Dalit Middle Class: Mobility, Identity and Politics of Caste

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: Gurram Srinivas

• Language: English

• Edition: 01-01-2016

• ISBN: 9788131606889

• Pages: 230

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches

About the Book

This book offers an empirical account of the Dalit category in India, a group often debated and misunderstood. The focus is primarily on the emerging ideological trends and identity patterns among the Dalit middle class, a phenomenon largely attributed to India’s post-Independence reservation policies. It explores the changing socio-political context in which Dalit assertion and caste-Hindu opposition to Dalit mobility are key factors in shaping the current narrative.

The book examines how Dalit mobility has influenced their socio-economic status and how these individuals perceive their political status. By exploring the ideological shifts and identity formation of Dalits in India, this work helps in recognizing the broader processes of social change in India. It presents a nuanced analysis of the Dalit middle class’s economic, political, and social transformations, especially in light of changing national and global contexts.

Through a detailed study of Dalit middle-class ideology and identity, the author sheds light on the evolution of their worldviews, including interpersonal relationships, work life, and neighborhood dynamics. The emergence and consolidation of this middle class, particularly in the wake of post-independence policies, plays a central role in directing and sustaining the contemporary Dalit movement, redefining Dalit identity and ideology.

Contents Include:

1. Introduction

2. Dalit Middle Class or Dalit Elite?

3. Dalit Middle Class: An Empirical Analysis

4. Middle Class Dalits and Their Ideology and Identity

5. Dalit Middle Class and Narratives of Self and Community

6. Conclusion: Towards a Sociology of Dalit Middle Class

About the Author
Gurram Srinivas is an Associate Professor in Sociology at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He has authored Intersecting Identities: Dalit Middle Class in South India (2014) and co-edited Dalits: Studies in Continuity and Change (2014). Srinivas has contributed numerous research papers in edited books and has significant experience in development research and teaching, focusing on environment, urban processes, social movements, and social stratification.