4.8.3

Chapter 8 Section 3 - Patterns of Life Kristen Andes, Hannah Keglovits, Carson Szymanski The purpose of this lesson is to show students how the caste system affected life in India, the role the village plead in traditional family life, and the structure of the traditional family in India. Homework Assignment: Read the following excerpt from "Untouchable" by Tom O'Neill and study the accompanying visual. Then, answer the following questions.




 * 1) Based on what you know about caste systems from the Latin America unit, why was the Rajput caste trying to keep the untouchables at the bottom of the social hierarchy?
 * 2) Compare and contrast- Which group in the Latin American caste system is similar to the Untouchables? Brahmins? Why?
 * 3) Using the visual, what inferences can be made as to the size of the Brahmin caste vs. the Pariah caste? Hint: Look at the shape of the visual and the amount of space allotted to each caste. Why is this important?
 * 4) Why do you believe that there is still discrimination against the lower castes even though it is illegal?



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This article was selected because it is from a reliable database source and contains credible information. It provides a basic overview of the history and structure of the caste system in India. Although this article was written for a knowledgeable audience, the writing style is more informal and the new language introduced is explained in a way that is easily understood. The author also provides an option for further reading on the subject at the end of the article. Much of the information on this topic is uncertain since it predates recorded history, so the author provides several accepted theories and mythological explanations to give different interpretations of the history of the caste system. This provides students with a balanced perspective of the most popularly believed versions of India's history. Overall, this website is very useful for students wishing to understand this topic.

[|Carson's Link on Village Life] This article provides a view of rural life in India from the perspective of an urban college student of high privilege and caste visiting small villages with his professor. The student and professor are visiting the area of Himachal Pradesh north of Delhi where life is destitute. A lack of roads is described that forces villagers to travel by foot, sometimes walking for several hours to reach destinations. The absence of infrastructure has not encouraged development of hospitals and schools. Compared to the city where the student lives, there is a lack of healthcare and education, mostly because farming and gathering of food requires the most demand of time. One small preschool that they visited had a student to teacher ratio of 84 to 2. It is implied that the student has an expectation of witnessing hopelessness among the villagers, but he instead sees the opposite. The villagers carry pride in their hard work and an eagerness to share their culture with the urban people. Widowed women share their help group and two herdsmen perform their traditional song and dance. The student is inspired by a young doctor who is dedicating his life to the village simply because of the desperate need. The contrast of the barely adequate lifestyle in rural life relative to the urban livelihood the student experiences is strongly implied.

[|Kristen's Link on Sati] This link focuses on four main points about sati. These ideas are: an introduction to sati and its use in India, its origins, European views of sati, and where historical information on sati can be gained. The author's purpose is to factually present information on sati so that the reader can draw their own conclusions. The author does not let their own personal judgement get in the way and uses multiple facts to support each point. This article provides detailed information on the four ideas listed above. Although there are some traditional Indian words used, the article is simply written so that anyone could understand it. This article provides thorough information that is useful in supplementing the information given in the textbook. The information provided gives not only the Indian viewpoint but also the European viewpoint. By providing two different accounts of the same topic, the author provides enough information for the reader to thoroughly understand the topic. The information was helpful in creating a broader view on the topic of sati.

This is a video about a change in the education in the caste system. Before, only Brahman children could receive the education to become a priest. Now, a school in Rishikesh is offering the poorest children this education, thus bettering their futures. You should conclude from this video more current information about the caste system and the educational opportunity for lower class children. [|Video Link] This video is valuable to the lesson because it gives current information about changes in the caste system, whereas all of the previously mentioned information covers only the history of the caste system. Before presenting the main topic of the video, the authors provide general background information for those with little understanding of the caste system. The main focus of this video challenges the deeply rooted Hindu beliefs of the way Indian society should be structured and who should receive education. The ideas presented in this video go against social norms that have been in place for thousands of years. Although the video's main figure's opinions differ from popular belief, the video remains neutral and informative. This helps students develop a perspective on the topic and create their own opinions. The authors also provide suggestions of other videos for students to further expand on this topic. Overall, this video is a helpful source of current information on the changes in the Indian caste system.

Reflection Questions: 1) What effect has the Caste system had on the people on India? 2) How did village life differ from family life? 3) How were married and unmarried women viewed as in India?