Where Social Work and Caste Meet

Guest Blogger: Megan Mortensen, MSW '10

Today was our first day of orientation at the Tata University of Social Sciences led by Doctor Bipin Jo Jo, a member of the Tata faculty. Our session was quickly sidetracked when the issue of caste system arose. One of the things about India that often captures the curiosity and criticism of foreigners is the caste system. The caste in which you are born has a large affect on your life and the opportunities that you are able to access. As an American social worker this has always been hard for me to look at without judgment. Before coming to India, I wondered how social work and the caste system would intersect. I viewed the caste system as a very rigid and unmovable structure. However, hearing Dr. Jo Jo and Professor Mandayam go into further detail about the caste system, it really opened my eyes. For example, belonging to the same caste may mean something completely different in various states of India. Also, many subgroups exist within the different castes, which may have different implications. Tata Institute has something similar to affirmative action as they admit students from various castes, including individuals from the most marginalized castes and tribal communities. When I learned this about the Tata Institute, my heart jumped and I immediately thought, "THIS is why I love social work." It gave me a really great example of how social work and India’s social system interact.

After only two days, there are already countless things in India that have surprised me and opened up my eyes to new ways of thinking. Everything here is unique and extraordinary, including the people, the streets, the food, the weather-- even the experience of going to the movies. I'm enjoying observing all the different ways society is organized here and how the people respond to it. Amongs all of these differences, it is amazing to see firsthand how another culture operates and works within their own structure, while employing the same universal social work values that guide our lives and careers.