Two different intuitions underpin relational egalitarian arguments for democracy: that of an egalitarian society, in which everyone has equal status (rather than the kind of unequal status we associate with hierarchical societies governed by, e.g., caste structures); and that of egalitarian relationships, such as friendships or marriages among equals.
Just as we don't choose our parents and siblings, we should not expect to choose our partners or challenge caste structures dictated by birth.
The caste structure in Odisha is similar to that in other states of eastern India.
In terms of caste structure, the Brahmans (highest caste) are subdivided into many gotras (lineages), while the Mahajans (trading caste) are subdivided into a bewildering number of groups.
The great majority of the Pahāṛī are Hindus, but their caste structure is less orthodox and less complex than that of the plains to the south.
Regional and linguistic differences -- there are 22 major languages in India -- and the caste structure, with its four principal castes and myriad subcastes, are less of an obstacle in the United States, she said.
Historians once believed that the post-Gupta period brought greater rigidity in the caste structure and that this rigidity was partially responsible for the inability of Indians to face the challenge of the Turks.
These include the exquisite architecture of the nest and its relation to bee physiology; the intricate division of labor and the relevance of a temporal caste structure to efficient functioning of the colony; and, finally, the life-death struggles of swarming, supersedure, and mating that mark the reproductive cycle of the honey bee.
Other rituals foster remembrance of the decisive deeds of the ancestors in fixing the present state of things; ritualized social structures (such as the caste structure of India) maintain a complex system of distinctions; and religious ideologies (such as astrology) foster the notion of spheres of power that control all members of a class, be they gods, planets, animals, plants, minerals, or men.
Public policy in modern India features affirmative action programs intended to reduce inequality that stems from a centuries-old caste structure and history of disparate treatment by gender.
Born a Dalit, below the caste structure in India and the group formerly called "Untouchables," Ambedkar struggled against the caste discrimination that permeated Indian society and would eventually become a noted leader in social justice movements.
