what is caste?

Answer 1

Any of the ranked, hereditary, endogamous (see exogamy and endogamy) occupational groups that constitute traditional societies in certain regions of the world, particularly among Hindus in India. There caste is rooted in antiquity and specifies the rules and restrictions governing social intercourse and activity. Each caste has its own customs that restrict the occupations and dietary habits of its members and their social contact with other castes. There are about 3,000 castes, or jatis (broadly, “form of existence fixed by birth”), and more than 25,000 subcastes in India. They are traditionally grouped into four major classes, or varnas (“colours”). At the top are the Brahmans, followed by the Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. Those with the most defiling jobs (such as those who dispose of body emissions and dead animals) are ranked beneath the Shudras. Considered untouchable, they were simply dubbed as “the fifth” (panchama) category. Although a great many spheres of life in modern India are little influenced by caste, most marriages are nevertheless arranged within the caste. This is in part because most people live in rural communities and because the arrangement of marriages is a family activity carried out through existing networks of kinship and caste.-

Answer 2

Without just reposting a dictionary answer, a caste is a type of social raking system. Usually the word is used to talk about India, but caste systems have existed all over the world.

The easiest way to understand it (for me and I imagine most other Westerners) is to think about Royalty. If you're born into royalty, then you're royalty and better than those who aren't. If you weren't born into royalty you're out of luck. That's the basics of it anyway.

The Indian system was a bit more complex and the caste you were born into dictated what jobs you could have, whom you could marry, and how you were to treat members of other castes. Members of the lowest class did unclean work such as being butchers, people who tanned animal hide, or other bloody work. It earns the most attention because it offered a way to leave the caste . . . lead a good life, die, and come back higher.

That theme goes to other caste systems as well. Japan had a similar setup where the lowest members worked with blood, then came peasants, samurai, and finally royalty. In Japan to this day some companies will hire private investigators to trace an potential employees roots to see if he came from this lowest "untouchable" class.

The caste system goes through different religions, regions, and structures, but ultimately holds the same idea that you must stay in whatever class you are born in to. Some sociologists today say the US has a caste system designed to keep people in the socio-economic system they were born into, eg high prices for secondary education, availability of superior schools for the wealthy, and distaste for interracial marriage (since money in the states often tends to follow color lines).

Answer 3

Castes are sub-strata of society.
Groups ranked by their social standing.

Bit like the traditional class system,
Aritocracy on top
Professionals in the middle
Menial workers on the bottom

Answer 4

A caste i think was or is what some group of people(sorry i forgot) had. It was sort of like a social scale. It's where we got the wrd outcaste from. They are out of the social scale.

Answer 5

caste (kst)
n.
1. Any of the hereditary, endogamous social classes or subclasses of traditional Hindu society, stratified according to Hindu ritual purity, especially the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra castes.
2. A social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank, profession, or wealth.
3. a. A social system or the principle of grading society based on castes.
b. The social position or status conferred by a system based on castes: lose caste by doing work beneath one's station.
4. A specialized level in a colony of social insects, such as ants, in which the members, such as workers or soldiers, carry out a specific function.

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[Spanish casta, race, and Portuguese casta, race, caste, both from feminine of casto, pure, from Latin castus; see kes- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

1. caste - social status or position conferred by a system based on class; "lose caste by doing work beneath one's station"
status, position - the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society; "he had the status of a minor"; "the novel attained the status of a classic"; "atheists do not enjoy a favorable position in American life"
2. caste - (Hinduism) a hereditary social class among Hindus; stratified according to ritual purity
Hindooism, Hinduism - a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme beingof many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils
class, social class, socio-economic class - people having the same social or economic status; "the working class"; "an emerging professional class"
jati - (Hinduism) a Hindu caste or distinctive social group of which there are thousands throughout India; a special characteristic is often the exclusive occupation of its male members (such as barber or potter)
3. caste - a social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank or profession or wealth
class, social class, socio-economic class - people having the same social or economic status; "the working class"; "an emerging professional class"

Answer 6

a caste system is a very old traditon in india

Answer 7

cassete spelt wrong