Have changing social and spatial dynamics weakened India’s rigid caste structures in urban areas? This study of the magnitude of spatial segregation in the 10 largest cities of West Bengal analyses ward-level data from the 2011 Census and... more
Have changing social and spatial dynamics weakened India’s rigid caste structures in urban areas? This study of the magnitude of spatial segregation in the 10 largest cities of West Bengal analyses ward-level data from the 2011 Census and reveals a high degree of spatial segregation by caste. In each of these cities, caste-based spatial segregation is more pronounced than segregation by socio-economic status. The study also finds a significant negative correlation between wards with a greater proportion of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population and household access to public, private and aspirational goods. This calls for a more inclusive understanding of segregation.
