A Guide to the Study of Social and Economic Groups and ... - icrisat

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These recounts detected the presence of endogamous, subcasto groups
- and even whole castes (for example the Baindlas plus the Madigas in village A)
which were not recorded by name earlier. Nevertheless, comparison .of the
earlier and later counts shows little differenCe in proportionate strength
for most castes. This is especially the case when the castes are combined
in adjusted rank groups (ADJRANK; see below for discussion).
Where significant differences in caste proportions, or in absolute
numbers,. are recorded in the recensus counts, it is likely that the
differences reflect,fairly straightforward processes. Thus the increases
in number of households among Marathas in village E and.Reddis in village
A .
may well be due to the splitting up of joint ,household landholdings among
brothers. This splitting up, in turn, may be due to a passing demographic
:phase of these particular castes at this particular time. It may be due
also or instead to adjustment to land ceiling laws, or to other factors.
The.reduction in the number of Mahar households in Village E may be due to
movement out of the village to urban areas. The Mahars, although still
-discriminated against, appear to have more education and better groiii
organization than castes of similar status at the village level, and thus •
they have more mobility to seek changes in their social and economic
situation.
The overall relative lack of change in ADJRANK group proportions in
Village A and Village E seems to indicate that the original• censuses in
these and the other villages were approximately correct. Nevertheless,
the fact that particular cases suggest some change for some groups suggests
that the reasons for these changes should be sought. It also
implies that.it would be worthwhile, to recensus the other villages. This
.would make it possible to identify variations elsewhere, and to investigate
., •