The influence of caste membership on individual identity formation is examined, with particular reference to the case of India. Caste is viewed as one set of social categories relevant to the establishment of social identity; despite the ascription of caste, the individual can belong to any of several social subcategories in a given social situation. The range of alternatives for self-preservation is thus no more restricted in India than in the West. However, each caste & subcategory implies a full range of behavioral prescriptions, rather than the more general norms associated with roles or social status in Western society; social categories demand stereotype conformity in India, with no combination of personal roles as is found in the West. In a rural situation, caste membership is readily identifiable from small variations in dress; in the urban milieu, social interaction – eg, on public transport – provides the means of social identification.
