Family and caste in urban India

This study analyzes the intricate relationships between the family and caste system in a South Indian mining town. The author contends that the family as a social institution perpetuates caste values, sentiments and unity. Both the family and caste as ascriptive characteristics play a crucial role in the placement of a person. Despite the forces of education and urbanization,
the opportunity structure continues to be selective and a person's status placement is closely related to his position in
the caste hierarchy. The author explains the way in which a person is motivated to maintain an ongoing commitment to
his family and caste. Based on his six years of observation and a year's extensive questionnaire and interview study, the author provides a comprehensive analysis of the nature of marriage practices, patterns of households, structure of kinship and friend-
ship ties, and organization and functions of caste in an urban setting. It is probably the most systematic study available to date on the family and marriage in an urban Indian context.