Practicing Success
Which of the following justifies the caste system? |
marriage and family Endogamy and Exogamy Purity and pollution None of the above |
Purity and pollution |
The concept that justifies the caste system is Purity and pollution. The caste system in some societies is based on the idea of maintaining purity within certain groups and avoiding pollution through strict social and marital boundaries. This involves restrictions on interactions and relationships to prevent mixing between different caste groups. Social stratification is supported by patterns of belief, or ideology. No system of social stratification is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable. The caste system, for example, is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution, with the Brahmins designated as the most superior and Dalits as the most inferior by virtue of their birth and occupation. Not everyone, though, thinks of a system of inequality as legitimate. Typically, people with the greatest social privileges express the strongest support for systems of stratification such as caste and race. Those who have experienced the exploitation and humiliation of being at the bottom of the hierarchy are most likely to challenge it. |