Managing Stigmatizing Caste Identities in University Spaces

This paper investigates how Dalit individuals, in higher educational institutes, decide to perform or deal with the (visible as well as invisible) stigmatizing caste-related attributes/associations. Focusing on the experiences of living with the stigmatizing identities through in-depth interviews and autoethnographic notes, the study explores how they perceive themselves and others in everyday social interactions in university spaces and how these perceptions shape their performative actions to manage situations causing threat. The findings reveal that past experiences and an awareness of historical misrecognition and devaluation significantly influence social interactions in particular situations. In such contexts, individuals often experience a range of emotions and uncertainties as they search for ways to respond. Their responses—whether embracing the stigmatized caste identity, attempting to conform to it, or distancing themselves from it—are shaped by their perceptions of personal capabilities, situational cues, and familiarity with others they interact with. This paper sheds light on the (un)conscious processes underlying how they manage themselves from situations causing identity tensions.