Abstract

This edited volume brings together a range of scholars to reflect on the varied ways in which caste is manifested and experienced in social life. Each chapter draws on different methods and approaches but all consider lived experiences and experiential narrations. Considering Guru and Sarukkai’s path-breaking work on ‘Experience, Caste and the Everyday Social’ (2019), this volume applies the insights of the theories to multiple settings, issues and communities. Unique to this volume, Brahmin and other dominant castes' experiences are considered, rather than simply focusing on the lives of oppressed castes (Dalits). Analysis of cross-caste friendships or romances and marriages, furthermore, brings out the intimate and ingrained aspects of caste. Taken together, therefore, the contributions in this volume offer rich insights into caste and its consciousness within the framework of everyday experiences.

About the speakers

Professor Hugo Gorringe

Professor Hugo Gorringe is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Edinburgh, renowned for his research on the intersection of politics, protest, and social movements. His work delves deeply into caste and Dalit mobilisation in India, exploring how marginalised communities challenge entrenched inequalities and strive for social justice. He is the author of Untouchable Citizens: Dalit Movements and Democratization in Tamil Nadu and has made significant contributions to understanding the dynamics of identity, resistance, and democratisation. Professor Gorringe is a distinguished speaker, offering valuable insights into grassroots activism and its broader implications for democracy and societal change.

Dr Dhaneshwar Bhoi

Dr Dhaneswar Bhoi is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and the Elephant and Castle Lecturer at the London School Of Science & Technology Limited, with expertise in the sociology of inequality, development, and social movements. His research focuses on marginalised communities in India, particularly the intersections of caste, class, and tribal identities, and how these influence access to resources and representation. Dr Bhoi's work provides critical insights into the lived experiences of disenfranchised groups and their struggles for social and economic justice. A dedicated academic and speaker, he brings a nuanced understanding of structural inequalities and their impact on development and social change.

Chair 

Dr Srilata Sircar 

Dr Srilata Sircar is Senior Lecturer in India and Global Affairs at the King's India Institute.

She is module leader for the Introduction to Global Affairs and Contemporary India modules. Trained as an urban geographer, Srilata received her doctoral degree from Lund University, Sweden in 2017. With a prior background in History and Development Studies, her research interests include urban political ecology of South Asia, the politics of caste in infrastructure-building, and the political economy of subaltern urbanization. Srilata is a contributing writer for Feminism in India. She is also interested in documentary film-making and podcast production.