Inequality and Interdependence: An Analogy of Caste and Sex

Abstract

Human beings are unequal primarily in terms of sex -- both in outward look and inner biological mechanism of sex. This smallest and broadest social stratification could be conceived as composed of two groups -- male and female. This sexual segregation among human beings plays a significant role in how they are represented in society. The difference in physique has long been a factor in discriminating them and connecting it to a chain of extraneous factors such as power, resources, and opportunities. The entire concept of patriarchy is built up on the premise that women are weak. Power, resources, and opportunities are unequally distributed across genders much like that of social groups such as class or caste.  All this has generated a deep-rooted inequality from time immemorial that the present-day civilization is trying hard to battle. Despite these, we find an apparent complementarity that exists to convert all the differences into one of interdependence. Inequality and interdependence are two mutually opposing forces, the former denoting a tone of disparage while the latter a sense of unification. The premise is almost like males are good as fathers while females are good as mothers. Role differentiation, skill sets, and mental make support this. These complementarities have converted differences of negatives into differences of positives. This paper is an attempt to visualize the facets of inequality among sexes and its complementarity to create interdependence, paving the way for social cohesion, and comparing it with a broader grouping namely caste.