Essential Question Response

8/11/2019 Essential Question Response

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The Nature and Manifestations of Power in 21 st Century India

The nature of power and its manifestations within any particular society has been the

source of study for historians throughout several centuries. Modern historical and sociological

studies, however, have extended the notion of power beyond just that of political or economic

power. Rather, 21 st century studies of power have expanded to include iterations of power that

include cultural and social elements, including power structures rooted in notions such as beauty,

fashion, education, and social relationships. When analyzing the Foundations of power structures

and their manifestations in 21 st century India, it is clear that there is no one foundation nor one

single manifestation of power. This conclusion, however, is not surprising, as even the most

cursory study of India will result in an understanding that it is a vastly diverse state in almost any

single facet.

My first experience with the power structures of India came through a lecture and

discussion with Dr. Chiranjiv Singh, who met with the Teachers for Global Classrooms fellows on

our very first day in Bangalore, India. Upon discussing the now defunct caste system in India, Dr.

Singh argued that while the traditional power structure of the caste system that provided the

foundation for Indian and Hindu socio-political relations for centuries was abolished with the

creation of the new Indian state in the mid-20 th century, there was still a very clearly acknowledged

and visible caste system in 21 st century India. Now, however, this power structure was not rooted

in family heritage, but rather, ones education. More specifically, those Indians who were granted

access to English-language education were vastly more socially and economically power than those

who did not receive such training. This was even more evident in our school visits, as the more

progressive private schools, such as the Purnapramati School in Bangalore and SAI International

School in Bhubaneswar, provided extensive English-language training, whereas the more poorly

funded government schools had far fewer students who were conversant in the English language.


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Culturally, power structures are both implicit and explicitly. The modern, implicit caste

system described by Dr. Singh, relating to the value and power of English education, is one that

drives Indian culture. Street signs and business advertisements all include at least an English

translation, if not an exclusively English name or phrase. A reflection of not only the past imperial

power structure of the British, but also the underlying expectation of Indians that English language

is synonymous with social, political, and economic power. Notions of power founded on the

principles of a foreign culture may help advance those exclusive groups to whom access is

presented, but more importantly, and more damaging, is the cultural implications. First and

foremost, it implies that the Indian culture is not as powerful as that of the English-speaking

cultures. Second, in turn, it allows that original Indian culture to face some foundational issues that

could result in a disintegration of its own elements, or at least a synthesis of foreign and indigenous

cultures. More explicitly, the power of beauty is present no matter where you look in India. Most

striking were the print and televised advertisements for skin lightening creams and treatments,

implying that ones power and worth is derived not even through knowledge of the English

language or association with the forme r, formalized caste system, but rather through ones

appearance. Power structures founded on such false constructs only result in the diminishing of

those perceived to be less than others who are viewed as superior. When ones power and worth

is associated with artificial elements (and this is not just an attack on dark skinned Indian women,

but also dark-skinned Indian men), deeper psychological conflicts are created within the individual

and the society itself. 1 Just shortly after leaving India, it was announced that the Indian government

had, through its Advertising Standards Council of India, placed limitations on the types and

amounts of ads promoting such fair skinned products, as people with dark skin shouldnt be shown

1 For further analysis of this subject, see Aneel Karnanis Doing Well by Doing Good Case Study: Fair and LovelyWhitening Cream, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, March 2007.www.un.org/esa/.../DWDG. Fair .Lovely.SMJ.pdf


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as unsuccessful in any aspect of life especially in relation to being attractive to the opposite sex,

matrimony, job placement, promotions and other prospects. 2

As an educator, I left India wondering how these 21 st century notions of power impact the

various and diverse classrooms within the Indian education system. Do lighter skinned girls

receive more attention from other students and teachers than those with darker skin? Are there

similar assumptions or stereotypes embedded unconsciously (or consciously) into the curriculum

and daily lives of these students? Besides combatting advertisements that perpetrate such

interpretations of power, are there more formal and foundational necessary to target children

BEFORE such ads make an impact? As for the power associated with English education, in an ever

expanding, and already over crowded, school system, how can Indian education reformers and

experts ensure that the schools do not propagate an informal caste system?

2 Will New Guidelines Change Indias Light -Skin Obsession? India Real Time, 22 August 2014.http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2tw
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2twhttp://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2twhttp://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2twhttp://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2twhttp://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/08/22/will-new-ad-guidelines-change-indias-obsession-with-lighter-skin/?mod=e2tw

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