especially in rural areas (Kerbo, 2009). People born in the lower castes lived i

Question

especially in rural areas (Kerbo, 2009). People born in the lower castes lived in abject poverty throughout their lives. Another caste, the harijan, or untouchables, was considered so low that technically it was not thought to be a caste at all. People in this caste were called the untouchables because they were considered unclean and were prohibited from coming near to people in the higher castes. Traditionally, caste membership in India almost totally determined an individual's life, including what job you had and whom you married; for example, it was almost impossible to marry someone in another caste. After India won its independence from Britain in 1949, its new constitution granted equal rights to the untouchables. Modern communication and migration into cities further weakened the caste system, as members of different castes now had more contact with each other. Still, caste prejudice remains a problem in India and illustrates the continuing influence of its traditional system of social stratification. A country that used to have a caste system is South Africa. In the days of apartheid, from 1950 to 1990, a small group of white Afrikaners ruled the country. Black people constituted more than three-quarters of the nation's population and thus greatly outnumbered Afrikaners, but they had the worst jobs, could not vote, and lived in poor, segregated neighborhoods. Afrikaners bolstered their rule with the aid of the South African police, which used terror tactics to intimidate blacks (I. Berger, 2009)

Explanation / Answer

Class system can be defined a social ranking of an individual. Having more freedom as compared to other systems, the individual could choose to move up or down (called as vertical mobility) depending upon their skills, effort or knowledge.

Caste system is defined as a status imposed upon an individual born into it. These unequal groups were based on family's status, were unchanging and imposed for life. Major case of caste system was in India, being supported by Hindus and it dominated all of life's choices from one's birth to death. People in lower castes lived in poverty all their lives, and harijans or untouchables (lowest caste) were treated as unclean and were shunned. Caste determined the job and life choices like marriage (only same caste marriages were allowed).

Another country with caste system was South Africa, were small group of white Afrikaners ruled over blacks. Even though majority of population was that of blacks, still they had the worst jobs, living conditions, and had no freedom. Afrikaners reinforced their rule by using police to inculcate fear and terror in blacks.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse E
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.