Publish with us

Follow Penguin

Follow Penguinsters

Follow Hind Pocket Books

Caste as Social Capital

Caste as Social Capital

The Complex Place of Caste in Indian Society

R Vaidyanathan
Select Preferred Format
Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback

Many consider caste as an outdated institution, though it thrives in post-liberalization India. That being the case, caste has only been studied from a religious, social and political angle. It is grudgingly accepted that caste has economic ramifications. For instance, the establishment and running of businesses tap into caste networks, both in terms of arranging finance and providing access to a ready workforce. Despite that, any study of this aspect has been limited to looking at caste groups in terms of their per capita income, their representation in various professions and other statistical details.

Caste as Social Capital examines the workings of caste through the lens of business, economics and entrepreneurship. It interrogates the role caste plays in the economic sphere in terms of facilitating the nuts and bolts of business and entrepreneurship: finance, markets and workforce. Through this qualitative view of caste, an entirely new picture emerges, which forces one to view the age-old institution of caste in a new light.

Imprint: India Penguin

Published: Jul/2023

ISBN: 9780143459491

Length : 162 Pages

MRP : ₹299.00

Caste as Social Capital

The Complex Place of Caste in Indian Society

R Vaidyanathan

Many consider caste as an outdated institution, though it thrives in post-liberalization India. That being the case, caste has only been studied from a religious, social and political angle. It is grudgingly accepted that caste has economic ramifications. For instance, the establishment and running of businesses tap into caste networks, both in terms of arranging finance and providing access to a ready workforce. Despite that, any study of this aspect has been limited to looking at caste groups in terms of their per capita income, their representation in various professions and other statistical details.

Caste as Social Capital examines the workings of caste through the lens of business, economics and entrepreneurship. It interrogates the role caste plays in the economic sphere in terms of facilitating the nuts and bolts of business and entrepreneurship: finance, markets and workforce. Through this qualitative view of caste, an entirely new picture emerges, which forces one to view the age-old institution of caste in a new light.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback

R Vaidyanathan

R. Vaidyanathan is a retired professor of finance from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
A graduate of Loyola College, Chennai, and with a master's from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, he obtained his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta where he also taught for four years.
Prof. Vaidyanathan is a two-time Fulbright scholar and also a fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). He was visiting faculty at various universities in the US and UK. In the past, he has been selected by Business Today as one of the ten best professors at all IIMs. He has had the rare privilege of being in the various committees of regulators such as SEBI, RBI, IRDA and PFRDA. He is a consultant to many organizations and is on the board of many corporates. He is a fellow of Salzburg Seminar.
Prof. Vaidyanathan was conferred the Lifetime Contribution Award by the Asia Pacific Risk and Insurance Association (APRIA) and Kybo Life in 2019. His 2013 book, India Uninc: Role of Non-corporate sectors in India, which focuses on Indian and Asian value systems, was well received by planners and policymakers. His 2019 book, Caste as Social Capital, has been acclaimed by experts.

More By The Author

error: Content is protected !!