Cultural change

The essentials

M.N. Srinivas gave two key concepts for understanding cultural change in India. Sanskritisation is the process by which a caste or tribe, usually lower in the hierarchy, adopts the customs, rituals, beliefs and lifestyle of a higher, often "twice-born", caste in order to claim a higher status. It may involve giving up meat and liquor, adopting vegetarianism, wearing the sacred thread or changing rituals. It can bring positional change for a group but does not change the caste structure itself. Critics note that it accepts the upper-caste way of life as superior and often makes customs harsher for women, for example by replacing bride-price with dowry. In some cases lower castes reject sanskritisation and assert pride in their own culture, sometimes called de-sanskritisation.

Westernisation, according to Srinivas, refers to changes in Indian society and culture resulting from over 150 years of British rule, affecting technology, institutions, ideology and values. It can be seen in dress, food habits, education, and the spread of humanitarian and egalitarian values. Different groups westernised in different ways and to different degrees.

Modernisation refers to a broad shift towards scientific outlook, rationality, universal values and choice-based identities. Secularisation usually means the declining influence of religion in public life, though in India religion and politics have remained intertwined, and modern means such as media are also used for religious mobilisation.

Key points

• Sanskritisation: imitation of higher-caste customs to claim higher status.
• Westernisation: changes due to British rule and Western influence.
• Satish Saberwal: the modern context involves new modes of communication, new forms of organisation and new ideas.
• Rituals can become occasions for displaying wealth and status.

Common mistakes

Do not use sanskritisation for adopting Western habits; that is westernisation.