Understanding Caste: Identity, Difference, and the Dalit Question

This chapter places caste within the broader context of Indian society and social stratification, tracing its development as both a hierarchical system and a lived experience of difference. It engages with classical and modern theories of stratification to explain how caste continues to determine access to resources, status, and dignity. Using indicators like education, occupation, and health, it shows how caste still influences the everyday life chances of Dalits in India. The discussion also examines how neoliberal changes have reshaped caste relations, turning overt exclusion into more subtle, institutional, and symbolic forms. By framing the Dalit issue within this layered understanding of hierarchy and difference, the chapter offers the conceptual basis for analysing the micro-dynamics of subcaste experiences discussed in later chapters.