DALIT MIDDLE CLASS: Mobility, Identity and Politics of Caste

This book is an empirical account of much debated, often misconstrued category of Dalits in India. It primarily concerns itself with the emergent ideological trends and patterns of identities among the middle class Dalits in India. By focusing on the emergence, growth and consolidation of Dalit middle class, this body of work attempts to understand the trends and patterns in ideology and identity among them. Emergence of Dalit middle class is mainly attributed to the post-independence period reservation policies. It plays a prominent role in directing and sustaining the contemporary Dalit movement, defining and redefining Dalit identity and formulating and reformulating Dalit ideology.

In a changing context of Dalit assertion and the caste-Hindu opposition to Dalit mobility, it is essential to understand the rapid changes occurring not only in their economic status, but also in their own perceptions of their socio-political status, especially by focusing on their ideology and identity. This would help us in understanding the socio-economic, political changes and the mobility process the Dalits are undergoing, which also enables us to understand the general process of social change in India.
In the backdrop of changing socio-economic and political milieu, internationalization of Dalit movement and irreversible impacts of globalization on Indian society, this book examines the socio-economic background, lifestyle and world view (including interpersonal relationships, work life, neighbourhood, etc.) of middle class Dalits, both conceptually and empirically.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 Dalit Middle Class or Dalit Elite?
3 Dalit Middle Class: An Empirical Analysis
4 Middle Class Dalits and Their Ideology and Identity
5 Dalit Middle Class and Narratives of Self and Community
6 Conclusion: Towards a Sociology of Dalit Middle Class