Trans.Inst.Indian Geographers ISSN 0970-9851 Scheduled Caste Occupational Mobility: A Study in Askaranpur Magrohani Village of Sirathu Block in

Falak Butool, Lucknow, U.P.

Abstract Occupational mobility actually modifies the real labour income and in-turn changes the socio- economic profile of an individual or a family. The occupational mobility may act as a catalyst in case of scheduled caste upliftment because they are subjugated since time immemorial. They are still engaged in low ranked fixed occupations. If they will be able to show upward occupational mobility then their social and economic status will surely be improved. But such studies on occupational mobility of scheduled caste population are meager. Thus in the present work an attempt is made to study occupational mobility and immobility of scheduled caste population. Regional analysis of occupational mobility is necessary for rational planning and legitimate minimization of regional disparities to foster a healthy and balanced development. From the results it is clear that a small proportion of scheduled caste workers shifts from agricultural sector to construction sector and service sector in the second and third generation of the selected area (fig2&3). This shows upward intergenerational occupational mobility among the scheduled caste population of Askaranpur Magrohani village of Sirathu block in Kaushambi District. Keywords: Occupational Mobility, Scheduled Caste Workers, Askaranpur Magrohani Village, Sirathu, Kaushambi

Introduction distinctiveness as the centre of social In recent years issues like discrimination purpose. The empirical studies on market especially caste discrimination and social discrimination will give more visibility to exclusion have been discussed extensively research on discrimination. The standard in . However, while the linkages economic theory of discrimination implies between caste and society have been studied that market discrimination will generate widely but the interface between caste and consequences that adversely affect overall economy requires little more attention. The economic efficiency and lower economic economic interpretation of the caste system growth. Market discrimination in terms of is fixed economic and social right to each occupational immobility will lead to failure individual. According to Ambedkar, 1936 of the market mechanism, which in turn unlike many other societies, the Hindu induces inefficiency due to less-than-optimal social order governed by the caste system allocation of labour and other factors among does not recognize an individual and his firms. Thus factor immobility brings gross

Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 | 83 inefficiency in resource allocation and in Kambourov and Manovskii ,2004. The economic outcome (Ambedkar, 1936, sociologist conceived that, as the movement 1978b). The Indian economy has witnessed from one occupational category to another, substantial structural change over the last the person’s category consists with the social three decades. First employment generation and cultural prestige. has shifted from agriculture to services. A micro level study on occupational Second, a rapid increase in the introduction mobility of scheduled caste is done by of new information based technologies Wilson in 2004. In this study, he has analysed has occurred since 1990. Third, this has the effect of the change of agricultural accompanied by substantial adjustments in techniques, poverty, outmigration and many operations and organizational re-structuring other factors on the occupational mobility of of agriculture. Thus this structural change scheduled caste population of two selected has brought a magnificent change in the villages. Caste wise occupational mobility occupational structure of India and enhanced in India has been studied by Majumder, the individual as well as national income. 2010. In this work he has found that only Occupation which affect our belief, few castes among the scheduled caste values and preferences, and thereby our people are showing upward occupational choice is a vital factor for the economic mobility. progress of any community. Thus occupation Here occupational mobility which is one of the best indicators of class, simply means the ability of the individual because people tend to agree on the relative to change job after the acquisition of a new prestige they attach to similar jobs (Karade, skill (Maythew, 2005) may be useful in 2009). Those at or near the top rung of the improving their socio-economic status as it prestige ladder usually have the highest changes the real labour earning as studied income, the best education, and the most by Parrado, Cancer and Wolff, 2005. The of the power. According to Gidden, 2009 impact of occupational mobility in Albania a famous sociologist occupation is the is studied by Carletto and Kilic in 2009. most critical factor in an individual’s social However Behrman, and Taubman in 1985 standing, life chances and level of material have studied intergenerational earning comfort. Individuals in the same occupation mobility in the United States. Corak, tend to experience similar degrees of and Heisz in 1999 have worked upon the social advantage or disadvantage, maintain intergenerational earning and income comparable lifestyles, and share similar mobility of Canadian men. Hnatkovska, opportunities in life. The people try to shift Lahiri, and Paul in 2011 have worked upon from one job to another job depending upon the impact of caste on labour mobility. their circumstances and this shifting of jobs Haider, and Solon in 2006 have worked upon is called occupational mobility. Occupational life-cycle variation in association between mobility is defined as the percentage of current and life time earnings. currently employed individuals who report a current occupation different from their most The stickiness of scheduled caste people recent previous report of an occupation, as with their traditional unclean occupation is

84 | Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 responsible for their sluggish occupational Database and Methodology mobility and in turn for their slow socio- The present study is based on primary economic growth. If they will be able to show data generated by comprehensive survey upward occupational mobility then their of scheduled caste population in the social and economic status will surely be Askaranpur Magrohani Village of Sirathu improved. But such studies on occupational block of Kaushambi district carried out mobility of scheduled caste population during April 2017. This rural survey are meager. So in the present study the consisted of the 25 percent of households occupational mobility of scheduled caste of scheduled caste population in the village. population is dealt at a village level. The The data regarding the occupational selected village is Askaranpur Magrohani characteristic of four generations of in Kaushambi district of in scheduled caste population is obtained to India. Thus this kind of studies will grove find out the intergenerational occupational the geographical literature about the meager mobility. However, only three generations availability of studies on occupational are considered to find out the inter- mobility of scheduled caste population. generational occupational mobility because This study will surely be helpful in the children of the fourth generation are improving the socio-economic status of not lying in the working age. They are this downtrodden segment section of the below 14 years. In the intergenerational Indian society who accounts for about 16 occupational mobility the occupational percent of the total population of India 21 structure of total workers of a generation is percent population of Uttar Pradesh and 70 compared with the occupational structure percent population of the selected village of the workers of its previous generation Askaranpur Magrohani. and finally its percentage is calculated. However respondents are not changing their occupations over different period of Objectives times so no intra-generational occupational To meet out the current problem following mobility can be calculated. Apart from it objectives are formulated. data regarding the demographic and socio- i. To explain the occupational mobility economic characteristics are also obtained among the scheduled caste population through this household survey. of Askaranpur Magrohani village. ii. To find out various determinants of occupational mobility of scheduled caste population in Askaranpur Magrohani Village. iii. To analyse the socio-economic condition of scheduled caste population in Askaranpur Magrohani village.

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4. Discussion a. Intergenerational Occupational i. Types of Occupational Mobility Mobility Jhilam, Majumder and Rajarshi, 2010 in In the inter-generational occupational their work they have observed that advance mobility, the worker changes their classes are showing vertical occupational occupation compared to the occupation of mobility, whereas, excluded classes are their fathers (Miller, 1960). In the inter- showing much of their occupational mobility generational occupational mobility, it should in lateral direction. Occupational mobility is be examined whether father influences studied in different manner and according occupational position of the son / daughter. to their nature they are catagorised into From the table 1 it is clear that in the first following groups. generation of scheduled caste population

86 | Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 only 5percent males were cultivators slipped from the category of agricultural whereas no female of this generation was labourer whereas, the percentage of female lying in this category. Most of the scheduled workers in this sector remains the same. caste people weather it is male or female However, 3 percent addition is observed in are working as agricultural labourer. Their the category of construction labourers for share is 25 for male and 20 for female of both males and females. One percent male this first generation. Apart from it 2 percent workers have occupied a new category i.e., among the males and 1 percent among the contractor with no female in this category. females are working as labourers in the In the low ranked government sector 1 construction work. However, only 4 percent percent males are added with no females in among the males and 2 percent females of this group. this generation are involved in low ranked From the results it is clear that in the service sector like sweeper, gardener, dyers third generation the proportion of cultivators etc. In the low ranked government sector remains the same for male and female only 1 percent among the males is absorbed population however, 2 percent of female but no female lies at this rung (as shown in workers have slipped from the category of the fig.2&3). agricultural labourer with no change in the In the second generation, the job proportion of male population in this group. profile of the scheduled caste shows only a In the construction sector 2 per cent and 1 little up-gradation. A significant percent of percent gain is observed in the category people have shifted from agriculture sector of male and female construction labourers to construction sector and service sector. The and 1 percent gain in the category of male in-depth analysis of the table shows that 1 contractor. It is also visible from the table percent loss and 0.5 gain of cultivators is that no change is observed in the category of observed among the scheduled caste males service providers or low ranked government and females of the second generation from sector in the third generation from its its previous generation. From the data it previous generation. is clear that 5 percent male workers have

Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 | 87 Low ranked govt sector 1 x 0.5 - - Service providers (Gar deners, dyers, Speep ers) 4 2 3 - Con tractor 2 x 1 Const Lab 7 5 6 Agri Lab 20 18 19 - III Generation Culti vators 4 x 2 Low ranked govt sector 2 x 1 - - - Service provid ers (Gar deners, dyers, Speep ers) 4 2 3 - Con tractor 1 x 0.5 Const Lab 5 4 4.5 Agri Lab 20 20 19.5 - II Generation Culti vators 4 0.5 2.5 Low ranked govt sector 1 x 0.5 - - - Service provid ers (Gar deners, dyers, Sweep ers) 4 2 3 - Con tractor x x x Const Lab 2 1 1.5 Agri Lab 25 20 22 - I Generation Culti vators 5 x 3 Gender Male Female Total Source: Based on calculation of the data generated by field survey conducted researcher Generation II Father and Mother III Son Daughter (Generation I Grand Father and Mother, (not included here as they are not in the age of working population) Grand Son and Daughter) Generation IV Table 1: Inter Generational Occupational Mobility of Scheduled Caste Population in Askaranpur Magrohani Village of Village Askaranpur Magrohani 1: Inter Generational Occupational Mobility of Scheduled Caste Population in Table Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh, 2017

88 | Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 Fig. 2

Fig. 3

The shift of a small proportion of b. Intra generational Occupational scheduled caste workers from agricultural Mobility sector to construction sector and From the collected data it is clear that service sector in the second and third the respondants are not changing their generation (fig2&3) records the upward occupation at different time interval. This intergenerational occupational mobility means that intra-generational occupational among the scheduled caste population of mobility is not seen in case of scheduled Askaranpur Magrohani village of Sirathu caste population of Askaranpur Magrohani block of Kaushambi District. village

Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 | 89 ii. Determinant of Occupational Mobility b. Economic Determinants A. Demographic Determinants i. Change in the Economy and Polity a. Gender Traditionally, village economies Migration experience has positive impact have been shielded from fluctuations in on occupational mobility more specifically external markets and therefore instability on upward occupational mobility. Literature is an inevitable result of agrarian life in on migration suggests that men are more an unfavourable climate, with sporadic likely to move for economic reasons and rainfall and steady increases in population women for family reasons, and that, men size relative to arable land. The land are more mobile than women (De Jong et reform has allocated only a very small al., 1986; Anyanwu, 1992). It is clear from patch of agricultural land to the scheduled the household survey of scheduled caste caste population of the Askaranpur of Askaranpur Magrohani village that 80 Magrohani village on which they are living. percent of the total young scheduled caste Diversification is an important analytical males have migrated either to other part of tool to monitor livelihood and socio- the same city ( Kaushmbi city) economic mobility and in turn occupational or other neighbouring cities like (Allahabad) dynamism. That is why majority of them are as they are working as labourers or they raring cattle few of them are also having got the service of sweeper in government the horse cart to carry freight. Households institution or private institutions. rarely drop an activity completely, but will The women are showing low occupation gradually take up new activities or slowly mobility as mostly women prioritize their reduce involvement in other activities in families over their professional careers, response to short-term shocks or longer-term and activity decisions often constrained trends. Increased labour market participation by patriarchal norms and family models is often a response to a short-term shock. pervasive in their villages. (Macias, However, such responses often influence Grande, Poveda and Anton, 2014). From future behaviour over the longer term, as the household survey scheduled caste of households become accustomed to earn from Askaranpur Magrohani village, it is clear the additional source Wilson, 2011: 35. It is that 40 percent of the females has migrated clear from the photographs given below that among which 35 percent accompanied their scheduled caste people of the study area are husbands as non workers and 5 percent trying to earn money from the other sources migrated alone as they are separated or rather than solely depending upon their main they are old females is just because they occupation. don’t have any other member in the family to look after them here in the Askaranpur Magrohani village.

90 | Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 ii. Level of Income because they meet skill and educational It is the level of income that largely requirements. They also may have more determines the occupational mobility. The and better information to take action which main target occupational shift of most of promotes their mobility. Among the various the people is better salary. The migrated human capital resources, education has been adult males as labourers, sweeper or dyers consistently found as the dominant factor from Askaranpur Magrohani is just as they that has positive and monotonic relation are earning more there as compared to the with occupational mobility of migrants village. (Stepick and Portes, 1986; Raijman and Semyonov, 1995). Harper (1995) focuses iii. Landownership on occupational quits in Britain as opposed Land ownership positively influences to occupational upgrading. Education level the upward mobility, though at a decreasing has a positive impact on the probability of rate. This seems to indicate the importance of upward mobility from bottom and reduces household asset position to exhibit mobility the likelihood of downward mobility of both gains over time, with the implication that men and women (Macias, Grande, Poveda, at the higher end of the land ownership and Anton, 2014). He finds that young spectrum, individuals are likely to stay in and more educated individuals are more agriculture and exhibit immobility over likely to change occupations. It is observed time or downgrade to agriculture from that education has helped in occupational higher occupational category (Carletto and mobility. Kilic, 2009:18). In case of scheduled caste Low education of scheduled caste people people of Askaranpur Magrohani village augmented with poverty and traditional they do not possess sufficient agricultural social system, force them to continue their land. They only got a small patches of traditional employment from the childhood. agricultural land through the land ceiling As far as the education of the adult scheduled derive of government. caste population of Askaranpur Magrohani is concern it is negligible only 10 per cent of c. Social Determinants the total adult population is literate and all of them are only primary literates. i. Level of Literacy and Education ii. General Health Conditions and It is found that level of education and nature of employment are closely associated Longevity (Chandna, 1989). Education is a vital factor General standard of health of the in the social transformation of a society and people, being an index of their vitality, not its economic amelioration (Sachchidananda, only influences the participation rate of 1977). It is clear from the researches that population in economic activities but also education helps to increase the probability effects the possibility of occupational change of occupational upgrading. Those who have up to limited extent. It is expected that social more education may find better occupational groups with good general health conditions opportunities at the destination simply show a higher participation rate than a social

Transactions | Vol. 40, No. 1, 2018 | 91 group with poor health conditions (Liang mobility. The shift of a small proportion of and Lu, 2014). From the household survey it scheduled caste workers from agricultural was observed that one of the scheduled caste sector to construction sector and service boy is physically challenged in the village sector in the second and third generation one is having some neurological disorder 2 (fig. 2 & 3) records the upward males are suffering from chronic respiratory intergenerational occupational mobility disorder, one female is having some liver among the scheduled caste population of problem. These poor scheduled caste people Askaranpur Magrohani village of Sirathu generally borrow money on interest from block of Kaushambi District. the rich upper class people. Which further entangle them in the poverty web. Acknowledgement iii. Social Networking The researcher expresses her sincere A strengthening of caste based networks gratitude to University Grant Commission, of scheduled could have been at play during New Delhi for giving the financial assistance this period. The caste based networks to conduct this research work. can often form quickly amongst the more disadvantaged groups in order to help them escape low-skill occupation traps. It is References visible from the allotment of small contract • Alex, S and Alejandro, P. (1986): “Flight to the 4 members of the same scheduled into Despair: A Profile of Recent Haitian caste family. The reason for this is that Refugees in South Florida, International the beneficiary family has 2 sons who are Migration Review, Vol.20 (2):329-350 working in different part of the city or • Ambedkar, B.R. (1936): Annihilation of neighboring city have better connections at Caste, Jallundher: Bhim Patrika local administrative level. • Ambedkar, B.R. (1978b): The Hindu Social Order: Its Essential Features’ in Vasant Conclusions Moon (ed.), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: The empirical evidences presented in Writing and Speeches, Vol. 3, Education Department, Government of Maharastra, this paper contends that occupational Vol.3:96-115. distribution depending upon the caste is not the problem of past or the incidental force • Anyanwo, (1992): A Quantitative Analysis creating inequality, but an active agent in of Major Determinants of Rural-Urban Migration in Nigeria”, Nigerian Journal growing the gap between those at the top of Economic and Social Studies, Vol. and those at the bottom of Indian Society. 34(3):177-194. The results confirm that considerable • Behrman, J. and Taubman, P. (1985): intergenerational occupational persistence— Intergenerational Earning Mobility in the across all occupational categories, the United States: Some Estimates and a test father’s category is the most likely one that of Becker’s Intergenerational Endowments a son could find himself. But they are not Model, The Review of Economics and untouched by the waves of occupational Statistics, Vol.67(1):144-151.

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