Saher Husain Week 3.

"Gendering Caste Through a Feminist Lens" by Uma Chakraborty talks about the unequal practice of caste system which is prevalent in the Indian society. In the first chapter of her book, she explains the hierarchical pattern of the system through her examples of the pure and impure and also the high and low and how this ideology is prescribed in the Brahmanical texts such as the Manu smriti which also specifies the punishment for not following such practice. She further explains how class and caste are interlinked in a way that the people of higher castes are also economically and politically higher in status while the ones of lower caste are also economically and politically backward thus leading to more exploitation of such individuals who have no power and say in any system, which then leads to alienation and exclusion of people from basic resources required.

The second chapter progresses to study the subordination of women in general wherein the author tries to explain how even in practice, women, due to patriarchy suffer not only on the basis of their caste but also their gender. Endogamy, as specified by the author, is responsible for reproduction of caste and gender subordination because it only allows one to marry within the boundaries of ones caste or tribe hence leading to rigidity in the system. Women, according to the author, become a resource to exchange in the social relation of kinship because of which they become a part of gender subordination. Thus, marriage or specifically, arranged marriages are linked to the continuation of the practice of such hierarchy and in creation of boundaries. Hence, we realise how female sexuality is controlled through such relations and practices which leads to oppression of women because of their gender.

Submitted by- Saher Husain (18010673)