Page 3 - Lessonnote_ Cultural Change

Tradition’ of Hinduism such as a pilgrim centre or a monastery or a

proselytising sect”.
➢ But in a highly unequal society such as India there were and still are
obstacles to any easy taking over of the customs of the higher castes by

the lower.
➢ Traditionally, the dominant caste punished those low castes, which were
audacious enough to attempt it.

Criticism of Sanskritisation

1) It has been criticised for exaggerating social mobility or the scope of
‘lower castes’ to move up the social ladder.

2) It has been pointed out that the ideology of Sanskritisation accepts the
ways of the ‘upper caste’ as superior and that of the ‘lower caste’ as
inferior.

3) Sanskritisation seems to justify a model that rests on inequality and
exclusion.
4) Sanskritisation results in the adoption of upper caste rites and rituals it

leads to practices of secluding girls and women, adopting dowry
practices instead of bride- price and practising caste discrimination
against other groups etc.
5) The effects of such a trend is that the key characteristics of dalit culture

and society are eroded.

Westernisation
❖ M.N. Srinivas defines Westernisation as the “changes brought about in

Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule, the
term subsuming changes occurring at different levels.. Technology,
institutions, ideology and values”.

❖ M.N. Srinivas introduced the term ‘Westernisation’ mainly to explain the
changes that have taken place in the Indian society and culture due to
the western contact through the British rule.

Different kinds of Westernisation
➢ One kind refers to the emergence of a westernised sub-cultural pattern

through a minority section of Indians who first came in contact with
Western culture.