How does one describe Indian Society?
India is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic society. This multi-tier social set-up is vibrant and complex. The social and cultural layers of this nation have strong indigenous traditions. However, the society is also reflective of cultural and social evolution. Mass media including television, newspapers, radio, film and Internet have been an integral part of this evolution. In a society like India with so much diversity and differences, mass media have played a significant role in every phase of development.
Mass media facilitate dissemination of information and communication to a vast number of people. There is a strong heterogeneity of media audiences. And more often than not, the media content caters to different groups rather than to a homogenous set of audience.
Media performs four basic functions for society: surveying the environment to provide information; correlating response to this information (editorial function); entertaining the media user (diversion function); and transmitting the country's cultural heritage to future generations (socialization or educational function). In a developing country, mass media is also expected to play an additional role to mobilize public support for national development.
Media also performs a role in subtly shaping perceptions and moulding public opinion by means of this symbolism. The use of media effectively helps citizens to engage meaningfully with the media in an active and a critical manner.
Despite the diversity in cultures and traditions that prevails throughout India, there is an underlying similarity in the social structure. This contributes to a unity within this diversity.
Here is a brief explanation of the existing Indian social structure:
1. Caste system: The caste system forms the basic foundation of Indian society. According to this system, there are four major castes - the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Sudras. The caste system started off as a division of labour. The Brahmins were the priests and teachers. In terms of hierarchy, Brahmins were considered the first caste. The Kshatriyas were the warriors, rulers and soldiers, Vaishyas included merchants and traders while the Sudras were responsible for all the menial labour in society. While it started off being merely an occupational division, the caste system assumed a hereditary nature resulting in discrimination and ill-treatment in the name of the lower castes. Untouchability is still practised in the Indian society, though the constitution does not permit it and has deemed it as a punishable offence. However, with growing literacy and economic progress such as urbanization there is an evident decline in the practice of the caste system.
2. Family: The family holds great importance in the Indian social structure. Joint families are a popular phenomenon in the Indian society. However with greater urbanization, and youth leaving home for better educational and employment opportunities, there is a growing trend towards nuclear family settings, especially in the cities.
3. Women: History shows that there have been many significant women figures in the social and political context of the country. However, there are several instances of atrocities against women including domestic violence and sexual abuse as by and large India has had a patriarchal set-up. The country also has an imbalanced sex ratio with relatively fewer girls as compared to boys. With an overtly male dominated structure, some parts of the country are infamous for female foeticide, infanticide and for denying the right to education to girls.
4. Men: Indian society is pre-dominantly patriarchal in nature. There is a strong desire prevalent in most families to have a male heir to carry forward the name of the family. Men are also officially designated as bread earners. However, there is an evolving trend towards women's active participation in the matters of the house and their financial independence because of progress and participation on the professional front.
This multi-tier Indian social set-up is both vibrant and complex. The social and cultural layers of this nation have strong indigenous traditions. However, the society is also reflective of cultural and social evolution. Mass media have been an integral part of this evolution.
India is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic society. This multi-tier social set-up is vibrant and complex. The social and cultural layers of this nation have strong indigenous traditions. However, the society is also reflective of cultural and social evolution. Mass media including television, newspapers, radio, film and Internet have been an integral part of this evolution. In a society like India with so much diversity and differences, mass media have played a significant role in every phase of development.
Mass media facilitate dissemination of information and communication to a vast number of people. There is a strong heterogeneity of media audiences. And more often than not, the media content caters to different groups rather than to a homogenous set of audience.
Media performs four basic functions for society: surveying the environment to provide information; correlating response to this information (editorial function); entertaining the media user (diversion function); and transmitting the country's cultural heritage to future generations (socialization or educational function). In a developing country, mass media is also expected to play an additional role to mobilize public support for national development.
Media also performs a role in subtly shaping perceptions and moulding public opinion by means of this symbolism. The use of media effectively helps citizens to engage meaningfully with the media in an active and a critical manner.
Despite the diversity in cultures and traditions that prevails throughout India, there is an underlying similarity in the social structure. This contributes to a unity within this diversity.
Here is a brief explanation of the existing Indian social structure:
1. Caste system: The caste system forms the basic foundation of Indian society. According to this system, there are four major castes - the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Sudras. The caste system started off as a division of labour. The Brahmins were the priests and teachers. In terms of hierarchy, Brahmins were considered the first caste. The Kshatriyas were the warriors, rulers and soldiers, Vaishyas included merchants and traders while the Sudras were responsible for all the menial labour in society. While it started off being merely an occupational division, the caste system assumed a hereditary nature resulting in discrimination and ill-treatment in the name of the lower castes. Untouchability is still practised in the Indian society, though the constitution does not permit it and has deemed it as a punishable offence. However, with growing literacy and economic progress such as urbanization there is an evident decline in the practice of the caste system.
2. Family: The family holds great importance in the Indian social structure. Joint families are a popular phenomenon in the Indian society. However with greater urbanization, and youth leaving home for better educational and employment opportunities, there is a growing trend towards nuclear family settings, especially in the cities.
3. Women: History shows that there have been many significant women figures in the social and political context of the country. However, there are several instances of atrocities against women including domestic violence and sexual abuse as by and large India has had a patriarchal set-up. The country also has an imbalanced sex ratio with relatively fewer girls as compared to boys. With an overtly male dominated structure, some parts of the country are infamous for female foeticide, infanticide and for denying the right to education to girls.
4. Men: Indian society is pre-dominantly patriarchal in nature. There is a strong desire prevalent in most families to have a male heir to carry forward the name of the family. Men are also officially designated as bread earners. However, there is an evolving trend towards women's active participation in the matters of the house and their financial independence because of progress and participation on the professional front.
This multi-tier Indian social set-up is both vibrant and complex. The social and cultural layers of this nation have strong indigenous traditions. However, the society is also reflective of cultural and social evolution. Mass media have been an integral part of this evolution.
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