe that these cards are stacked an ever-struggling third class American citizen and there is reason to
within our nation’s borders, including poor whites, who are often pitted against poor people of color, the collapse of mass incarceration will not mean the death of racial caste in America. Inevitably a new system of racialized social control will emerge … No task is more urgent for racial justice today than ensuring thatAmerica’s current racial caste system is its
In the fourth theme, caste aspect is specifically added to explore students’ responses pertaining to caste issues on the campus. Earlier discussed that high number of the lower caste students on campuses have considerably influenced the campus climate of higher education institutions. The table.8 is prepared by editing two questions (Q.10 and Q.12) of the DLE survey. In the table, some items related to caste issues are presented.
Commonly referred to as the “oldest religion” in the world, Hinduism is believed to be created by the Aryans between 500 BCE and 300 CE. With over one billion followers internationally, it is the third largest religion. As a way to justify the caste system that had been put in place in India, many followed Hinduism due to reincarnation being apart of the religion. Many believed that individuals were in their current caste system due to what they did in the previous life. While Hinduism continued to prosper throughout India, Buddhism, a religion created by Siddhartha Gautama, was created and many started to turn this faith as a way to ensure the serenity of their afterlife. Due to Buddha creating a faith and basing a majority of it off of Hinduism’s
People in United State believe in the American Dream, but it's not possible. Some people have a hard time getting a job because of their class and background. Just like the Caste System people in America have a difficult chance of moving toward a higher class. The social structure in United States is similar to the Caste System, because of the similarities about not being able to move up class.
In Hinduism there are 330 million gods. 330 million is a mighty vast number. The distance from Earth to Jupiter, at their closest point, is 365 million miles. That’s almost one god for every mile between Earth and Jupiter. A 5-pound broiler chicken’s feather is about 0.0082 grams. 330 million chicken feathers would weigh about 2.71 metric tons, that’s the same as a blue whale’s tongue. Things like those are why I enjoy studying about different religions. Three areas of Hinduism that I’ll be focusing in this essay are caste system, genders and the Om.
Within a caste stratification system people can do very little and often nothing to change their social standing. Despite a person’s talents, interests or potential they are assigned an occupation that aligns with their social standing. Whatever social standing a patient is born into will remain with them their entire lives and they have few opportunities to improve their social position.
The quota policies have shifted the student composition in public institutions due to an increasing enrollment of lower caste students. In recent years, new student organizations have emerged across higher education institutions. These organizations build solidarity among the lower caste students and raise their consciousness on a range of issues (Mukherji, 2016). This phenomenon is challenging the historical dominance of cultural capital by the higher castes. In the recent years, the student demographics has changed but overwhelming numbers of faculty belong to the higher castes. Therefore, lower caste students face individual and institutional retaliation in the form of covert and overt aggressions. The current meritocratic arguments (against
Being casteist and being Christian is an oxymoronic statement, however, it is a heinous reality in the Indian Church. Even though theologically, Caste and the Church do not go together, casteism is a dominant discourse, a guiding force, and a potent reality in the Indian Church. Patrick Gnanapragasm observes that, “In some quarters, sadly, Christian identity and caste identity seem to converge and play a ‘casteist’ role, which is avowedly anti-Christian.” Caste is a dominant discourse, which discriminates and marginalizes people on the basis of their birth. Oxford dictionary defines casteism as adherence to a caste and prejudice or discriminations on the grounds of caste.
A few disadvantages of India’s social system are that Religion, caste, and language are major determinants of social organizations. According to the US Department of State-Background Notes website, even though the government has declared the caste system as illegal, it still has a presence in occupational and societal hierarchies (The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, 2010).