Question

Interrelation of caste,religion,class, in the context of gender discrimination

Answer 1

There is a traditional theory which is the biological differences between females and males as the main reason for this. The differences in male female relations, often regarding one superior or inferior to the other, are there for not natural but created by society through the ages. Gender refers of the social Behaviour for women and men. Construction of gender is a continuous process. As Gender roles are socially assigned they are also vary with class , race, caste , ethnicity,religion, age and time.

Answer 2

Equity and Gender 1: Understanding Class, caste and gender

Marginalisation, exclusion and exploitation based on class, caste ethnicity and gender

charecterises much of the South Asian region. Discrimination based on these becomes the

basis for resource access and thereby survival. Before we get on to understanding the

manifestations of inequity and discrimination in the water sector, we need to look at and

understand these forms of discrimination as they are seen in our societies. Solutions for

bringing in water equity cannot be sought without an understanding of these realities.

There is a dynamic interconnection between class, caste and gender and this need to be

understood in the current context. Often each of these categories is understood in isolation

and the relationship between the three is rarely seen or understood.

Studies on ‘social stratification’ occupy a prominent place in sociology. Distribution of

power, wealth and prestige in various societies has been the main concern not only of

sociologists but of a variety of thinkers from other disciplines. Economic relations and

‘power’ have been central to the stratification but the relationships between the two may lead

to conflicting social groups. Their understanding has resulted in a range of studies divided

widely across ideological and philosophical grounds.

The early phase of writings on ‘social class’ can broadly be divided into two polarized

streams: the conservative approach (in Weberian tradition) where the concept of ‘social class’

is treated like other major concepts: occupation, income, life styles, ownership of property,

positions of influence, etc. In contrast, the radicals (in Marxian tradition) have been

impressed by the conflict between the classes of owners and workers.

In Marxian writings class is a political economy category referring to a social group

embodying certain relations of production. As a social group it is located in a mode of

production. The ruling class or classes are the owners of the means of production. By means

of production we mean resources that range from land, water, property factories, technology

or knowledge. The means of production are owned by a ruling class/classes and the ruled

are those who are engaged in labour for these classes and are subject to exploitation by

them. Thus class is not simply an economic category or an income group but it symbolises

power relations and production relations.

Class structure has been changing across times and it differs according to contexts. From the

feudal societies to capitalists one, class has been changing and in its wake bringing about new

kinds of social and production relations. Class legitimises itself through welfarism and

cultural hegemony. It is important to understand how class has continued through the

periods of feudalism well into capitalism in new and different ways.