Caste out

Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution is unimpressed by the paper by Northwestern University's Kripa Freitas on the Indian caste system that I posted about just over a week ago. Here are the key points from his post, Was the Indian caste system efficient?

I have a few points:

1. No way should this paper spend so much time on a formal model.

2. The tests proffered on p.36 are related only tangentially to the paper's main propositions.

3. When it comes to normative issues, the author can do no better than to write: "This should not be interpreted as saying that the case system was free of inefficiencies."  And that comes only on p.46.  Ha!

4. The paper commits the fallacies of excess functionalism.

5. Virtually any destructive institution which keeps economic transactions on a smaller scale may make contract enforcement "easier" in some regards.

6. This is nonetheless interesting work, and many more people should do research on this and related topics.  But in terms of emphasis this paper is way off base.

Also worth reading some of the comments on this post.

Comments

[GVV]

Caste system dissappeared in many states due to progressive social welfare policies.

[gaddeswarup]

To GVV above. I will be in India soon for about 50 days. Can you pl. mention the states in which caste system has disappeared. I would like to visit them. Thanks

[Vishnu]

caste system in india is only observed at the time of birth and marriage. With the advent of social reforms, division of labour related to caste system is gradually disappearing. To say that caste system has disappeared is wrong.

Which caste an Indian is born with determines his roots and identity in society. Every state in india has caste with out such a social hierarchy indian society cannot exist. Again, caste gains importance at the time of Birth, marriage and death and passed on to the future generation.

[GVV]

gaddeswarup,
Visit Mizoram, where conversion in to Christianity destroyed caste.Have a holiday in Kerala where you can see caste only in surnames-earlier forward castes are now in lower middle or poor class strata.Many lower caste people through upward social mobility have reached the heights of societal heirarchy.Welfare and reservation policies have created a group of "backward(?)" elites.There is no untouchability-nothing.Times have changed and the so called forward castes are now viewed with a condescending smile and often ridiculed as "savarna".

[AV]

thanks