The Internal Structure of the Nayar Caste
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3010821 |
|---|---|
| Authors | C J Fuller (0000-0002-9162-6839, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1975 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 283-312 |
| Publication date | 1975-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Anthropological Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-7710 • E-ISSN: 2153-3806 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/jar.31.4.3629883 |
| OpenAlex | W2315589375 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
The matrilineal Nayars of Kerala in southwest India constitute a populous caste, which contains within it a large number of subdivisions. In contrast to the ideal model, on which most standard descriptions appear to be based, these subdivisions fall into several analytically distinguishable categories. There is a core of a few large, stable subdivisions and a fringe of many small, unstable subdivisions. The latter are created and eliminated by several processes, one of which, treated in detail, is connected to the famous, hypergamous marriage system of the Nayars. The statuses of tali-tiers and sambandham partners act as diacritical markers of a subdivision's status. Modern changes in the subdivision system are briefly considered. A distinction between stable and unstable statuses in the caste system is introduced, and doubt is raised about Dumont's and Pocock's theories of caste
Archaeology · Caste · Core (optical fiber) · Genealogy · Geography · Ideal (ethics) · Political science · Sociology · Subdivision · Computer Science · History · Law · Social and Economic Development in India · South Asian Studies and Conflicts · South Asian Studies and Diaspora
| Citations per year | 0.38 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2018 - 2019 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |