Relative Deprivation, Affirmative Status Generalization and Social Identities

The paper is based on caste-based graded inequalities and social identities emerging from the perceived relative deprivation by the socio-economically and educationally backward castes and affirmative actions based on identification of backwardness by the State agencies in India. The emerging social identities are discussed under a new concept 'Affirmed Status', besides, Achieved and Ascribed, as explained by Ralph Lynton. The affirmed status characteristics generalization are empirically verified to reconstruct the social structure, in modern Indian context. The process of such generalization and thereby emerging identities are explained with the help of a theoretical assumption, ‘Social Devolution’. Affirmed status is explained as the social identity of an individual or group (s) of individuals who has acquired a status higher than their ascribed status albeit, positively discriminated by the state in their favour but mainly because of their perceived relative deprivation. And their own achievements, at whatever level, could not have been possible without such support from the state. Thus, the social identities of the affirmed status group(s) are resultant of aspirations and achievements of individuals belonging to a group(s) but due to support of the state. The status and mobility among affirmed status group(s) required to be higher could only increase with the continuation of the policy of positive discrimination, as more and more opportunities and benefits would become available and could be redirected to them.  “Social Devolution” is construed as a process of elevating social power, prestige and dignity to relatively deprived, socio-economically and educationally low status groups by way of positively discriminating them to provide opportunities by a central agency (state in the case of India) without redistributing supremacy and forwardness of so-perceived-higher -status groups which also now, aspire to achieve the affirmed status for perceived fairness given by that agency.