Life as a Dalit: views from the bottom on caste in India

By:

Channa, Subhadra Mitra (ed.)

Contributor(s):

Mencher, Joan P. (ed.)

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: New Delhi Sage 2013Description: 438pISBN:

9788132111238

Subject(s):

Caste based discrimination-India

DDC classification:

305.56880954 LIF

Summary: Life as a Dalit looks at caste society from the point of view of the Dalit's, focusing on their worldview, emotions and critical appraisal of their own position and of the higher groups. It is a volume based on the critical perspectives provided by scholars who have turned around the more acclaimed and accepted theories of caste society privileging the Brahmanical and textual interpretations of caste. It shows that those at the bottom have their own interpretations and follow a rationality that is tutored by their own life conditions and not what is fed to them from the top. These views from the bottom are indicative of the way in which the oppressed live their lives, make critical judgments and also stage protests, both symbolic and based on real violence against the oppressive system. The focus is more experiential and based on ground-level data-based chapters. It foregrounds the fact that history is created from the bottom of society as well as from the top and those at the bottom are their own agents and well aware of their subject positions. Table of Contents: Introduction: Looking Up at Caste: Discrimination in Everyday Life in India Subhadra Mitra Channa I: Theorizing Marginality The Caste System Upside Down Joan P Mencher Atrocities and Segregation in an Urban Social Structure Nandu Ram Continuity and Change in 'Ex - Untouchable' Community of South India Joan P Mencher A reading of "Untouchable: The Autobiography of an Indian Outcaste" Subhadra Mitra Channa On Being an Untouchable in India: A Materialist Perspective Joan P Mencher Conversion of Upper Castes into Lower Castes: A Process of Asprashyeekaran Shyamlal Dalit's to Benefit from Globalization Lessons from the Past for the Present A Ramaiah II: Doing Fieldwork Among the Dalit's Viewing Hierarchy from the Bottom Up Joan P Mencher Becoming a Dhobi Subhadra Mitra Channa III: Religion and Gender Dancing the Goddess: Possession and Caste Karin Kapadia The Bible and Dalit's James Massey Rediscovering God Iyothee Thassar and Emancipatory Buddhism G Aloysius Religion, Social Space and Identity P Sanal Mohan Dalit Women Part 1: Dalit Women in Struggle: Transforming Pain into Power Ruth Manorama Part 2: Dalit Women: A Critical Appraisal Part 3: Dalit Women's Lives Caste and Gender: Understanding Dynamics of Power and Violence Kalpana Kannabiran, Vasanth Kannabiran IV: Fighting the System: Dalit Responses to Oppression Climax! The Encounter of Dalit's and Hindus Vasant Moon Theyyam Myth: An Embodiment of Protest J J Pallath Documenting Dissent Badri Narayan The Satnamis of Chhattisgarh Saurabh Dube Dissenting the Hegemony by Scheduled Castes in South India G K Karanth, Reservations and New Caste Alliances in India Walter Fernandes Conclusions Joan P Mencher

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Books	Gandhi Smriti Library	305.56880954 LIF (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		156571

Total holds: 0

Life as a Dalit looks at caste society from the point of view of the Dalit's, focusing on their worldview, emotions and critical appraisal of their own position and of the higher groups. It is a volume based on the critical perspectives provided by scholars who have turned around the more acclaimed and accepted theories of caste society privileging the Brahmanical and textual interpretations of caste. It shows that those at the bottom have their own interpretations and follow a rationality that is tutored by their own life conditions and not what is fed to them from the top.

These views from the bottom are indicative of the way in which the oppressed live their lives, make critical judgments and also stage protests, both symbolic and based on real violence against the oppressive system. The focus is more experiential and based on ground-level data-based chapters. It foregrounds the fact that history is created from the bottom of society as well as from the top and those at the bottom are their own agents and well aware of their subject positions.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Looking Up at Caste: Discrimination in Everyday Life in India Subhadra Mitra Channa

I: Theorizing Marginality

The Caste System Upside Down Joan P Mencher
Atrocities and Segregation in an Urban Social Structure Nandu Ram
Continuity and Change in 'Ex - Untouchable' Community of South India Joan P Mencher
A reading of "Untouchable: The Autobiography of an Indian Outcaste" Subhadra Mitra Channa
On Being an Untouchable in India: A Materialist Perspective Joan P Mencher
Conversion of Upper Castes into Lower Castes: A Process of Asprashyeekaran Shyamlal
Dalit's to Benefit from Globalization Lessons from the Past for the Present A Ramaiah
II: Doing Fieldwork Among the Dalit's

Viewing Hierarchy from the Bottom Up Joan P Mencher
Becoming a Dhobi Subhadra Mitra Channa
III: Religion and Gender

Dancing the Goddess: Possession and Caste Karin Kapadia
The Bible and Dalit's James Massey
Rediscovering God Iyothee Thassar and Emancipatory Buddhism G Aloysius
Religion, Social Space and Identity P Sanal Mohan
Dalit Women
Part 1: Dalit Women in Struggle: Transforming Pain into Power Ruth Manorama
Part 2: Dalit Women: A Critical Appraisal
Part 3: Dalit Women's Lives
Caste and Gender: Understanding Dynamics of Power and Violence Kalpana Kannabiran, Vasanth Kannabiran
IV: Fighting the System: Dalit Responses to Oppression

Climax! The Encounter of Dalit's and Hindus Vasant Moon
Theyyam Myth: An Embodiment of Protest J J Pallath
Documenting Dissent Badri Narayan
The Satnamis of Chhattisgarh Saurabh Dube
Dissenting the Hegemony by Scheduled Castes in South India G K Karanth, Reservations and New Caste Alliances in India Walter Fernandes
Conclusions Joan P Mencher

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