castes
Rigid social tiers
Castes are hereditary social classes, especially the rigid divisions of traditional Hindu society that determine occupation, marriage eligibility, and social standing.
The system historically ranged from Brahmins (priests) at the top to "untouchables" at the bottom.
More broadly, caste describes any fixed social stratification: Hollywood has its own caste system.
The singular caste refers to the system itself or one's position within it.
Hindu hereditary social order
- dvijaRitually reborn Hindu initiate
- twice-bornSpiritually or ritually reborn
- rankingOrdered position assignment
- gradingAssigning marks to work
tiered · scheduled · dominant · subordinate
State beyond contact or criticism
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- exclusionBeing barred from participation
- segregationForced separation by group
- marginalizationRelegation to powerless periphery
prejudice · atrocities · reservation · affirmative action · annihilation · honor killing · bonded labor
Marriage within one's group
- exogamyUnion outside one's clan
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
bloodline · hereditary · birthright · descent · patrilineage · intermarriage · arranged marriage · matrimonial
Grouping by shared traits
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
- estatesLarge property holdings
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- nobilityTitled ruling class
peasantry · serfdom · apartheid · segregation · racialization · colorism · social mobility · ascription
Uncontaminated quality
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
taboos · dharma · dietary restrictions · religious duties · purification · defilement
Ordained religious office
- warriorsPeople engaged in battle
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- artisansSkilled manual workers
- weaversThose who interlace threads
potters · blacksmiths · leather workers · sweepers · washermen · barbers · fishing · agricultural
varna
Hindu hereditary social order
- dvijaRitually reborn Hindu initiate
- twice-bornSpiritually or ritually reborn
- rankingOrdered position assignment
grading · tiered · scheduled · dominant · subordinate
untouchability
State beyond contact or criticism
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- exclusionBeing barred from participation
- segregationForced separation by group
marginalization · prejudice · atrocities · reservation · affirmative action · annihilation · honor killing · bonded labor
endogamy
Marriage within one's group
clan · bloodline · hereditary · birthright · descent · patrilineage · intermarriage · arranged marriage · matrimonial · pedigree
class
Grouping by shared traits
- stratificationDivision into distinct levels
- estatesLarge property holdings
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
nobility · peasantry · serfdom · apartheid · segregation · racialization · colorism · social mobility · ascription · closed system
purity
Uncontaminated quality
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
customs · taboos · dharma · dietary restrictions · religious duties · purification · defilement
priesthood
Ordained religious office
weavers · potters · blacksmiths · leather workers · sweepers · washermen · barbers · fishing · agricultural · guild
- YazidismYazidi, Black Book, heptad, sacred springs, sacred flame
- identityidentity, personal identity, self, selfhood, self-expression
- social classesupper class, middle class, lower class, working class, nobles
- anthropologyanthropology, fieldwork, ethnography, social anthropology, cultural anthropology
- Termitestermites, termite mound, termite queen, termite colonies, termite swarm
- peoplepeople, persons, person, individuals, humans
castesmeritocracy
Advancement through demonstrated ability
classless society · egalitarian society · egalitarianism · social equality · open society
castessocial mobility
Movement between societal strata
upward mobility · American Dream · self-made success · rags to riches
castesegalitarianism
Philosophy of universal equality
equality · classlessness · social equality · human equality · equal opportunity
- caste systemHereditary class division
- warrior casteHereditary military social stratum
- upper casteHighest social stratum
- lower casteSubordinate hereditary social group
- caste discriminationBias based on hereditary rank
- military casteHereditary soldier stratum