Hi! I happen to have a couple of notes, i'll paste them bellow. Sorry they're not very good but I think you could learn a bit from them.
Location:
- South Asia
Neighboring countries:
- Pakistan
- China
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Burma
- Bangladesh
- Sri Lanka.
Capital: New Deli
Indian population:
- 1.3 billion
In comparison to the world:
- World population: 7.4 billion
- Australian population: 23.1 million
- Americas population: 319 million
Median age:
- 29 years
Comparison to the world:
- World median age: 26.5 years
- Australian median age: 30 years
- American median age: 37.5 years
Population growth rate:
- 1.2% annual change
Comparison to the world:
- Australian PGR: 1.8%
- America: PGR: 0.7%
SIMMILARITIES BETWEEN INDIAN AND AUSTRALIAN SOCIETIES
- Both countries are commonwealth nations.
- North-Eastern states of India use English as their official language.
- Both speak English and were colonized by England.
- Both countries have a high degree of gender differentiation.
- Both countries play similar sports, especially those introduced by British colonisers eg. Cricket.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIAN AND AUSTRALIAN SOCIETIES
- Location- India is an Asian country while Australia has no bordering countries.
- India is one of the most multilingual nation on earth where as Australia is predominantly English speaking.
- Mobility between classes is possible in Australia, but less likely in India.
- India is a spiritual country with the concept of Karma influencing all aspects of society, where as Australia is a secular society despite Christian religions denominating.
- Australia is an individualist society which India is a collectivist society.
INDIAN SOCIETY, CULTURE AND RELIGION
A secular and pluralistic society characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity.
- Made up of 18 different languages and over 300 dialects spoken by Indian people.
- Hinduism is the dominant religion in India, and Hindu’s co-exist with people of other faiths through the active work of ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue.
- 83% of Indians are Hindus where as about 14% are Muslims. 2.4% are Christians where as 7% are Buddhists.
- India is distinctive in the proportion of people living in rural and urban communities. More than three times the amount of people that live in Indian cities, live in rural areas.
FAMILY LIFE AND FAMILY VALUES
- In India, family is the most important institution that has survived through the ages. ‘
- Emphasise family integrity, family loyalty and family unity.
- For the Hindu family, extended family and kinship ties are of utmost importance.
- Families adhere to a patriarchal ideology, follow the patrilineal rule of descent, are patrilocal (marriage pattern) have familialistic value orientations, and endorse traditional gender roles.
- The Indian family is considered strong, stable, close, resilient and enduring
- The ideal family is a joint family, which usually includes kinsmen – three to four generations including uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and grandparents living together in the same household. This is an example of a number of family units living in separate rooms of the same house. These members eat the food cooked under the same hearth, share a common income, common property.
MODERNISATION IN INDIA
- Technological development – India has adopted the the use of computers in higher education.
- Agricultural development – decreasing rural population and traditional family roles (industrialisation)
- Social structure, social interaction and behavior were once all based upon Indian social values, this has now changed.
- Introduction of commercial farming in India has lead to urbanization – from loss of rural jobs.
GLOBALISATION IN INDIA
- Introduction of Women’s day!
- Political crack down on rape in India –Recently, five men were publically hanged for the gang rape and murder of a woman on a bus. The stigma attached to rape (“Taking ones honor”) has dramatically changed recently due to a new awareness of global human rights. Cases in the past have been ignored, with some even being raped again by police, and some being further humiliated in hospitals as well as the negative stigma being attached to the victim’s family. Globalisation is helping to reverse this.
- Continuity of British influence upon education and law.
- India has become a large labor producer for brands such as Nike. This is a result of a loss in rural faming and agricultural roles.
- Has weakened India’s cultural coherence.
WESTERNISATION IN INDIA
- Clothing – traditional Indian attire becoming less popular eg. White being worn at Indian weddings, rather than the traditional oranges, reds, pinks, golds etc.
- Urge for event planners to introduce white back drops (typical for western style weddings) rather than using the traditional orange and red.
INDUSTRIALISATION IN INDIA
- The decreasing rural population.
- The decrease in maintenance of the traditional Indian family role.
GENDER ROLES
- Gender roles in Indian society have been clearly defined for many decades.
- The roles filled by men and women were, and still are, decided largely by religious and cultural values.
FEMALE
The typical Female role includes:
- get married.
- Stay thin and pale.
- Cook.
- Clean.
- Have maternal responsibilities – produce children, males in particular, care for those children. A common Hindu wedding blessing given amongst Indian women is – “May you be the Mother of a hundred sons”.
Traditionally, women were known as the burden as they are eventually lost to the husband. This is echoed even in today’s society as the gender ration stands at 940:1000.
- Women’s enrolment to school has risen from 0.5 million in 1950 to 22.5 million in 2004.
- Women’s lives are highly controlled by the men in their lives – Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, in-laws etc.
- They are at the mercy of arranged marriages, limited educational opportunities, low literacy rates, inability to express frustrations etc – leaving them powerless and vulnerable.
- Women have little power within their families and have little to no freedom for decision making.
MALE
- India is a patriarchal society in which men have more power than women, and a higher position of authority within society.
- Financial supporters of their families.
- Traditionally were the only ones to receive education.
POWER AND AULTHORITY IN INDIA
- India is a republic with a President as a head of state, who is advised by the Prime Minister and a head of councils.
- Males have more power than women. Males control the women in their families, especially fathers who control their daughters and husbands who control their wives. Brothers are considered to be of higher importance than their sisters, and therefore control them.
- Women have little to no power - This is greatly due to lack of education. Estimates show that for every 100 girls in rural India, only 1 reaches grade 12.
- The Hindu religion holds the most religious power within India, with over 800 million followers, making up 83% of the countries religious adherents.
- People of higher casts hold more power than people of the lower casts – the lowest of the casts (the untouchables) have absolutely no power over other, and very little power over themselves.
INDIAN HERITAGE
-Each individual’s social position is decided by heredity, particularly their position within the cast system, which they inherit, born into according to their heritage, and which is very difficult for them to move within the system.
- Despite being considered illegal, the Indian caste system still remains in some forms within Indian society due to the ways in which it is so heavily integrated into Indian and Hindu heritage and values.
- Indian society is based off It’s Hindu heritage roots – contributing to the caste system which is based off Hindu values etc.
- India families are extended due to their heritage. It was once tradition that families of up to four generations live together within the same home.
TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA
- TV is the biggest medium to reach people within India, especially in rural areas.
- India recently hit over 1 billion mobile phone users.
- India’s phone bills are some of the least expensive in the world.
- There are more mobile phone users in India than there are in the US.
- Technology is resulting in social change, and contributing to the increase in suppressed individuals being able to have a voice.
IDENTITY IN INDIA
- it is difficult to decide India’s identity as a whole, although judgments can be made concerning smaller groups of the population.
- Many factors contribute to one’s identity – environment, gender, family, values, lifestyle, etc. These are all variables of ones society and culture.
THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM - status
- The caste system is the social hierarchy in India which has existed for over 1,500 years, originating in Ancient India and persisting into modern time.
- Has religious elements and is interwoven with the Hindu faith.
- There are over 2,000 casts and sub-casts within the 5 main casts.
- Marriage between casts is uncommon, along with people being able to move up into higher casts.
- The social positing of each individual is determined by heredity, not by personal qualifications, accomplishments or material acquisitions.
- The system ensured order, and duty – contributed to the functioning of society.
- Despite being unequal, the castes depend upon each other.
- Despite not being able to move up through the caste’s, people believe that they they may be able to be born into the higher caste in their next life.
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN INDIA
CONTINUITIES
- The caste system – despite some aspects changing, the caste system still remains within India.
CHANGES
POSITIVE CHANGE FOR WOMEN REGARDING GENDER ROLES -
Independence brought many positive changes to the rights of women and their place within Indian society. There were many legal reforms that were designed to empower women eg.
- The right to divorce – 1955
- Succession laws – 1956 – enabled female children to have the same claims that male children had to their father’s property upon death.
- Adoption laws changed, availing female adopted children to have the same rights as male adopted children.
- The legal age for marriage was increased for both sexes, eighteen for males, and fifteen for females.
However, despite these changes, Females are still clearly a vulnerable social group within Indian society.
- Life expectancy for both Indian men and women is changing – increasing – contributing to the increase in the elderly population.
- Literacy profile of Indians has risen – Indians have become more literate.
APPLYING A SOCIAL CHANGE THEORY TO INDIA
THE THEORY OF SNAKRITISATION
- Is the process by which a low Hindu caste changes their customs, rituals and ideologies in the direction of a higher caste. When the positive discrimination policy was adopted the India government (note year) this process accelerated. Major factors of Snakritisation include pilgrimage (journey of spiritual transformation), migration to new areas and the Bhakti movement which established the idea of equality before god and thus the idea of equality amongst caste.
Note: stratification is the hierarchal division of society according to rank (caste).
THE FUNCTIONALIST THEORY
− All different groups perform specialised social duties- The Brahmins are the leaders, educators and wise men, the Kshatriya defend the land, the Vaishyra specialise in financial matters, the Sudra undertake agricultural duties and the untouchable take care of the afterlife. The clear roles of each caste maintain the society’s coordination and stability.
− The inability for one group to perform their duties can lead to social disintegration- the industrialisation of rural areas has forced Sudra out of their traditional roles. This has resulted in a change in population density (urbanisation) which has escalated caste based discrimination from forced contact.
− Brahmins rely on untouchables for regulation of hygiene and burying of afterlife, regardless of the huge hierarchal gap
− The reliance of each caste in-between is becoming less strong in response to new technologies such as GM crops, machinery and weapon exportation. Whether this will create further social upheaval or improve caste disparities is unknown.
APPLYING THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS TO INDIA
ENVIRONMENT
- India is predominantly a third world country.
- Large percentage below the poverty line.
- Growing Urbanisation (from 17% of 30% in the past 20 years).
- Agriculture is becoming a major industry but is becoming industrialised.
TIME
- Population has increased with time since 1951.
- Quality of education has increased.
- Gender and caste disparities have improved but remain existent nonetheless.
- Technology also has excelled increasing transportation, entertainment and everyday communication.
CONTINUITY
- Third world country.
- The wedding.
- Caste in society (change lies within the political agenda)
CHANGE
- Change from Colonial rule to Independent India. This catalysed the political urge to prove India’s strength through business and education. Rejection of modernisation (by people), but increasing rapidly.
- Positive change for Indian women regarding freedom and rights.
- Indians are becoming more literate.
CULTURE
- Traditionalist/collectivist based.
- Family is extended - extended family often live in close living quarters.
- Traditional culture is fleeting a result of westernisation and industrialisation, core religion is Hinduism.
- Tradition includes weddings.
PERSONS
- People are categorised by caste, gender disparities (incidence of rape in India)
- Female: role is to get married, stay thin and pale, cook, clean, and have all maternal responsibilities. Traditionally women were known as the burden as they are eventually lost to the husband, although never expressed in the Hindu life system. This is echoed even in today’s society as the gender ration stands at 940:1000. Women’s enrolment to school has risen from 0.5 million in 1950 to 22.5 million in 2004
- Male: financial supporter of family. Traditionally were the only ones to receive education.
SOCIETY
- Society is becoming mainstream, gender roles, inequities in society.
- Caste system is existent but the ties in-between are not as strong due to technology replacing traditional roles. Each caste has its own customs, traditions, practices and rituals etc.
POWER
- Corruption from caste disparities (especially towards untouchables)
- Rape in India – victims have no power.
- Corruption of police force.
AULTHORITY
- Introduction of caste discrimination laws.
- The Independence of India from Britain.
Home
Help
Search
Login
