Social Structure in India

Social structures occur in every society regardless of history, ethnicity, or cultural variability. India, as we know, is known for its diversity. The structure of Indian society is variable in everything, whether it may be religion, caste, language, culture, tradition, food habits, or anything. All these elements are linked to each other, thus forming a social structure. The social structure in India can be defined as a relationship between the basic categories of a social system. Racial and linguistic diversity, presence of a complex society, regionalism, casteism, presence of a traditional society, multiculturalism, etc., are some of the important features of the social structure of Indian society. 

What is social structure?

For any nation to live in peace and harmony, it must have a proper social structure. This includes the stable and distinctive arrangement of institutions whereby the public lives together and interacts without fear. Our families, economy, class, religion, law, etc., are all examples of social structures. A social structure is said to decide the way or the norms in which the variety of people and the institutions of the society exist.   

Features of the social structure of India:

1. Tradition

The structure of Indian society is that modernity and tradition occur side by side here. With the upcoming new trends and fashions, as a result of modernization, there is a change in the lifestyle of people. However, that typical Indian tradition is still present and will always be there no matter how many new trends come up. This is the speciality of Indian society.

1. Existence of communalism

Communalism can be defined as the idea of attempting to incite strife between people from different communities, or to construct ethnic or religious identity, and to ignite communal violence between such groups. The existence of communalism is one of the negative aspects of social structure in India. There have been past events in the nation when communal riots or acts arising out of communalism have hampered the country’s harmony and have led to great losses.

1. Complex society

The structure of Indian society possesses complex social order, and because of this reason, it is also known as a ‘pluralistic’ society. It is characterized by various languages, ethnicities, caste divisions, and religions. This complex structure has had a huge impact on the social structure of India.

1. Diversified languages: 

Twenty-two major languages are spoken by over 87% of the Indian population, as mentioned in the Constitution. 31% out of them speak Hindi. The affection and love among people towards their mother tongue are so much in India that there are states named after the major language that is being spoken there. Hence, languages are a key factor in India’s political and social climate. So, another feature of the social environment in India is the diversity in languages. 

1. Rural society

India has always been a country that has seen the most poverty.  About 70% of its population does not have a considerable living standard. The condition of people below the poverty line is even worse. They do not have access to anything, whether it be proper hygiene, nutrition, cleanliness, or other things also. They are devoid of all the facilities. Although the economy of India is making progress and the better off people are getting advantages, the advantages have still not reached the poor. It is now that some measures are being taken to resolve this issue. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations are coming forward to enhance the condition of the poor in our country.

1. Caste

One of the most predominant features of the social structure in India has been the caste. Due to the deep historical roots of the caste system in India, it cannot be abolished. However, the government is now looking into this matter and trying to dissolve the castes as much as possible. The government has also put up many acts for the rights of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes. They also get reservations in different sectors. Casteism has played an important role in India’s political, social, and economic life.

1. Lack of Free movement

There is a huge gap between the urbanites and the ruralites. Despite such differences and variations on a national level, the country’s socio-political system is maintained stable. It’s disheartening to know that even after so many years of independence, many sections of society still do not have the freedom to do many things.

Conclusion

We can conclude that the social structure in India is marked by not one, not two, not three, but various factors. Even the features mentioned in this article are not fully enough to describe the complexity and variability of this structure. Indian social structure has a huge impact on various sectors affecting the economy. All of the components of social structure work together to maintain social order by organizing, limiting, and guiding human behaviour. The impact of social structure is that people tend to act in a specific manner because they develop these attitudes and perceptions from their place in the social structure.