Dalit Studies and Dalit Movements in India: Rationale, Hierarchy and Typology

This volume seeks to provide a philosophical and theoretical foundation for Dalit studies. It begins by formulating a philosophical and theoretical definition of the term ‘Dalit’, along with its empirical characteristics—structural location; the cumulative and collective nature of exclusion; the temporal history of exclusion; and the evolution and identification of icons and cultural symbols within Dalit society. The volume studies the Dalits through the lens of social mobility; highlights ...