Discuss the changes taking place in the industrial class structure in India. (UPSC CSE Mains 2024 - Sociology, Paper 1).
The industrial working class in India has undergone significant changes in recent years, primarily due to factors such as globalization, technological advancements, and economic liberalization. These changes have had a profound impact on the nature of work, the workforce, and the overall social structure of the industrial working class in India.
- Informalized labor:A large number of industrial workers are now employed on casual or contractual terms without job security or benefits. Sociologist Jan Breman refers to this as the rise of the “footloose labor” class in India.
- Diminished trade unions:With the decline of unionized labor, workers have less collective bargaining power, leading to precarious working conditions.
- New middle class:Economic reforms have fostered the growth of an urban middle class, altering social dynamics and consumption patterns, as discussed by D.L. Sheth.
- Skilled layering:Technological progress has led to higher demand for skilled labor, marginalizing unskilled workers and widening income disparities.
- Increased female participation:More women are joining the industrial workforce, changing gender relations within the class structure, though wage gaps and glass ceilings persist.
- Caste and gender dynamics: The industrial working class in India has historically been dominated by lower caste groups and men. However, recent years have seen an increase in the participation of women and upper caste individuals in the industrial workforce. This has led to changing social dynamics within the working class, with the potential for both increased social mobility and increased tensions between different caste and gender groups.
India’s industrial class structure is shifting toward informality and skill-based divisions, reshaping its socio-economic landscape.
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