Recast(e)ing Identity: Transformation of Inter-caste Relationships in Post-colonial Rural Orissa

Caste in contemporary Indian society has often been seen as a remainder of waning tradition. Advent of egalitarian liberalism and/or capitalism is taken to be the force of change which is destroying or restricting the relevance of caste in contemporary society. Against such a view, this paper will a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Modern Asian studies 2006-07, Vol.40 (3), p.761-796
Main Author: TANABE, AKIO
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Area studies
Asian studies
Capitalism
Caste
Caste identity
Communities
Community
Community relations
Cooperation
Cultural identity
Division of labor
Egalitarianism
Hierarchy
Identity politics
India
Liberalism
Market economies
Modernity
Orissa
Political identity
Postcolonialism
Public domain
Regression analysis
Religious rituals
Ritual killings
Rituals
Rural areas
Social change
Social sciences
Society
Socioeconomics
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Summary:Caste in contemporary Indian society has often been seen as a remainder of waning tradition. Advent of egalitarian liberalism and/or capitalism is taken to be the force of change which is destroying or restricting the relevance of caste in contemporary society. Against such a view, this paper will argue that caste remains an important frame of reference for defining people's identity especially in rural society. In particular, I would like to discuss the role of people's agency in the reshaping of caste in contemporary rural Orissa. It is the aggregate efforts of different groups of people in local situations to constantly redefine the form and meaning of caste that maintains its relevance. I feel this aspect has been neglected in many previous theories, which have tended to consider caste concerns merely in terms of the presence or absence of ‘hierarchy’ or in terms of ‘substantialized’ group formations.
ISSN:0026-749X
1469-8099
DOI:10.1017/S0026749X06002022