The Culturalization of Caste in India : Identity and Inequality in a Multicultural Age

In India, caste groups ensure their durability in an era of multiculturalism by officially representing caste as cultural difference or ethnicity rather than as unequal descent-based relations. Challenging dominant social theories of caste, this book addresses questions of how caste survives the system that gave rise to it and adapts to new demands of capitalism and democracy. Based on original fieldwork, the book shows how the terrain of culture captured by a new grammar of caste revitalizes castes as cultural communities so that the culture of a caste is produced, organized and naturalized in the process of transforming jati (fetishized blood and kinship) into samaj (fetishized culture). Castes are shown to not be homogenous cultural wholes but sites of hegemony where class, gender and hierarchy over-determine the meanings and materiality of caste. Arguing that there exists a new casteism in India akin to a new racism in the USA, built less on biology and descent and more on purported cultural differences and their rights to exist, the book presents an extended critique and a search for an alternative view of caste and anti-casteist politics. It is of interest to students and scholars of South Asian culture and society. The Culturalization of Caste in India Identity and inequality in a multicultural age Copyright Contents List of plates, figures and tables Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction Ethnic specters of caste, or tolerating caste? The paradox of caste Paradox explained? Caste as ethnic politics Culturalization: the culture trap for caste 2 Artisans Field and fieldwork The artisanal question and caste in the periphery Part I: Identities 3 Culture The emergence of samaj: who is a Kumhar? Inscribing culture: of rules and practices Organizing culture: punishment and power Is caste cultural identity? 4 Community The scope of samaj: who are all Kumhar? Crafting samaj: ideology and rituals of belonging Jati to samaj: what kind of community is samaj? Part II: Inequalities 5 Reproduction Gender and class of samaj: mamla-mukadma The politics of samaj: when “subalterns” appear as citizens 6 Multiculturalism Caste and multiculturalism in India: Diversity Inc. Hindutva and caste: Ambedkar’s revenge? Notes Bibliography Index