Self-and Mutual Perception of Salient Personality Traits of Different Caste Groups

Abstract

As part of a project to study the changing inter-caste attitudes in India, 239 urban subjects, belonging to 4 traditional Hindu castes and Harijan castes (former "Untouchables"), checked five traits (from a list of 88) most characteristic of their own and other groups. A comparison of results with similar studies conducted earlier points to the fading of earlier stereotypes about castes. The picture of one's own caste was often similar to the perception of that caste by other castes, indicating a general acceptability of some of the castestereotypes. The higher castes still show resistence to relinquish age-old prejudices against the lower castes.