Answer:

Globalization involves the free movements of goods, services and capital across borders. It is a contentious process and some groups of scholars and activists view globalization as an ideological project of economic liberalization that subjects states and individuals to more intense market forces.

The proponents of globalization have argued that by bringing greater opportunities to people, globalization decreases the social and economic equality between people and alleviates the problems of poverty and hunger. However there have been opposite effects as well as listed below:

♤ Globalization has led to widening income inequalities, as measured by India’s increasing Gini coefficient. This has contributed to the solidification of class structure in Indian society

o Globalization has led to the informalisation/contractualisation of labour in industry which has further widened the gap between salaried professionals (the middle class), capitalists (the upper class) and the lower classes

o There has been a growth of capitalist farming in rural areas which has widened inequality between the capitalist farmer and the peasant and also between different regions in India

o Globalization has led to the growth of a distinct middle class which is populated by professionals (in sectors such as IT, BPO), smaller capitalists and traders. This class has developed its own subculture which has characteristics such as achievement-orientation, focus on higher education and consumerism

o In India, caste structure has certain parallels with the class structure. Therefore, the upper classes or capitalist farmers are the erstwhile middle castes in regions such as Punjab, Haryana and Western UP. Similarly, the urban middle class nurtured by globalization is dominated by the traditional upper castes

such as Brahmins and Vaishyas, at the expense of the lower castes (SCs) and tribes.

o Globalization has also brought about information technology and the internet which have also helped, though indirectly, in consolidating and even promoting caste solidarity e.g. matrimonial websites help in locating same-caste grooms for people in different regions of the country. Similarly, caste-based forums are mushrooming on the web and social media.

However, Globalization to some extent has spread the values of equality, freedom and liberty of every human being. These values in a sense militate against the caste structure of India which is based on the principles of tradition, hierarchy and inequality. Also, the jajmani system which was hitherto an important component of the caste system has lost some of its vitality with the growth in employment opportunities for all sections of population. Hence the overall impact of globalization on caste and class distinctions has been mixed.