ECON 246 - Caste at the Intersection of Economy, Religion, and Law

(REL 246) FDR: SS4
Planned Offering: Spring 2017
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: ECON 101 and instructor consent. Social stratification touches every aspect of life, and South Asia’s traditional caste structure is a special case: this highly complex, strictly-adhered-to system has been religiously legitimized and criticized over a 3,000-year history, and is nowadays seen as being at odds with the modern world. Yet it remains a crucial factor in social identity, economic roles, legal status, and religious practice. This course offers a 360-degree survey of caste both historically and in practice today in Nepal. The course addresses four themes, respectively providing for each a combination of historical background, social scientific analysis of the modern situation, and direct field experience for the students. Silwal, Lubin.