Download Caste in Stone?

Caste in Stone?
By ALISON ZIMBALIST
Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students examine India’s caste system. After learning
about the history and development of the caste system, students discuss a New York Times
article about how new political power granted to women in lower castes is affecting the political
and social climate of India. Students then work in small groups to explore the economic, social
and political ‘rules’ of the different classes in the Indian caste system.
Author(s):
Alison Zimbalist, The New York Times Learning Network
Suggested Time Allowance: 45 minutes, plus homework
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Define “class system”; assess how classes are divided in the United States and the meaning of
those divisions.
2. Understand the creation of the caste system in India, how castes divide Indian citizens, and
how the caste system affects daily life in India.
3. Examine how new political power granted to women in lower castes is affecting the political
and social climate of India by reading and discussing “Lower-Caste Women Turn Village Rule
Upside Down.”
4. Explore, in small groups, the economic, social and political “rules” of a class in the Indian
caste system and create a visual display representing research findings.
Resources / Materials:
-student journals
-summary of India’s caste system from an encyclopedia (one per student)
-pens/pencils
-paper
-copies of “Lower-Caste Women Turn Village Rule Upside Down” (one per student)
-five large sheets of poster board or construction paper
-resources about India’s caste system (encyclopedias, texts about India and Hinduism, Internet
access)
Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following questions (written
on the board prior to class): What is a “class system”? How are classes divided in the United
States, and what do these divisions mean? Students then share their responses.
2. As a class, read and discuss a summary of India’s caste system from an encyclopedia. Discuss
when and why the caste system came into being, how the system divides Indian citizens, and
how the caste system affects daily life in India.
3. Read and discuss, in round-table format, “Lower-Caste Women Turn Village Rule Upside
Down,” focusing on the questions below (divided by section title).
Introduction
–What does the first paragraph of the article tell readers about views and attitudes in Indian
society?
–What issues may arise from women from lower castes taking seats in village governing
councils?
–What is the significance of the statement that “while a third of the new women panchayat
members are just rubber stamps for their husbands, two-thirds are actively engaged in learning
the ropes and exercising power”?
–How does the electoral process of panchayat seats work, and how might it impact social
attitudes?
Two Villages: Air of Subversion And Big Obstacles
–How might the literacy of women in India affect the social change that may occur due to their
access to new leadership positions?
–Why are the changes occurring referred to as “subversive,” and what examples does the writer
use to support this?
–Why are the actions of women (such as pouring tea or properly addressing males) discussed in
this section?
–Why does the article mention that a group of villagers wanted to review Rani’s “basta”? How
does this reflect attitudes about lower-caste women in India?
The Innovation: Setting Goals For Women
–How did the quota system become established in India, and why?
–What plans are there to extend the quota system to Parliament, and why have previous plans
been unsuccessful?
The Chief: An Honest Leader Squeezed by Critics
–Why is the Indian quota system referred to as “one of the best innovations in grass-roots
democracy in the world”?
–What information about the caste system is offered in this section, and what about Rani’s past
and caste influenced Brahmins and others to support her in the election?
–What steps has Rani taken to better the lives of those in Chijarasi?
–How do different people react to Rani’s leadership role in the community, and why? What do
their attitudes indicate about the future of the caste system and women’s roles as leaders?
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Divide students into five groups, and assign each group one of the
five social classes in India (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vashya, Sudra, and Dalit or Untouchables).
Each group then researches the economic, social and political “rules” of this class. On a piece of
poster board, each group creates a visual display about their caste focusing on these three aspects
of life in India for their particular class. In a future class, students should present their research to
the class for further discussion on the caste system.
Further Questions for Discussion:
–What is the caste system, and why was it established?
–How does social classification affect economic, political, and social aspects of daily life?
–In what ways do social classes in India determine one’s role in society?
–In what ways might women of lower castes now in leadership roles affect social attitudes about
the caste system and about women?
–Why does the caste system still exist in India? If it were to suddenly be abolished, what do you
think would or would not change?
–Is it possible for a “classless” society to exist? Why or why not?
Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on written journal entry, participation in class discussions, and
group research on a class in Indian society.
Vocabulary:
caste, sari, bureaucrat, feudal, hierarchies, fiat, subversion, ensconced, quota, institutionalize,
decentralize, innovation, proprieties, rebel, malleable, calumnies, raucous, harangue,
contemptuous, sabotage, lobbied, cultivated, falsified, undermine, resolve, fortified
Extension Activities:
1. Evaluate some of Mahatma Gandhi’s writings on his views of the caste system
(http://www.indiagov.org/Gandhi1/castesystem.htm) and the roles of women
(http://www.indiagov.org/Gandhi/onwomen.htm). Try to find writings from others that dispute
Gandhi’s arguments. Which views do you agree with, and why? Which views do you disagree
with, and why?
2. Explore how newspapers in India are covering the issues discussed in the featured article.
Ecola Newsstand provides an extensive collection of English-language Indian newspapers
(http://www.ecola.com/news/press/as/in).
3. Research other countries that have strict class systems. How does the class system affect the
political, economic and social “rules” of the country? Compare this class system and its effects to
that of India. What similarities and differences exist?
4. Create a timeline tracing India’s government. Include important leaders and legislation on
your timeline.
5. Learn about the Hindu religion. What deities are worshipped, and how? Where is Hinduism
practiced? What are the names of the important Hindu texts, and what can be found in them?
How does Hinduism affect the daily lives of those who practice it? What Hindu holidays exist,
and how are they celebrated? How are the caste system and the roles of women viewed in
Hinduism? Present your findings to your class.
6. Examine India’s constitution (http://alfa.nic.in/const/a1.html). How does the Constitution of
India reflect the caste system and India’s electoral system?
7. Interview someone who has lived in India for an extended period of time about his or her
views and experiences with the caste system.
8. Write a biography of Mahatma Gandhi or another leader in India’s political and social history.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
American History- Create a timeline marking important people, events and legislation
concerning the expansion in the U.S. of rights of different people who were not always granted
equal rights (such as women, Native Americans, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans).
Fine Arts- Create a gallery of Indian art and, for each piece, write a brief interpretation of how
the piece reflects Indian values regarding caste and gender.
Mathematics- Create a graph or set of graphs illustrating the literacy rates of different countries,
including India. This information can be easily found on the United Nations’ 1998 Human
Development Index (http://www.undp.org/hdro/98hdi.htm). Then, investigate the relationship
between a country’s literacy rate and the average income, as well as other related statistics.
Teaching with The Times- Keep a scrapbook or create a bulletin board of articles about India in
The New York Times. For each article, write a brief analysis of the news topic and its effects on
India and internationally.
Other Information on the Web:
InvestIndia (http://www.investindia.com/newsite/index.htm) provides a comprehensive guide to
the history and culture of India.
Discover India (http://www.indiagov.org/) offers great information about India’s news, history,
culture, states, and much more from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian History: A Passage Through Time (http://www.historyofindia.com/) allows you to take a
virtual tour through 5000 years of India’s history.
United Nations Development Fund for Women, or UNIFEM (http://www.unifem.undp.org/),
promotes women’s empowerment and gender equality.
My India (http://www.cnct.com/home/bhaskar/india.html) offers information about Indian
history and religion, as well as provides interesting links to other India sites.
Academic Content Standards:
Grades 6-8
Historical Understanding Standard 2- Understands the historical perspective. Benchmarks:
Analyzes the influence specific ideas and beliefs had on a period of history; Analyzes the effects
specific decisions had on history; Knows different types of primary and secondary sources and
the motives, interests, and bias expressed in them
World History Standard 12- Understands the Imperial crises and their aftermath in various
regions from 300 to 700 CE. Benchmarks: Understands how the spread of Buddhism and
Christianity influenced different regions; Understands political events that shaped the Gupta
Empire; Understands the basis of social relationships in India during the Gupta era (e.g., the
social and legal position of women and men, restrictions upon women and their place within the
caste system, different social perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of the caste
system)
World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an
interdependent world. Benchmarks: Understands the causes and effects of population growth and
urbanization; Understands influences on economic development around the world; Understands
instances of political conflict and terrorism in modern society
Behavioral Studies Standard 1- Understands that group and cultural influences contribute to
human development, identity, and behavior. Benchmarks: Understands that each culture has
distinctive patterns of behavior that are usually practiced by most of the people who grow up in
it; Understands that usually within any society there is broad general agreement on what
behavior is “unacceptable,” but that the standards used to judge behavior vary for different
settings and different subgroups and may change with time and in response to different political
and economic conditions; Understands that punishments vary widely among, and even within,
different societies
Behavioral Studies Standard 2- Understands various meanings of social group, general
implications of group membership, and different ways that groups function. Benchmarks:
Understands that group identity may create a feeling of superiority, which increases group
cohesion, but may also occasion hostility toward and/or from other groups; Understands that
people sometimes react to all members of a group as though they were the same and perceive in
their behavior only those qualities that fit preconceptions of the group which leads to uncritical
judgments; Understands how language, literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions,
beliefs, values, and behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture;
Understands that a large society may be made up of many groups, and these groups may contain
many distinctly different subcultures
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks:
Uses a variety of resource materials to gather information for research topics; Organizes
information and ideas from multiple sources in systematic ways
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a
variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, explicit hierarchic
structures in informational texts; Uses new information to adjust and extend personal knowledge
base
Grades 9-12
Historical Understanding Standard 2- Understands the historical perspective. Benchmarks:
Analyzes the influences specific ideas and beliefs had on a period of history and specifies how
events might have been different in the absence of those ideas and beliefs; Understands that
change and continuity are equally probable and natural; Evaluates the validity and credibility of
different historical interpretations
World History Standard 12- Understands the Imperial crises and their aftermath in various
regions from 300 o 700 CE. Benchmarks: Understands the significant social, political, and
cultural characteristics of Gupta society; Understands how the spread of different religions
influenced political and social conditions in various regions; Understands the resurgence of
Hinduism in India and its spread to South India
World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an
interdependent world. Benchmarks: Understands the influences on and impact of cultural trends
in the second half of the 20th century; Understands the role of political ideology, religion, and
ethnicity in shaping modern governments
Behavioral Studies Standard 1- Understands that group and cultural influences contribute to
human development, identity, and behavior. Benchmarks: Understands that cultural beliefs
strongly influence the values and behavior of the people who grow up in the culture often
without their being fully aware of it, and that people have different responses to these influences;
Understands that punishment for “unacceptable” social behavior depends partly on beliefs about
the purposes of punishment and about its effectiveness; Understands that social distinctions are a
part of every culture, but they take many different forms; Understands that people often take
differences to be signs of social class; Understands that the difficulty of moving from one social
class to another varies greatly with time, place, and economic circumstances; Understands that
heredity, culture, and personal experience interact in shaping human behavior, and that the
relative importance of these influences is not clear in most circumstances; Understands that
family, gender, ethnicity, nationality, institutional affiliations, socioeconomic status, and other
group and cultural influences contribute to the shaping of a person’s identity
Behavioral Studies Standard 2- Understands various meanings of social group, general
implications of group membership, and different ways that groups function. Benchmarks:
Understands how the diverse elements that contribute to the development and transmission of
culture; Understands that social groups may have patterns of behavior, values, beliefs, and
attitudes that can help or hinder cross-cultural understanding
Language Arts Standard 4- Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Benchmarks:
Uses a variety of news sources to gather information for research topics; Identifies and defends
research questions and topics that may be important in the future
Language Arts Standard 7- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of informational texts. Benchmarks: Applies reading skills and strategies to a
variety of informational texts; Summarizes and paraphrases complex, implicit hierarchic
structures in informational texts, including the relationships among the concepts and details in
those structures; Uses new information from texts to clarify or refine understanding of academic
concepts