Caste in Contemporary India

"Studies of caste in India were frequent and quite comprehensive in the earliest research conducted by social scientists. However, those studies were flawed and somewhat biased. Jodhka’s insightful and thorough work on this important topic brings everything up to date. This is a powerful and important investigation based on solid empirical research. ... For advanced students of South Asia and educated general readers. Summing Up: Essential. Most levels/libraries." - J.J. Preston, Sonoma State University, in CHOICE, September 2015

‘Caste in Contemporary India is a significant contribution to caste studies, a valuable resource for academics and non-academics alike interested in understanding caste in rural and urban India today.’

Hira Singh, York University, Canada, in Contributions to Indian Sociology

‘The book is accessible, well written and informative in charting the efforts of those struggling to create a new dawn for Dalits and the distance that remains to be traversed. As such, it is essential reading for those wishing to comprehend this enduring form of inequality.’

Hugo Gorringe, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, UK, in Economic & Political Weekly

‘The significance of Jodhka’s very readable collection of essays is his twin focus on the structures of society that seek to oppress others whether these emanate from caste based linkages, economic and social class differences, and even reconstituted or reconstructed caste identities, as well as on the lived experience of both those who seek to oppress as well as those who are weighed down by not just the external characteristics of their oppression but more significantly, their experience of this oppression in everyday life.’

Meenakshi Thapan, Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi, India, in The Book Review

‘This book, by one of India’s foremost sociologists, illuminates the meanings and practices of caste in the present . . . Accessibly and clearly written, and based on research carried out over a good many years, [it] will inform public discussion as well as academic debate over a matter of vital importance for Indian society.’

John Harriss, Director, School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University, Canada

‘The combination of Jodhka’s formidable intellect and a wealth of empirical data in this superb book provokes a radical rethinking of contemporary manifestations of caste in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts . . . [This] sheds striking new light on social and political transformation in India today.’

Nandini Gooptu, Head, Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford, UK

‘The book is important in capturing the peculiarity of caste — namely the ways in which caste is reproduced in different forms and is reinstated while co-opting contemporary changes in the social milieu. It is, therefore, a rich source for comprehending caste realities in their present context, not only for Dalit studies specifically or studies on Punjab but also for the wider sociology of humiliation and discrimination.’

Vinod Sartape, in Journal of Punjab Studies

‘Opens up new areas of reflection by adopting an interesting approach . . . It meticulously draws its material from impressive fieldwork and always remains extremely readable . . . [T]his compilation . . . contributes greatly to Dalit studies and explores important issues.’

Alexandra de Heering, in South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal

‘While this book is historically and theoretically informed, its strength lies in its relentlessly empirical approach . . . [The] call to develop a comparative perspective on caste is the key takeaway from this insightful and highly accessible book.’

Anuj Bhuwania, in Books & Ideas

‘Studies of caste in India were frequent and quite comprehensive in the earliest research conducted by social scientists. However, those studies were flawed and somewhat biased. Jodhka’s insightful and thorough work on this important topic brings everything up to date. This is a powerful and important investigation based on solid empirical research . . . For advanced students of South Asia and educated general readers, [this will be] essential.’

J.J. Preston, Sonoma State University, in CHOICE review