Decolonising Caste in the Indian Context: The Psyche of the Oppressor

Title

Decolonising Caste in the Indian Context: The Psyche of the Oppressor

Creator

Sophan A.; Nair A.

Description

Caste is a social construct as well as a psychological phenomenon. So far, it has been predominantly viewed, understood and researched through the lens of anthropology, sociology, economics and political science. However, very little understanding has been gained in the domain of psychological science with respect to caste in the Indian context. The population of the Global South (includes the regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania) cannot be understood with the frameworks and research undertaken by the Global North (Europe and North America, known as the West, the industrialised world) because the knowledge production centres of psychology have predominantly been Euro-American centric, as many critics have pointed out. Although research has been scarce in relation to caste and psychology, it has mostly revolved around the oppressed. Therefore, this article aims to shift the focus from the oppressed to the oppressor. To understand Indian human behaviour and thought, it is essential to view it through the lens of the colonial past, the caste system and religion, which are intertwined with each other. This article aims to look at the psychology of the oppressor in the Indian context through the psychological frameworks of purity and pollution. It also stems from the premise that casteism is inculcated through modelling and intergenerational learning. Hence, the above-mentioned factors help to understand unequal power relations and discrimination, which facilitate the decolonisation of the Indian psyche. It also highlights the influence of colonisation on the mind and behaviour with respect to caste. 2023 Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad.

Source

Psychology and Developing Societies, Vol-35, No. 1, pp. 110-130.

Date

2023-01-01

Publisher

Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd

Subject

Caste; decolonisation; India; oppression; oppressor; psychology

Coverage

Sophan A., Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India; Nair A., Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 9713336

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1177/09713336231157802

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