POLI 115 SC - Politics of Identity in India: Religion, Caste, and Ethnicity


Why have the politics of religion, caste, and ethnolinguistic identity remained vital in the world's largest democracy despite socioeconomic developments that should weaken them? How does democracy weaken some identities and strengthen others? How do urbanization and media reshape the bonds of caste and religion? What causes communal violence? We will examine how identities have been structured by state laws and institutions, mobilized in elections and social movements, reshaped by social media and transnational politics, and sustained through conflict, starting with the national movement and including contemporary debates around the rise of the BJP, cow protection politics, and caste-based reservations.

Course Credit: 1.0
Offered: Occasionally

This course information is from the 2023-2024 Scripps Catalog. View this catalog.

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