Towards a Psychology of Caste-based Humiliation | Humanities & Social Sciences

Towards a Psychology of Caste-based Humiliation

Tuesday Seminar
Speaker: 
Yashpal Jogdand
Date and Time: 
Tue, 08/02/2022 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Schedule: 
10:38 PM to 11:38 PM
Venue: 
Online: https://tinyurl.com/3md6xpxa

Abstract

Through a critical appraisal of social psychological insights into selfhood, intergroup relations, and emotions with the anti-caste psychological perspectives notably that of Ambedkar, this paper examines the psychological dimension of caste based humiliation. The paper proposes conceptualisation of caste based humiliation as a group emotion. This conceptualisation is used to address the questions of experience, psychological impact, resistance to caste based humiliation among Dalits. It is shown that this conceptualisation could explicate the Dalit experience both in the form of vicarious humiliation of caste atrocities and everyday stings of caste microaggressions. The insidious effects of caste based humiliation are then explored on mental health, social vitality and appraisal process among Dalits. It is argued that the most serious psychological impact of caste based humiliation is on the appraisal process. The paper concludes with an emphasis on exploring the scope of psychological resistance to caste based humiliation through individual and collective acts of meaning that contest the inferior and amputated selfhood and provide conceivable alternatives to the humiliating existence.

Bio

Yashpal Jogdand is Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Delhi. He completed PhD from School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK, under the supervision of Professor Stephen Reicher. His research focuses on examining how people appraise, experience and respond to social disadvantage, social stigma, or status differences. Yashpal serves on the editorial board of Asian Journal of Social Psychology and Journal of Social & Political Psychology and as Book Review Editor of the journal Psychological Studies. He is a recipient of the Young Psychologist Award by the National Academy of Psychology (India).