Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g18EoKu03783; Fri, 8 Feb 2002 09:50:20 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 09:50:20 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <b2.6342055.29953fa1@aol.com> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2003] Re: caste X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 7.0 for Windows US sub 10021 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_b2.6342055.29953fa1_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 8930 Lines: 189 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I am jumping into this discussion late, so I don't know if this applies, however, it appears to be related. John Ogbu, a sociologist, argues that there is a 'cast like' system in the US. According to Ogbu, there are voluntary and involuntary minorities. Involuntary minorities are those that have that status, not by choice, but by circumstances beyond their control, and their status as members of society is devalued by virtue of being part of these minorities. He identifies Blacks and Chicanos as being part of involuntary or 'cast' minorities. He argues that the cultural capital of many Blacks and Chicanos doesn't have same status as the dominant cultural capital of the US. Since they are born in the US they are not choosing to belong to a cultural group that has been devalued before hand. this may lead to resistance to adopting the dominant cultural capital.Voluntary minorities come here by choice. While they must learn a new cultural capital, they do not resist it, since they are choosing to become part of the system. This is an oversimplified summary of Ogbu's research, but it is interesting to discuss. In the context of this listserv, one of the issues could be to discuss this in relationship to women. Are they voluntary minorities, cast minorities, both or neither. Andres In a message dated 2/8/2002 7:15:59 AM Mountain Standard Time, lalumineuse@yahoo.com writes: > Andrea, > > In a nutshell, caste is more of a societal > phenomenon, one is born into, which through the ages > has become solidified, and unlike in the past, you > cannot change. Class is an economic phenomenon, which > cuts through caste. You can have rich and poor and > middle class folks across all castes. The caste system > ghets preserved and perpetuated because when it comes > to marriage, people still try and find partners from > their own caste. What is interesting is that religious > minorities like Sikhs, Muslims, all have similar > systems and they too tend to look for the same > "subsect" that they belong to (or are born into) to > marry and live with. > > In urban areas, the boundaries between castes are > blurry, because of the mingling that takes place due > to employment, name changes, living quarters and no > segregation of any kind in schools or work. When I > lived in India, I saw changes taking place in the > little village my father comes from, and when I > travelled across the country. Yes, there is still the > tendency to find a partner from one's own caste and > community. Some of it is linked to ease of adapting to > a new family without the added complications of > learning a new language, a new culture (oh yes, when > one changes a state one changes a culture, and > "narthies and southies" don't always hold very > flattering opinions about each other.) and religious > habits. > > A couple of references for your reading pleasure: The > first looks at the links between social movements and > caste, and caste based social movements, of which we > have quite a few in India. the second is a study set > in a village in Karnataka (a state in South India) > where the author (I believe she lives and works in > Canada) Vanaja Dhruvarajan did her doctoral research > on the women in that village. > > Sharma, K.L. (1986). Caste, class and social > movements. Jaipur : Rawat Publications. > > Dhruvarajan, V. (1989). Hindu women and the power of > ideology. Massachusetts : Bergin and Garvey > Publishers, Inc. > > Cheers > Ujwala > --- AWilder106@aol.com wrote: > > Ujwala, > > > > Could you give an example of how caste and class are > > treated differently? Or > > acknowledged to be different categories? This is > > all very interesting. > > > > Andrea > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! > http://greetings.yahoo.com > andresmuro@aol.com Visit my art webpage at: http://www.geocities.com/andresmuro/artwork.html
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