The Global Sociology Blog

We get two items from the indispensable Jonathan Turley. The first one, (full story here)

“Maya Devi, 28, made it in time to a hospital to deliver her baby at the Kanpur Medical College in Northern Uttar Pradesh state. The doctors, however, had other ideas. Devi is an “untouchable” and therefore the upper caste doctors refused to touch her and let both her and her baby die.”

Because, as we all know, education reduces levels of prejudice. The doctors have been suspended and there is an investigation in the matter.

The second item also relates to the persistence of caste distinction (which are technically abolished in India):

“Madan Singh, 22, was arrested in Northern India for throwing a six-year-old girl into burning embers when he caught her trespassing. Singh comes from a higher caste while the girl is dalit — the lowest caste. Singh found the girl relieving herself in his field and, when she did not immediately stop, he threw her into the fire.”

The little girl survived but is now in a hospital. The man was charged with attempted murder.

None of the articles or blog posts mention this but I am curious as to the gender dynamics here: it seems obvious that this sort of violence (physical or structural) goes one way (from men to women or men to girls). As in most societies, class / caste, gender as well as race / ethnicity have a cumulative effect. It is possible to accumulate unearned privileges (high caste / class, men, dominant racial or ethnic category) or unearned disadvantages (low caste / class, women, minorities). Each additional unearned privilege pushes the individual on the path to social dominance, whereas each additional unearned disadvantage creates additional roadblocks as well as a greater probability to experience physical, structural and symbolic violence. With life and death consequences as we see here.