Caste in Contemporary India: Beyond Organic Solidarity

Caste in Contemporary India unfolds that caste system in India is undergoing a change in its form, nature and character. The shape of emerging India will be different from that of modern western societies, and caste, in its new transformation, will be an important contributing factor in determining that shape.The book analytically elucidates that inheritance of caste occupation has been fading as a feature of caste membership for the past century with mixed results. It illustrates that, despite gradual demise of occupational aspect of caste system, the solidarity of jati–the basic unit of caste system–is intact. And thus, India presents a sociological possibility of developing into a modern society that yet retains what Ibn Khaldun called asabiyah.