Gyanendra Pandey is Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of History at Emory University and author of
Chapter 5 turns to the lives of the working poor. Labor and education are central themes here. Labor, which women of all classes perform in the domestic world, is an all-consuming activity among the poor—inside the intimate circle of family, and beyond it. It is the only means of survival, and of possibly finding escape from the wretched conditions of birth and inheritance. In the late-colonial and postcolonial period, this labor is increasingly focused, among subordinated castes and classes, on the dream of education and freedom for future generations. The chapter investigates how the new striving for social mobility and self-respect affects Dalit domestic life in northern, central, and western India. It documents some opportunities that become available to male and female members of Dalit households, and shows at the same time what expectations and requirements remain in place or are even reinforced.
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