Social organization
Indian society has a complex, heterogeneous structure that is difficult to synthesize. Ethnic, religious, linguistic, geographical, gender, caste and wealth diversity are all strata of a mille-feuille whose binding element is belonging to "Mother India". It seems more accurate to consider Indian society as the sum of a multitude of micro-societies. The transition from one group to another is rare. You're born into a caste and you stay there. Only the improvement of living conditions is commonly accepted. If wealth comes with certain privileges, it only ensures a more enviable place within the group. Class membership is not a marker for society as a whole. Social organization operates in concentric circles, the core of which is the family. This core is surrounded by the religious circle, then by the caste circle. While the caste system is firmly rooted only in the Hindu religion, it is often adopted in a less rigid way by other religions. Ethnic or linguistic circles enable mutual recognition between several groups, creating a broader sense of belonging and identity. Social disparities are also very marked between urban and rural environments. Social rigidity is more marked in the countryside than in the cities. Lifestyles are also very different.
Gender also assigns a very specific place. Social responsibilities are not the same for men and women. The man's priority is to provide for his family. The woman's role is to run the home, in the broadest sense. She is responsible for her children's education, and for all domestic tasks. This role is extended to the outside world. That's why you'll come across women working on construction sites, carrying bricks, sand or cement on their heads: because it's they who make and apply adobe to traditional houses in the countryside.
The family
The family is the crucible of social life. It abolishes all individual freedom. When a child is born, it belongs to its parents for the rest of its life. If it's a boy, he follows the studies assigned to him by his parents, works in the profession chosen by them and marries the woman they deem worthy of joining the family. He gives all or part of his income to his parents. He is responsible for his elders. If it's a girl, her mother teaches her everything she needs to know to run the household. Once her apprenticeship is complete, she is given in marriage. The girl then belongs to her in-laws. In many rural areas, the joint family concept is still very much alive. All generations live under the same roof. No one tries to escape this environment, where the path of life is set. In a country with no social safety net, the family provides a secure foundation in case of hardship.
This traditional upbringing is less marked in the cities than in the countryside, even if parental authority persists. New generations tend to deviate from this established model, where parental pressure can be perceived as a brake on progress. This is especially true among the educated and affluent. In spite of this, young Indians display a certain conservatism when it comes to arranged marriage, against which they find nothing to object.
Life is divided into 4 distinct stages. The time of childhood and apprenticeship, which is also the time of freedom. Marriage celebrates entry into social life and confers status on the individual, who in turn starts a family. Retirement, at the expense of the sons, is seen as a fair return on investment. The time of old age and renunciation, when the individual prepares for death.
The wedding
Marriage is the most important event in a person's life. Parents are responsible for finding a husband or wife for their child. The choice is made according to various criteria: religion, caste, family reputation, socio-professional position, level of education... An astrologer is consulted to ensure that the future spouses are compatible. Arranged marriage is the norm, even if love marriages are on the increase. This often means a break with the family, a price few are willing to pay. Child marriages may be forbidden, but they persist in some very poor rural areas. Wedding ceremonies are the occasion for monumental celebrations. The bride's family organizes the event and covers the vast majority of expenses. Considerable sums are invested to enhance the status of the bride and her family. The groom's family hires a band and offers gifts to the bride and her family, for an amount far less than the dowry received. It may be forbidden by Indian law, but tradition holds firm. It can represent a considerable sacrifice for a family. The Rajasthani proverb "to have a daughter is to plough the neighbor's field" sums up the general feeling. Weddings involve the participation of all members of the social network, and the number of guests can reach several thousand. The ceremony is a colorful affair where food, music and religious rituals follow one another over several days. Once the ceremony is over, the bride joins the groom's family to live with them. It's the start of a new life, and she'll need to acclimatize to her new husband and family.
The place of women
Despite their colorful saris and sparkling jewels, women don't have the upper hand. While the Indian Constitution places men and women on an equal footing, women's rights are often confined to domestic life. Little girls receive less attention than their brothers. She is asked to help her mother from an early age, while her brothers play. Once married, women obey the authority of both their husbands and their mothers-in-law. The latter often takes advantage of the arrival of a daughter-in-law to relinquish her domestic responsibilities. Many young girls leave home and are thrust into a Cinderella life. They are expected to give birth to boys, preferably, and to toil from morning to night scrubbing, cooking, fetching wood, drawing water, grinding grain and beautifying the house. However, mores have evolved in affluent Indian circles. Young girls go to university, but it's often the in-laws who decide whether or not to allow a young wife to work. Women can be found in every sector of the Indian economy and at every level of responsibility. Lawyers, politicians, doctors, airline pilots...: those who are supported by their families flourish and succeed everywhere.
Homosexuality and hijras
Homosexuality is an absolute taboo in India, but this has not always been the case. The Kamasutra devotes an entire chapter to erotic practices between people of the same sex. The advent of Islam and the Mughal Empire changed all that. The implementation of Sharia law in the 17th century provided for corporal punishment of homosexuals. The British colonial government perpetuated this prohibition, but lightened the sentence in its 1861 law. Any sexual act other than penile-vaginal penetration is an offence. Although in practice this article was rarely applied to acts freely consented to, it fixed the condemnation of homosexual practices. The Indian Penal Code has taken up this prohibition in article 377. Following pressure from associations and members of civil society, the Supreme Court finally decriminalized homosexuality on September 6, 2018. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Indian society condemns homosexuality as a contagious disease imported from the West. To succumb to this orientation is tantamount to rejecting one's family, as it means refusing marriage and procreation, and thus deliberately placing oneself on the fringes of society. In India, many homosexuals consent to a marriage of convenience and lead a double life.
The reality of transgender people is long-standing and part of the social corpus. Hinduism has created a caste, and therefore a social role, for hijras. This community includes eunuchs, hermaphrodites and transgender people. They are mentioned in the Ramayana, where the god Rama, to thank them for their devotion, grants them auspicious powers of blessing on the occasion of inaugural events. Hijras are often summoned by Hindu families to celebrate the birth of a son or a marriage. They perform the badhai ritual, which combines song and dance.
In reality, hijras are rejected and discriminated against by Indian society. Living on the bangs of society, they band together in small communities led by a guru. They often live by prostitution or begging. Objects of repulsion as much as fascination, the government has granted them a special status. In 2014, they obtained the addition of a third box on official documents, enabling them to identify themselves as "transgender". They also benefit from quotas in the administration. A first police officer was appointed in 2017, as well as a school principal.
Education
Education has become a major issue. Indians understand that access to a good education can transform a family's economic prospects. Advertisements for private schools, English-language education and higher education courses are everywhere on city walls. India is catching up in terms of literacy, with a rate of 77.7%. Schooling is virtually non-existent in desert and tribal areas. In some remote districts, it barely reaches 10%. In rural areas, every village has its own public school, which provides education up to the end of primary school. However, the cost of books, exercise books, pens and uniforms is borne by the families, which can be a real sacrifice for the poorest. This can be a real sacrifice for the poorest families, who often send only one of their children, and not necessarily every day, as he or she may be more useful at home. India's top performer in terms of literacy is Kerala, with a rate of 94%, while Bihar closes the gap with just 63.8%. The improvement is nonetheless notable, since in 1947 the literacy rate in India was just 12%!
