Gender
Assignment
Week
3
Chapter
1 and 2 of “Gendering Caste Through a Feminist Lens” by Uma Chakraborty explains
the caste system and the patriarchal system in our country. Chapter 1 of the
book explains in detail about how Caste System works in India, Brahmins being
at the top and the “untouchables” at the bottom. The author states that how the
Brahmins enjoy most of the privileges in the system, while the lower castes are
not even allowed to change their occupation if they want to. The lower castes
are forced to do the “dirty jobs”. An example was given of how the lower caste
tried to rebel against the upper class by not removing a dead carcass from the
Brahmin’s house but was ultimately forced to do the same by other upper classes
like the Kshatriyas. The lower classes have the maximum punishment for non-cooperation
of the caste system while brahmins have the minimum punishments.
In
Chapter 2, Patriarchy takes place and marriage is discussed as a method of “procreation”
as women are considered to be “gifts” to the boy’s family in the wedding as
they provide a way to continue the vansa of the family of the male. Women
are merely considered as object for reproduction. The concept of endogamy in the
same caste is important for purity of the upper classes and to prevent pollution
in the caste system. Ovcrall, the first two chapters of the book describe the
problems that are further discussed in the later chapter in the book.
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