Laying the Ground for a Critical Psychology of Caste

Abstract

The psychological underpinnings and processes of caste have remained obscure. This special issue of Caste: A Global Journal on Social Exclusion focusing on Caste and Psychology is an initial contribution that lays the ground for developing a critical psychology of caste. In this introductory article, I situate the special issue in the historical and contemporary context. I show that the historical roots of psychological approach to caste go deep. The revolutionary thinking and activism of Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar provided a useful foundation for a critical psychology of caste to flourish. Unfortunately, this foundation remained under-appreciated in the subsequent academic and social engagement on caste. Next, I review the contemporary research on the psychological dimension of caste and highlight emerging themes that illustrate contemporary approaches. I argue that there is need of a collective endeavor in the form of a new field of study, namely, ‘critical psychology of caste’, to integrate divergent perspectives and contributions addressing the psychological dimension of caste. The special issue is a small step in that direction.

Keywords

• Caste
• Race
• Psychological Science
• Critical Psychology of Caste
• Racism
• Casteism