The relationship between status and happiness: Evidence from the caste system in rural India

Abstract

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Life Satisfaction and Well-Being at the Intersections of Caste and Gender in India

“…In line with the authors' hypothesis, the results revealed significant caste differences, which align with previous studies that suggest lower-caste individuals have lower well-being and life satisfaction (Fontaine & Yamada, 2014;Landeghem & Vandeplas, 2018;Spears, 2016). However, as discussed beforehand, most previous studies focused on rural areas where caste plays a dominant role in everyday life.…”

“…Higher levels of depression have been found in individuals from lower castes (Mathias et al, 2015) and have the highest odds of hypertension compared to privileged upper caste members (Uddin et al, 2020). In terms of life satisfaction, the castes at the top are more satisfied than the lower and middle castes (Fontaine & Yamada, 2014;Landeghem & Vandeplas, 2018;Spears, 2016). In Nepal, a country that follows a caste system similar to India, youth from low caste groups reported more anxiety, depression, and low selfesteem than their counterparts from other caste groups (French, 2020;Kiang et al, 2020).…”

Decomposition of caste differential in life satisfaction among older adults in India

“…This indicates the existence of caste-based socioeconomic disparities in the Indian society. The upward trend in socioeconomic indicators across the hierarchy of caste demonstrates how higher social status brings advantages and opportunities in life [ 38 ]. As a result, people who belong to the upper castes are more satisfied than those from the lower castes, like the SC/ST group.…”

Essence of culture and nature: Governance as the emerging correlates of quality‐of‐life experiences in the communities of Himachal, India

“…In 1972, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck IV of this Himalayan nation declared that 'Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross National Product', a proclamation that defies prevalent economic development principles around the earth. The king's proclamation underlines that Bhutan's progress will grow out of its own cultural milieu (Ura, 2012). The original four pillars of GNH are sustainable and equitable development, environmental conservation, the preservation and conservation of culture and good governance.…”

“…Numerous studies portray caste as a dominant factor impacting life in India (Deshpande, 2000; Bloch et al., 2004; Anderson, 2006; Carlsson et al., 2009; Banerjee et al., 2013). Van Landeghem and Vandeplas (2018) found that people higher in the caste ladder are better off in many ways. Nevertheless, people in the higher castes are more satisfied in life in various ways compared to the rest, and people in the middle caste are less happy than the lower castes.…”