Rural Social
Structure
• The word ‘social structure’
to imply the inter-
relationship, inter-
connectedness, and inter-
dependence of the diverse
parts of society. In terms of
their form, all societies have
the similar parts.
• Thus, there are groups and
communities in all societies,
but the nature and
substance of these groups
and communities vary from
one society
Objectives: Rural Social Structure
• To find out the meaning of a social
structure, rural and agrarian
structure
• To understand the crucial
components of the agrarian social
structure
• To trace the various peasant
movements and their significance in
the history of India
• To understand the dynamics
between caste and politics in India to
another.
Caste and class in rural setup
• Caste is a system of hierarchical relations, where the Brahmins
occupy the highest position and Sudras as lowest.
• In between these castes are the Rajputs, artisans and such
other caste groups. All the interactions among the members of the
village are based on the status of caste.
• While castes are perceived as hereditary groups with a fixed ritual
status, social classes are defined in terms of the relations of
production. A social class is a category of people who have a similar
socio-economic status in relation to other classes in the society.
• The caste has a more functional role in villages than in urban areas. For
example, occupational mobility and the incidences of inter-caste marriages
are low in rural areas, when compared to urban areas.
• Caste system in India is only analyzed on the basis of structural and cultural
aspects. Endogamy, caste hierarchy, and caste occupations are some of the
structural properties of caste system, whereas values refer to the cultural
aspect. Though the caste system is found both in rural and urban areas, it has
some specific features to perform in rural society.
• Some of these features are as follows:
• a. Rules of Endogamy and Exogamy:
• There exist a number of rules with regard to marital relations. One cannot
marry a person, who belongs to the same gotra. A man also cannot marry a
girl, who is related by blood. In certain tribal communities, there also exists
the practice of village exogamy, as tribals consider that marrying within their
own village is a loss of status.
• b. Interdependence of Occupations:
• Division of labour on the basis of caste is an essential feature of caste system in
rural societies. The economy of the village was earlier based on the jajmani
system. In this system, the occupational castes render services to their jajmans
on an exchange basis, either in cash or in kind.
• c. Importance of Caste in Various Stages of Life:
• The life of an individual passes from various phases, such as birth ceremonies,
marriage and death. Each of these phases is associated with a set of rituals. All
such rituals are officiated by a Brahmin.
• d. Caste Associations:
• Though the power of caste is losing its prominence, caste associations are
becoming much stronger, especially in political matters. The caste war, which is
found in Bihar today, is due to the power gained by these caste associations.
The caste associations make most of the political decisions in rural society.
• E. . Dominant Caste:
• The caste that has greater numerical strength than the other castes, which holds
the majority of the land and makes important decisions pertaining to the village, is
the ‘dominant caste’. This concept explains clearly that a single caste exercises
authority over the whole village. M. N. Srinivas gave this concept of ‘dominant
caste’.
• f. Village Economy and Caste:
• In rural society, caste determines the economic life of people. Though the village
economy is diversified, the traditional village occupations determine the status and
wealth of rural people. The habitation pattern is also determined by the clusters of
the caste.
• g. Social and Occupational Mobility:
• In any rural society, the social and occupational mobility is being analyzed on the
basis of caste. Economic mobility of a person or a family is determined by the caste,
to which he/she belongs to. Though there are some castes that have given up their
traditional occupations, other castes follow their caste occupations rigidly.
Caste system
• The status of the individual is determined by his birth in a particular caste.
Each caste member has a caste occupation, which he must follow. These
occupations are divided into pure and impure, on the basis of purity and
pollution. The Harijans, who were regarded as untouchables, followed
occupations that are considered impure.
• According to A. R. Desai, ‘Caste has fixed the psychology of the various
social groups and has evolved such minutely graded levels of social distance
and superior-inferior relationships that the social structure looks like a
gigantic hierarchic pyramid with a mass of untouchables as its base and a
small stratum of elite, the Brahmins, almost equally unapproachable, at its
apex. The Hindu society is composed of hundreds of distinct self-contained
caste worlds, piled one over the other’ (S. L. Doshi, and R C. Jain).
What is India's class system?
• Class system is based on occupation, wealth, education, age and sex.
Hierarchy of status group. In general there are 3 class – upper middle &
tower. Status, prestige & role is attached. Upper class are less in no in
comparison to the other two whereas their status & prestige is most.
• Hoebal defines "A social class is a group within a society, whose
members hold a no. of distinctive status in common & who trough the
operation of roles associated with these status, develop are awareness
of the life interest as against the unlike trait & interest of other groups."
• In general "A social class consists of group of individuals who are ranked
by the members of the community in socially superior inferior position."
Difference between Class and Caste system
S.No. Caste Class
1. Based on birth Birth, education, wealth etc.
2. In general there are 3000 castes & sub-castes inWhereas class has subclasses (based on different
India. things)
3. Caste is a closed group Whereas Class is an open system
4. Even Sanskritisation is unable to change caste Whereas class can be changed quiet easily.
5. Caste is hereditary
6. Caste is a closed class. A child of Brahmin will But there is no such thing in class.
always be a Brahmin.
7. Status is inborn and ascribed in Caste System. Whereas in class system, it is acquired & achieved.
Characteristics of class system
• Class consciousness – wherever a class is
• Class system is based on occupation, wealth, formed this feeling a consciousness is a
education, age and sex. must. There should be feeling of in group
• Hierarchy of status group. In general there i.e. I belong class conflict is due to this the
are 3 class – upper middle & tower. Status, people of the preliterate class feel the
prestige & role is attached. Upper class are upper class exploits them their they unite
less in no in comparison to the other two revolt. The behavior action is determined by
whereas their status & prestige is most. This this class consciousness.
is like a pyramid. Karl max (Rich & poor) • There's social restriction in this too. In
preliterate & general there is endogamy in a class. To
• Feeling of superiority & inferiority. In these maintain their status & position they mix
3 classes there are such feelings the upper among themselves & it is seldom that
class people feel they are superior to the marriage between upper & lower class is
other two whereas the lower class feels it is wished. Distinction between Caste & class.
inferior to the upper class. They are the two phenomena of social
• Sub-classes, class is divided into different stratification (Stratification is division of
groups. Similar to caste system, the class society on the basis of birth).
system is divided.
• Class system is an open system.
Inter Caste Relation with reference to jajmani
system
Rural family and changing patterns
• A rural family is a single economic unit with all its members co-
operating with one another in the agricultural and other operations
on the basis of simple division of labour by a
• What are the main reasons for changing the family structure?
• The material condition of industrial-capitalist society is the main
cause of change in the family. Greater affluence, geographical and
occupational mobility and economic independence of (some) women
are the main contributing factors for the change in patterns of
residence and family life.
• Age and sex, under the management of a single head.
India and its family structure
•
India has a rich family structure with a patrilineal background, which help the family
members to sustain a life with kinship groupings. Earlier, mostly joint families were
found where family members live together under one roof. They all mutually work,
eat, worship and co-operate each other in one or the other way.
• This also helps the family to get strong mentally, physically and economically, the
children also get to know about the values and traditions of the society from their
grandparents and elders. The family system has given a lot of importance in India
and has worked more often to make the bonding among families stronger.
• The family system has given a lot of importance in India and has worked more often
to make the bonding among families stronger. Meanwhile, urbanization and
westernization had its influence on the basic structure of the Indian family structure.
• The division of the joint family into smaller units is not the symbol of people
rejecting this traditional structure. The circumstances and conditions also
made the need for people to split the family.
• The family as a social institution has been undergoing change. Both in its
structure and functions changes have taken place.
• In India, as in many traditional societies, the family has been not only the
centre of social and economic life but also the primary source of support for the
family members.
The increasing commercialization of the economy and the development of the
infrastructure of the modern state have introduced a significant change in the
family structure in India in the 20th century.
• Especially, the last few decades have witnessed important alterations in family
life.
Factors affecting family structures
• • 2. Change in Age of marriage: In many countries
1.Change in Fertility: An inevitable in he world where significant declines infertility are
outcome of declining fertility rates being experienced, reductions in the proportion of
and increasing age at first birth in people never married have often coincided with or
most of the countries in the world, preceded declines in marital fertility.
including India, is a reduction in • A substantial increase in the proportions never
family size. married, among both males and females, at young
ages, has been noted in many countries.
• Fertility declined due to the •
combined effect of substantial A consequence of the increase in the proportion of
socio-economic development never-married young adults is the gradual upward
achieved during the last two trend of the average age at marriage.
decades and the effective Postponement of marriage among females
implementation of family planning resulted in the postponement of childbearing with
programmes. a reduction in family size.
• 3. Change in Mortality: Mortality declines, particularly infant
mortality, everywhere preceded the decline of fertility.
• Improved survival rates of children mean that when women reached
the age of 30 they increasingly had achieved the completed family
size they desired. Earlier, much larger numbers of births were
required to achieve the desired completed family size.
• In the last three decades, infant mortality has declined significantly in
every country and this trend undoubtedly influenced the fertility
decline. Mortality decline, followed by fertility decline, altered the
age structure of the population and also the structure within
individual families.
• 4. Marriage Dissolution: It is no longer the case that all marital unions,
whether formal or informal reach final dissolution through death.
• A considerable proportion of unions are disrupted suddenly for reasons
such as desertion, separation or divorce.An obvious failure in a family
relationship is where husband and wife cease to live together.
• Those women who are divorced at latter ages mostly remain single for
the rest of their lives and live with their dependents. The idea that
when a couple has children it will be less likely to divorce is widely
accepted in most societies.
• 5. Participation of Women in Economic development: The
commercialization process which opened markets in many developing
countries has succeeded in replacing the traditional co-operation in the
economic relationship, with that of competition.
• In this process, the social institutions in these countries found
themselves in conflict with the key aspects of the new economic
systems.
