Affirmative Action and Elite Formation: An Untouchable Family History
Author(s)
Mallick, Ross
Abstract
A multigenerational case study of an elite Untouchable family reveals the problems of integration, “passing,” and cultural affirmation in the development and democratization process. As a nonvisible minority it is possible to facilitate integration in Indian urban areas by hiding caste, while affirmative action programs facilitate upward mobility at the cost of having to proclaim Untouchable caste identity. These contradictory imperatives illustrate the difficulties facing elite Untouchables in achieving emancipation.
