Rethinking Power and Caste in Rural India

Caste as a system of social stratification remains an important aspect in the lives of many peoples throughout the world. Dimensions of caste are found in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and even North America. Yet, it is India that stands out among nations as the most notable in terms of caste stratification today. Although elements of the caste system, such as untouchability, were outlawed over 50 years ago by the Indian constitution, caste remains an obvious feature of rural Indian society. Indeed, among laypeople and social scientists (e.g. Ferrante 2000, Henslin 2003) the concept of caste is still largely synonymous with India.