Caste (Concepts in the Social Sciences)

Caste (Concepts in the Social Sciences)

by UrsulaSharma (Author)

Synopsis

...skillfully alerts readers to the mutability and complexity of caste, never losing sight of the general conceptual issues at stake ...easily the best introduction for social scientists... - Mike Savage, University of Manchester. An excellent book...erudite and historically sensitive... - Bhikhu Parekh, University of Hull. Is caste unique to India - or can the concept be applied elsewhere? How have essentialist views of caste affected the way in which it is studied? How does caste relate to other dimensions of difference and inequality such as class and ethnicity? This lively and accessible text examines the concept of caste, noting its origin in orientalist descriptions of Indian society, and showing how it made its way into social scientific discourse as a tool for the comparative analysis of social stratification. It reviews social scientists' accounts of caste in contemporary India, discussing the theoretical assumptions underlying such descriptions. The author takes issue with the view of caste, which regards it as specific to Hindu India and makes a case for a comparative sociology concerned with social processes. Such a sociology is important and indeed necessary if we are to understand the ways in which social inequality and cultural difference are organized in contemporary societies. The book represents a key text for students of comparative sociology and social anthropology, as well as those studying ethnicity, cultural difference and social and cultural change, religious studies, and others with an interest in Asian studies.

$6.35

Save:$14.96 (70%)

Quantity

2 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 105
Publisher: Open University Press
Published: 01 Feb 1999

ISBN 10: 0335197175
ISBN 13: 9780335197170

Media Reviews
...skilfully alerts readers to the mutability and complexityof caste, never losing sight of the general conceptual issues at stake. . . easily the best introduction for social scientists... - Mike Savage, University of Manchester An excellent book ...erudite and historically sensitive... - Bhikhu Parekh, University of Hull
Author Bio
Ursula Sharma is an established author who trained as an anthropologist and has conducted fieldwork both in India and Britain. She has held posts at the University of Delhi and at Keele University, teaching sociology and social anthropology. She is currently Professor of Comparative Sociology at the University of Derby.