In ‘Gendering Caste
Through a Feminist Lens’, Uma Chakraborty explores the relationship between caste,
class, and gender. She writes that ideology and practice play the most
important roles in dictating the lives of people. However, even within caste
structures and class structures, there is a distinction between the position of
men and women.
She starts by talking
about how, predominantly, the caste system is presented as a consensual system
that is accepted by all, because it makes it easier for the upper caste by
justifying their position. While the caste system and the class system are different,
they are still related. Being a member of the upper caste results in social
power even if one does not have control over material resources. Chakraborty believes
that caste-based exploitation is more destructive than class-based exploitation.
She goes on to talk
about how women are treated as objects of exchange when it comes to marriage
because marriage is only to help a man continue his family line. She elaborates
on the concept of endogamy being necessary for the reproduction of caste as it maintains
the divide between different strata. Hence, in this way, endogamy is used as a
tool for the manifestation and perpetuation of not only caste but also gender
subordination.
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