Social Structure

Class and Caste

Nowhere else in the world has inequality been so elaborately constructed as in the Indian institution of caste. Caste has undergone significant change since independence, but it still involves hundreds of millions of people. Even though discrimination on the basis of caste is prohibited by the constitution, caste ranking and caste-based interactions continue to take place. Castes are ranked, named, endogamous (in-marrying) groups, membership in which is achieved by birth. Many castes are traditionally associated with an occupation, such as high-ranking Brahmans, which included middle-ranking farmer and artisan groups, such as potters, barbers, and carpenters or very low-ranking Untouchables including leatherworkers, butchers, launderers, and latrine cleaners. There clearly is a correlation between the caste and economic prosperity. While people from higher castes tend to be wealthier, many lower-caste members live in conditions of great poverty and social disadvantage.

Information Technology and the Caste System

A perfect illustration of the vast split between the urbanized, westernized, English speaking middle class of India and the rural, Indian language speaking parts where the vast majority of the people live is illustrated by the fact that English is the only one of the official languages in India that can be supported by our computers.

On another hand, there are some positive aspects to the technological developments in India. As a result of the government’s decision to make education available to people of different social and economic backgrounds in India, sections of lower classes have emerged from agricultural poverty to become middle class. Yet modern opportunities are still mostly available to the upper castes. These include professional opportunities provided by colonialism and stand to gain the benefits of contemporary globalization. Some exapmples are opportunities in the Information Technology industry or in the private sector.

Many see working for a software firm as an opportunity to escape from a lower level of society to a much higher one. Hardware and software is a path up the social hierarchy through economic prosperity. This incentive makes people extremely determined and hardworking.