House of secrets : The Burari deaths - Sociological perspective

1.Altruistic suicide - by Emile durkheim - Social integration is too strong, Feel that it is thier duty to do so.

2.Shared Psychsis - middle aged man named Lalit to convience three generations of his family to follow him into oblivion. 

3.Rising of mini-cult - keeping thier domestic matters a secret, influencing his follows with minor " miracles " and leading them to salvation and prosperity.

4.Role of patriarchy in Burari deaths - this shows offers deep insight into the patriarchy prevalent in indian household . 

5.Forves Winslow says about family suicide several people commit suicide together in response to lead by a charismatic leader of with strong religious beliefs or superstitious loyalties. 

6.Sacred and profane by Emile durkheim - the body of prathiba was hung slightly away from the rest of them because she was a widow. It is a common superstition in india that widows bring bad luck to the family may be because this ritual was seen as sacred. 

7.Rationality and superstition ( wife of Lalit done masters in sociology v/s Banyan tree worship for the betterment of the family ). 

8.Subjugation of women - family’s neighbours says - I never felt like lalit wife had any interests of her own. All she ever did was manage the kitchen morning to night.

9.Psychologists have commented that these deaths are a result of ‘shared delusional disorder’ in which members of a group blindly trust one among them and follow instructions without questioning

Kinship in india - Distinctive features of kinship in northern, southern, central and eastern India

Irawati Karve in her " kinship organization in india " divided india into four cultural kinship zones , broadly coinciding with the language zones based on many factors like Kinship terms language , descent and inheritance , patterns of marriage and family . And other cultural values . 

         She has taken a historical ,evolutionary ,comparative approach and she started with a genealogy of the characters of Mahabharata of india .

Distinctive features of kinship in northern, southern, central and eastern India 

1.Northern indian Kinship system

⏺️Clear distinction between matrilineal and patrilineal kin 

⏺️Clear and specific terminology( kin terms are very specific and non repetitive)

⏺️Sapinda rule exerized(five generation to mother side and seven generations to father side )

⏺️Village exogamy ( mother and father exogamy is followed)

⏺️Fout gotra exogamy rule 

2.southern indian Kinship system

⚫No strict village exogamy

⚫Preferential marriages 

⚫No clear kinship terminology

⚫Clan exogamy 

⚫Levirate is a taboo 

⚫Matrilineal system also exist in tharawad 

3.Central Kinship system

🔸Mixed patterns of North and South ( cross cousin Marriage allowed )

🔸Peculiar local rules in gururat ( no strculy follow of principles of village exogamy,and some of the caste in these areas allow Marriage only during particular years )

🔸Levirate also practiced 

🔸Hypergamy also exists ( inter clan marriage clan exogamy and hypergamy also exists )

4.eastern kinship system 

▶️Totemic clan exogamy( tribes are often divided into exogamous totemic clans )

▶️Rare cross cousin marriage ( in ho tribes but certain conditions)

▶️Matrilineal relations also exist ( in khasis tribes have metrilineal families)

Bride price is also prevalent 

▶️Dormitory system ( youg male and female are kept and they even indulge in pre marital sex and it may or may not lead to marriage )

Joint family system - Social functions and dysfunctions - M N srinivash study of joint family in Coorg

            According to smt iravati Karve " joint family is a group of people who generally live under one roof ,who eat food cooked at one hearth who hold property in common and who participate in common worship and are related to each other as some particular types of kindred.

        According to km Kapadia " joint family is a group formed not only of a couple and their children but also other relations either from father side or from mother side depending on whether the joint family is patrilineal or matrilineal .

         According to henery maine " the Hindu joint family is a group constituted of know ancentors and adopted sons and relatives related to these sons through marriage .

Joint family act as agency of sociolozation 

Characteristics of joint family

⚫Large in size ( because three to four generations)

⚫Joint property ( devision of property means devision of family )

⚫Common kitchen(separation kitchen means separation of family ) 

⚫Common residence( it creat sense of unity )

⚫Common worship ( kuladevatas ) 

 ⚫worship passes from generation to generation)

⚫Similar rights and obligations(each member remain consicous about his rights and obligations)

⚫Close blood ties ( close blood relations amound all thr members)

⚫Absolute power of the head ( his decision is final and binding )

⚫Co-operation(it's basis of family ) 

Sociolistic ideals ( from each according to his capacity and to each according to his necessity)

Funtions of joint family 

⏺️Economic funtions(it guarantee food clothing and shelter to its members) 

⏺️Protective funtions( it act as insurance company for the old sick and destitute)

⏺️Recreational funtions( festival program jooking relationship)

⏺️Fosters social virtues ( good social virtues like sacrifice love affection cooperation mutual help selflessness it's make family a cradle of social virtues , these social virtues are learned during the process of sociolozation 

⏺️Act as a unique device of devision of labor ( all the works of the family are equally distributed)

⏺️Aganecy of social control ( unsocial anti social activities of its members are suppressed with in a health family environment

Dysfunctions of joint family

⚫Hinders the development of personality

⚫Encourage birth rate 

⚫Home for idlers 

⚫Pitiable condition of women 

⚫Lack of privacy

⚫Low standard if living 

⚫Absolute authority of the head ( karta )

Srinivas study of joint family in Coorg:-

▶️okka - patrilineal and patrilocal joint family is thr basic group among coorgs

▶️people who don't belong to okka have no social existence at all 

▶️ membership of okka is acquired by birth . His association with okka does not end with death as then he becomes part of apotheosized ancestors who are believed to look after okka . Okka has longer life than its members.

▶️ marital relations are forbidden between members of okka . Leviratic unions add to strength of okka . Leviratic + traditional + cross cousin allowed = impregnable 

K m Kapadia :-showed in his study that majority prefer joint families. 3 grounds on which remain members believe joint family is desirable : 

🔸Sharing of economic burden 

🔸Social security

🔸Fosters certain desirable qualities in inviduals 

        Inspite of the above dysfunctions joint family system still continue to exist in moden day . Of course the system in breaking down in cities but it still prevails in rural areas .

Sociological Analysis on Communal violence

           Communal violence involves people belonging to two different religious communities mobilised against each other and carrying the feelings of hostility, emotional fury, exploitation, social discrimination and social neglect.

Conflict perspective - relates communal violence to economic deprivation and to the class struggle between the haves and the have-not's to secure a monopoly control over the market force. 

Social barriers theories - the conditions which lead to collective communal violence are : stress, status frustration and crises of various kind. Aggressors use violence because they suffer from insecurity and anxiety. 

Social causes of Communal Clashes 

1.Religious animosity - land disputes, 

         Feiera-bends and Nesvold have called the communal violence as " systematic frustration" it leads to collective violence.

2.Poverty and unemployment - Relative deprivation.

3.Conflicting and incompatible religious ideologies- decline in religious norms of tolerance and secular values. 

4.Identity crisis - there is a general feeling that orthodox Hindus and Muslims have a problem with the secular character of the india state.

5.Political factors - intermixing of religion and politics ex- religion based vote bank, political interference in religious Affairs. 

6.Role of social media - circulation of fake news and inciting speech by the political leaders 

7.Majoritarian Hegemony and minority insecurities - Economic exploitation and discrimination of minority religious communities. 

      Ex- Bangladesh Durga Pooja violence - It resulted in incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples and homes belonging to the minority community in Bangladesh. 

8.Religion based social stratification and dogmatic religious beliefs 

      According to brass Riots are triggered due to the presence of " institutionalised riot systems" 

Social consequences of communal clashes 

1.Erosion of constitutional values - it dampens constitutional values like secularism band fraternity. 

2.Social dissonance - it strengthens vote banks of ideologically aligned political parties and further distrupts the cohesiveness in society. 

3.Mob lynching and damage social fabric - rise in intolerance and Communal disharmony lead to majoritarianism. 

4.Legal lag - feeling of lawlessness and thereby generates fear among minorities. 

5.Result of state machinery failure - to frame comprehensive law against communal violence.

6.Legitimacy crisis - question nature of government and affect the reputation of nation. 

Characteristics of communal violence in india 

1.Communal violence are more politically motivated than fuelled by religion 

2.Communal violence seem to be more common in North India than in south India 

3.Most communal violence take place on the occasion of of religious festivals.

4.The use deadly weapons in the violence is an the Ascendancy.

5.Communal riots are more common in urban areas than rural areas. 

6.Economic interests plays a major role in communal clashes. 

Sociological Analysis on Jai Bhim movie

 “A good film does more than entertain or fill seats at the cinema. It has the power to change hearts and minds – and sometimes society more widely.”

1.Caste based discrimination and institutionalised caste system - depiction of the Caste based butchery of Dalits. 

2.Definitional problems of tribals - don't have permanent address, denied voting rights.

3.Police brutality and custodial violence 

      ⏺️ Lack of political will to redefine the role of police.

      ⏺️Loss of human capital.

4.Legal lag - law failure to give justice to the poor marginalized and vulnerable victims. Ex: constitution doesn't define the term tribe. 

5.Mental and sexual harassment of women at police station - it question the legitimacy of state about women security.

6.Dis-institutionalization of law as an instrument of social change - seeking social and institutional transformation for protecting the human rights of the most vulnerable. 

7.Denied the fundamental rights ( Ex:right to life v/s custodial death ) 

8.Caste politics and vote bank - elected political leader of the area says " it's bad enough that we have to grovel in front of lower caste for thier votes. 

Jai Bhim is an extraordinary film that grips the society’s attention, shakes the human conscience and shackles the faith and hope that we have in democracy, democratic institutions and indeed, the rule of law. 

           As we celebrate India’s 75 years of independence, Jai Bhim shows a mirror on our society. It pushes the boundaries of film making and connecting it, not just to stark reality, but helps us to work towards seeking social and institutional transformation for protecting the human rights of the most vulnerable.

Sociological Analysis on Religious festivals

1.Religious festival as a social expression - religious experience .

2.social mobility and cultural capital - religious celebration bring faith communities together to celebrate these shred beliefs and values .

3. emotional social security of the individual 

4.celebration of sense and kinship - social networking, festivals reinforce family connections.

5.social ceremonilization - collectively ceremonilized at collective level not individual level .

6. sacred and profane by Durkheim - religious festival is viewed as sacred .

              Emile durkheim saw festivals as a form of social glue, holding societies together, shared experience, like religious and secular celebration may help create a feelings of commonality. 

7.Idenity, solidarity, differentiation and conflict -group identify and solidarity and to intra and inter-group differentiation and conflict - religious brotherhood .

8.culture of consumption - shopping for festivals, cooking holiday meals highlight the consumer based society. 

9.Secularization of religious rituals and practices themselves - Muslims celebrate Eid inside the Ganapathi temple and Hindus celebrate the Muharram. 

10. Religious socialization - Religious ceremonies, such as Deepavali, socialize members of the faith to the practices and beliefs of the religion.

How social media Reshape the caste imagination and mobilization

1.social media reshaped caste imagination ( now people can overcome the getto mentality which was ingrained by caste based socialization ) 

2.preferred medium of dissemination of counter culture ( social media is replacing pamphlets in the political rallies of parties such as bahujan samaj party)

 3.technology doesn't discriminate ( technology has proved more liberating than any reform ) 

4.caste based mobilization ( dalit mobilization on social media is breaking the stereotypes cherished for centuries by the high castes )

 5.social justice (Dalit intellectuals and organizers make use of social media to address the issue of marginality and social injustice in the case of Dalits )

 6.discrimination by mainstream media ( The mainstream media have not given adequate attention to the condition of the Dalit-Bahujans in india.)

 7.change the form of social movements ( social movements without leaders ) 

8.caste based division of social media platforms ( instragram-brahmina + twitter- kshatriya + Facebook-vaishya + tiktok - shudras. Shudras of the internet)

 9.there is an attempt to build social discourse ( result:dalit consciousness--> dalit empowerment )

 The social media have come to the rescue of the marginalized sections and provided adequate space for the discussion of the issues of the neglected Indians. 

Sociological perspective on Caste Census - social implications

Why it's in news 

             Major opposition and regional leaders have met India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to argue in favour of counting caste in the country's census.

Why caste census needed 

1.Caste census bring out evidence on caste inequalities -caste-based census will expose the wealth/income/education gap between the upper and non-upper caste groups relative to their population.

2.Caste based privilege - They argue that in order to abolish caste, it is essential to first abolish caste-derived privileges, state must first map castes and their socio-economic status privileges/deprivations .

 3.Caste census will help in analyzing the genuineness and rationalize the caste based reservation -We can know how much progress is achieved with the help of reservations .

4.Data for Policymaking- This information is absolutely necessary for any democratic policymaking.

5.Caste-based census will also expose the claim of many supporters of neo-liberalism who claim that capitalism and its variants are best possible system to annihilate caste.

Sociological Implications 

1.Caste census will lead to the collapse of the existing social structure or social harmony.

2.Polarization of caste Census -How will caste census be politically beneficial for political parties- Vote bank  ( National v/s regional parties )

3.Caste census lead to a further assertion of identity politics over class politics.

4.Caste census will reinforce hierarchy and breed more Inequality - caste census divide the society.

5.Increase caste feelings- may lead to clashes, especially in villages where maintaining anonymity is difficult.

6.Caste census lead to social fragmentation and caste enmities and serve to weaken the Hindu identity.

7.Those who are among the dominant side of the society are unwilling to have information about inequalities come out from caste census.

Sociological perspective on Dowry system

"Any young man who makes dowry a condition for marriage discredits his education and his country and dishonours womanhood"                                               mahatma gandhiji 

       The system of dowry prevalent in india is not of a recent origin. This social evils has plagued the society since ancient times. Bride price and dowry have been the member of the same family, often going hand in hand wherever giving and taking are involved in a marriage transaction. 

        Dowry refers to “the property, money, ornaments or any other form of wealth which a man or his family receives from his wife or her family at the time of marriage. Dowry is both a practice and a problem with Indian marriage"

Dowry as " Modern sati "

⏺️Upper class - upper class go for dowry due to affluence. 

⏺️Middle class - middle class go for dowry due to status. 

⏺️Lower class - lower class go for dowry due to compensation.

Dowry is a socio- structural phenomenon- Dowry varies from caste to caste and from region to region. It varies depending upon urban, rural, caste and family background.  Variations in social structure, in terms of caste, class, ethnicity, religion, region and culture, result in variations of the system of dowry.

Ethnologist says dowry as a means of hypergamy ( upward mobility ), within a society that practices endogamy and arrange - marriage as a cultural norm. Dowry Is found in socially stratified monogamous societies that are economically complex and where women have a relatively limited role in the labour force. Dowry payments as a product of hypergamous marriage. Dowry is considered as an essential part of hypergamy among high caste/ status families. 

Becker -suggests a marriage market model in which marriage is viewed as a joint venture that offers greater efficiency in household activity. Meaning, the marriage payment is based on the economic value of each of the partners. 

          According to the model, bride price is typically the payment a husband owes a bride's parents for the right to her labor and reproductive capabilities, while the dowry is the payment for a groom for his social status and earning capacity. The model suggests that dowry existed in a socially stratified, monogamous, and economically complex society, in which women have a relatively limited role in the labor force.

    Rao's - theory of 'marriage squeeze' considers demography as the main component in dowry increase and inflation.Thus, the theory states that the common practice of men marrying younger women in combination with the overall population growth has resulted in a surplus of potential brides in the marriage market, which led to dowry inflation.

Social causes of Dowry system 

1.Social structure - manifestation of the patriarchal nature of the society, women are being considered as a burden on the family.

2.Social constraints - to marry within one caste or clan further intensifies the problem. 

3.Growth of education, salaried employment, migration to cities and towns. 

4.Societal pressure - status by the amount of money one spends on thier daughter marriage.

5.Illiteracy - lack of education and awareness among people.

6.Legal Lag - legislation has failed to produce the desired results in our society. 

7.In the wake of sanskritisation, the lower castes imitated the practice of dowry. Even, the poor borrowed money to give dowry. 

8.Aspiration to marry in high and rich family.

9.False notion of social status - few people give more dowries just of exhibit thier high social and economic status. Janis and rajputs for examples spends lakh of rupees in the marriage of thier daughters just to show thier higher status. 

10.The black money and unaccounted earnings of the rich classes 

Sexual Exchange Theory- According to Sexual exchange theory men place more value in attractiveness and women place more value in resources. Dowry serves fundamentally as a price to "equalize" the imbalance in the value of marriage, and as a form of compensatory transfer based on the combination of traits of the bride, groom and their respective households

Functionalism is less relevant in explaining the phenomena of dowry. The practice of dowry does not necessarily serve any specific function to the larger system. Some studies, however, suggest that dowry may serve some function of benefiting families by making their daughters’ life better or by helping their upward mobility,

Social consequences of Dowry system

1.Objectification of women - now dowry as like investment by the bride family for plugging into powerful connection. 

2.Gender discrimination - women are seen as a liability and are often subjected to subjugation.

3.Crime against women - it leads domestic violence, physical abuse and dowry death. 

4.Declined social status and self-esteem of women.

5.Social maladjustment of parents and adopting social corruption.

6.Femalw infanticide and psychological suppression of the girls 

7.Family conflict and conjugal disharmony. 

8.Child marriage - for an educated girl, the more educated and qualified husband is needed. This necessities greater dowry . Thus the parents prefer ealry marriage than to do so at a later age with higher demand of dowry. 

9.Deteriorating financial status of bride family and promotes mismatch marriages. 

10.Dowry leads to some immoral practice - for example - how the father of three little girls sold his kidney just for the sake of getting some money which would secure his daughters future marriage. 

11.Dowry system makes imbalance in the sex ratio and effect on the female education. 

Sociological Analysis on - Vilfredo parento's circulation of elite

According to Vilfredo parento's since in every society , there are classes people are unequal physically as well as intellectually and  morally. In society as a whole, and in any of its particular strata and groupings, some people are more gifted than others. 

       He believed that individuals are born with quite different abilities and acquire quite different skills and aptitudes. 

Basic characteristics of elites 

1.The elite is having the capacity to establish superiority over others.

2.The class of elite is universal and continues process 

3.The individual not belonging to either of the governing elite or non-governing elite are called non-elite. 

4.The elite manipulate overtly or covertly the political power.

5.Circulation of upward and downward circulation amongst the members of the elite and non-elite is a typical characteristics of the elite.

6.The members of the elite class will always try that the non-elites should not influence social, economic and political processes in any manner. 

       The elite class people are minorities who are observed to have talent, intelligence, ability, and leadership to occupy positions of power. These minorities sometimes influence government decisions and gain dominant positions in society. When looking at all these “elite drama” in the society with all class of people

He Futher divided the Elite class into two categories

Types of elite 

1.Governing elite - governing elite comprising individual who directly or indirectly play some considerable part in government.( Lions, speculators, aristocrats ) 

2.Non-governing elite - non-governing elite is comprising the rest of the individuals. ( Foxes, Rentiers, proletariat ) 

     Every society has two types of individuals namely Foxes and Lions. Foxes are bold and courageous but not cautious, yet use cunningness to survive. 

             Lions are strong conservative, tradition, loving, orthodox and royal to the ideals of family, religion and country, they prefer to use force but not cleverness, hence people gets thier rulers from this category. 

         The Lion rule will not survive for longer period of time as society is dynamic, hence it needs innovativeness, here once again fox residue will come to rule. 

The governing elite must have a good balance with combination of foxes and lion Residue for social and economic stability to establish social equilibrium. 

        Lions and foxes replace each other in a process called as " Circulation of elites " he saw modern democracy to as a form of elite domination. 

        By the circulations of elites, “Pareto wrote, “the governing elite is in a state of continuous and slow transformation. It flows like a river, and what it is today is different from what it was yesterday. Every so often, there are sudden and violent disturbances. The river floods and breaks its banks. Then afterwards, the new governing elite resume again and slow process of self-transformation. The river returns to its bed and once more flows freely on.”

Criticisms 

1.He Fails to provide a method of measuring and distinguishing between the supposedly superior qualities of governing elite. 

2.Robert michale criticized it's theoretical than practical.

3.pareto fails to provide a way of measuring the process of elite decadence, 

4.Talcott Parsons criticised Pareto that he failed to define the conditions governing changes in the proportions of Residues. He has not said anything about biological and genetic factors. 

5.Pareto concept of Residues and thier part in the social change is not clearly defined. 

6.Mitchell criticised that Pareto scheme has a meta-physical strength along with an empirical weakness. 

Sociological analysis on Privatisation of education

" Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world " - Nelson Mandela 

Functionalist perspective says education it is an agent of transmission of social norms both general and specific values, 

conflict perspective views education as an instrument of elite domination and elite reproduction. Schools convince subordinate and subaltern groups (SCs, STs, OBCs, ethnic minorities) of their inferiority, reinforce existing social class inequality and discourage alternative and more democratic visions of society.

      Privatisation of education refers to the states policy of allowing educational institutions, both higher and lower, to be run by non-state or private parties for monetary benefits. Private education system existed in india even before the independence in the form of Christian missionary schools and colleges. 

Why it's needed 

⏺️Providing education in remote area and small urban area. 

⏺️Physical condition of the public school is poor.

⏺️Reduce the burden from the state to provide education.

⏺️Problem of brain drain, poor learning outcomes and poor quality of teachers. 

Functions of privatisation of education 

1. Decentralisation and De-bureacratization of educatio.

2. Promote competition this lead to aspirational mobility 

3. Human capitalisation- fulfill the need of skilled man power 

4. Improved the quality of education and training.

5. Liberty of choose institutions- more number of schools and colleges provided parents with a variety of options to choose from.

       The Neoliberal / new right arguments is the state run education is inefficient, they argue that the state involvement leads to " bureaucratic self-interest" to overcome these problems the education system must be privatised.

Dysfunction of privatisation of education 

1. Commodification of education - private object of profit.

2. Commercialization of education- students are paying more for education than the government invest - over commercialization of education is ignore to quality improvement. 

3. Changes in nature of education from social capital to economic capital.

4. Poor people couldn't afford the education- Due to high fees. - it lead to rural-urban disparity.

5. Capitalisation of education system- which benefits bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie. 

6. Print capitalism- media shows which school is the best - Ex- News channel education expo.

7. Increase class inequalities- it will deepen already prevalent class divide in the Indian education system. 

8. Indiscriminate privatisation of education has deprived the children of weaker section and under privileged the opportunity to recieve quality.

9. Education is a basic human right - if education is restricted to only a privileged section it will be a huge injustice to the rest of the society.

How private schools contribute to Elite reproduction : - it perpetuation of inequality in the society.

     🔸They offer academic advantage

     🔸 Provide suitable general socialization for elite participation