Inspiré par la réflexion épistémologique de l'anthropologue Michel Verdon, ce mémoire propose un cadre conceptuel pour l'étude de l'organisation sociale des castes en Inde. L'ethnographie de Jonathan Parry, Caste and Kinship in Kangra, est analysée et réinterprétée dans un langage dit « opérationnel ». Les différentes approches des castes oscillent entre deux pôles théoriques opposés : l'idéalisme, représenté notamment par la démarche structuraliste de Louis Dumont, et le substantialisme, jadis adopté par les dirigeants coloniaux et incarné plus récemment dans les travaux de Dipankar Gupta. Toutes deux holistes, ces options conduisent pourtant à une impasse dans l'étude comparative de l'organisation sociale, car elles rendent les groupes « ontologiquement variables » et, par conséquent, incomparables. En repensant les prémisses sur lesquelles repose la conception générale de l'organisation sociale, un cadre opérationnel confère à la notion de groupe une réalité binaire, discontinue, évitant ainsi la variabilité ontologique des groupes et favorisant le comparatisme. Il rend également possible l'étude des rapports entre groupes et réseaux. La relecture de l'ethnographie Caste and Kinship in Kangra montre la pertinence d'une telle approche dans l'étude des castes. Le caractère segmentaire de ces dernières est remis en cause et l'autonomie des foyers, qui forment des réseaux d'alliances en matière d'activités rituelles, est mise de l'avant. Cette nouvelle description incite enfin à de nouvelles comparaisons. / Inspired by Michel Verdon’s epistemological and anthropological work, this thesis presents a new conceptual grid to study the caste social organization in India. Jonathan Parry’s ethnography, Caste and Kinship in Kangra, is re-analyzed and re-interpreted with the “operational language”. The different approaches to caste's analysis oscillate between two theoretical poles: idealism on one side, notably represented by Louis Dumont’s structuralism, and substantialism on the other, formerly adopted by the colonial administrators and developed more recently in Dipankar Gupta’s work. Unfortunately, these two holistic options mislead the social organization comparative study, because they ultimately render group “ontologically variable” and, thus, not comparable. Rethinking the premises on which rely the mainstream of the theories on social organization, this conceptual grid confers a binary, dis-continued meaning to the group notion, therefore avoiding ontological variability and allowing comparisons. It also favors the study of the relationships between groups and social networks. The re-reading of Caste and Kinship in Kangra ethnography shows its relevance in the study of the caste organization. Instead, in this thesis, the autonomy of households, with their ritual activities alliance networks, is opposed to the segmented caste view. This new description finally calls for new comparisons.

L'époque contemporaine se caractérise par une omniprésence de la technique, qui soulève des inquiétudes croissantes. Ce constat a conduit nombre de chercheurs à interroger les relations que la technique et la société entretiennent. Dans le sillage de ce questionnement, cette recherche vise à examiner en quoi les techniques sont parties prenantes des changements anthropiques à l'oeuvre, qu'ils soient d'ordre social, politique, culturel, religieux, environnemental, législatif. Pour ce faire, cette thèse étudie, à partir d'une approche ethnographique, les modalités d'existence de dispositifs urbains d'assainissement dans le cadre du Ganga Action Plan, lequel vise la dépollution du Gange. Ces modalités d'existence sont analysées à partir des chroniques des projets urbains se déroulant dans deux villes indiennes, Kanpur et Varanasi, et des controverses suscitées par leur mise en oeuvre. Cette thèse démontre que les objets techniques et les activités qui leur sont liées, tout en confortant des règles déjà en place, en instituent de nouvelles, ce qui ne va pas sans susciter des résistances tant d'ordre social que politique.

The thesis deals with dalit literature and its role in the dalit movement. In the preface it summarizes information about indian caste system, untouchability and outlines the history of the dalit movement. It tries to highlight certain important points within the history of dalit movement that were significant for the evolvement and development of the dalit literature. Then it goes onto the dalit literature itself. The brief historical depiction is devided into parts based on geographic and lingual regions (Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati). Further the author deals with classification of dalit literature and its relation with afro- american literature. She poses and tries to answer the question of who in fact is the dalit writer, how is dalit literature received by literature critics and briefly also mentions its language specificities. In the analysis of dalit literature motives the author describes significant and frequent storylines and shows the connection of literature and dalit movement. Specific examples taken from dalit works point out particular motives and nicely illustrate the character of this literature. Separate chapter deals with recently current theme of women in dalit literature. In conclusion author offers summary of the whole theme, emphasizes its most important points...

Summaries in French and English / Text in French / Les romans analyses - Une si longue lettre et Un chant ecarlate de Mariama Ba, O pays, mon beau peuple! by d'Ousmane Sembene et Agar d' Albert Memmi - proposent tous une histoire se deroulant en Afrique et ayant pour theme le mariage mixte et/ou polygame, theme particulierement riche comme foyer d'observation socioculturelle et interculturelle des milieux evoques. Le chapitre 1 cerne le theme du mariage et ses diverses configurations mixtes et polygames dans les quatre roamns. Sont examines dans les chapitres suivants: les rapports familiaux et sociaux tels qu'ils sont vecus par les couples protagonistes; la polygamie, centrale aux deux romans de Ba et omnipresente dans celui de Sembene; les religions des societes concernees, telles qu' ell es affectent les couples en jeu; les images de la femme - et surtout de la femme africaine - qui ressortent des situations conjugates developpees par les auteurs; l'eventuelle influence du sexe de l'auteur sur la representation de la femme. / The novels analysed - Une si longue lettre and Un chant ecarlate by Mariama Ba, O pays, mon beau peuple! by Ousmane Sembene and Agar by Albert Memmi - all tell stories set in Africa and share the theme of mixed and/or polygamous marriage, a particularly fertile theme through which to focus a socio-cultural and intercultural examination of the social environments portrayed. Chapter 1 identifies the theme of marriage and the various mixed/polygamous configurations it assumes in the four novels. The succeeding chapters examine: family and social relationships as experienced by the protagonists; polygamy, central to both novels by Ba and omnipresent in Sembene's novel; the religions of the societies portrayed, insofar as they affect the couples concerned; the images of woman - and particularly the Afiican woman - emerging from the marital situations developed by the authors and, finally, the possible influence of authorial gender on the presentation of woman. / Classics and Modern Euorpean Languages / M.A. (French)

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of the affirmative action policy within the Pretoria district of the South African Police Service. There is a need to examine and understand how the SAPS remove unfair discrimination in recruitment and selection processes in the implementation of affirmative action measures. Prior to 1994 the South African Police Force was male dominated and racism was fully institutionalised. Black people (Africans, Indians and coloureds), women and disabled people were marginalised and denied appropriate employment and advancement opportunities. The focus of the study was to identify challenges or problems encountered by the SAPS during the implementation of affirmative action policy; propose the strategies through which the SAPS can address discrimination in personnel staffing processes; and to assess and describe the criteria utilised by the SAPS in identifying the beneficiaries of affirmative action. The study includes the survey of international and national literature on the implementation of affirmative action. The study was conducted at 35 police stations within the district of Pretoria. The survey questionnaires were distributed to the respondents whereby three hundred and seventy (370) returned completed questionnaires, meeting the required sample figures. The respondents were selected by using a quota sampling. Qualitative research methodology was utilised in the interpretation and analysis of data. In addition, data was also collected through the documentary study. The major findings of this study illustrated that job requirements and responsibilities are seldom adjusted to accommodate disabled people. The communication of affirmative action policy is seen by respondents as being problematic. Respondents believe that affirmative action discriminates against certain groups within the disadvantaged groups. The research has divulged that the usage of interviews and involvement of supervisors in interview panels would minimise unfair discrimination in the allocation of promotional positions. Diversity management is not fully implemented to support affirmative action. People of all races are not employed to positions on the basis of their qualifications, experience and competencies as they deserve. The SAPS does not consider academic qualifications as criterion in the allocation of promotions. / Public Administration & Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

Anglo-Indians, a designation acquired in the 1911 Indian Census, had previously been known as Eurasians, East Indians, Indo-Britons and half-castes. ‘Anglo-Indian’ had previously denoted, and among some scholars continues to denote, Britons long resident in India. We will define Anglo-Indians as a particular mixed race Indo-European population arising out of the European trading and imperial presence in India, and one of several constructed categories by which transient Britons sought to demarcate racial difference within the Raj’s socio-racial hierarchy. Anglo-Indians were placed in an intermediary (and differentially remunerated) position between Indians and Domiciled Europeans (another category excluded from fully ‘white’ status), who in turn were placed below imported British superiors. The domiciled community (of Anglo-Indians and Domiciled Europeans, treated as a single socio-economic class by Britons) were relied upon as loyal buttressing agents of British rule who could be deployed to help run the Raj’s strategically sensitive transport and communication infrastructure, and who were made as a term of their service to serve in auxiliary military forces which could help to ensure the internal security of the Raj and respond to strikes, civil disobedience or crises arising from international conflict. The thesis reveals how calls for Indianisation of state and railway employment by Indian nationalists in the assemblies inaugurated by the 1919 Government of India Act threatened, through opening up their reserved intermediary positions to competitive entry and examination by Indians, to undermine the economic base of domiciled employment. Anglo-Indian leaders responded with varying strategies. Foremost was the definition of Anglo-Indians as an Indian minority community which demanded political representation through successive phases of constitutional change and statutory safeguards for their existing employment. This study explores various strategies including: deployment of multiple identities; widespread racial passing by individuals and families; agricultural colonisation schemes; and calls for individual, familial or collective migration.

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the implementation of the affirmative action policy within the Pretoria district of the South African Police Service. There is a need to examine and understand how the SAPS remove unfair discrimination in recruitment and selection processes in the implementation of affirmative action measures. Prior to 1994 the South African Police Force was male dominated and racism was fully institutionalised. Black people (Africans, Indians and coloureds), women and disabled people were marginalised and denied appropriate employment and advancement opportunities. The focus of the study was to identify challenges or problems encountered by the SAPS during the implementation of affirmative action policy; propose the strategies through which the SAPS can address discrimination in personnel staffing processes; and to assess and describe the criteria utilised by the SAPS in identifying the beneficiaries of affirmative action. The study includes the survey of international and national literature on the implementation of affirmative action. The study was conducted at 35 police stations within the district of Pretoria. The survey questionnaires were distributed to the respondents whereby three hundred and seventy (370) returned completed questionnaires, meeting the required sample figures. The respondents were selected by using a quota sampling. Qualitative research methodology was utilised in the interpretation and analysis of data. In addition, data was also collected through the documentary study. The major findings of this study illustrated that job requirements and responsibilities are seldom adjusted to accommodate disabled people. The communication of affirmative action policy is seen by respondents as being problematic. Respondents believe that affirmative action discriminates against certain groups within the disadvantaged groups. The research has divulged that the usage of interviews and involvement of supervisors in interview panels would minimise unfair discrimination in the allocation of promotional positions. Diversity management is not fully implemented to support affirmative action. People of all races are not employed to positions on the basis of their qualifications, experience and competencies as they deserve. The SAPS does not consider academic qualifications as criterion in the allocation of promotions. / Public Administration and Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

Summaries in French and English / Text in French / Les romans analyses - Une si longue lettre et Un chant ecarlate de Mariama Ba, O pays, mon beau peuple! by d'Ousmane Sembene et Agar d' Albert Memmi - proposent tous une histoire se deroulant en Afrique et ayant pour theme le mariage mixte et/ou polygame, theme particulierement riche comme foyer d'observation socioculturelle et interculturelle des milieux evoques. Le chapitre 1 cerne le theme du mariage et ses diverses configurations mixtes et polygames dans les quatre roamns. Sont examines dans les chapitres suivants: les rapports familiaux et sociaux tels qu'ils sont vecus par les couples protagonistes; la polygamie, centrale aux deux romans de Ba et omnipresente dans celui de Sembene; les religions des societes concernees, telles qu' ell es affectent les couples en jeu; les images de la femme - et surtout de la femme africaine - qui ressortent des situations conjugates developpees par les auteurs; l'eventuelle influence du sexe de l'auteur sur la representation de la femme. / The novels analysed - Une si longue lettre and Un chant ecarlate by Mariama Ba, O pays, mon beau peuple! by Ousmane Sembene and Agar by Albert Memmi - all tell stories set in Africa and share the theme of mixed and/or polygamous marriage, a particularly fertile theme through which to focus a socio-cultural and intercultural examination of the social environments portrayed. Chapter 1 identifies the theme of marriage and the various mixed/polygamous configurations it assumes in the four novels. The succeeding chapters examine: family and social relationships as experienced by the protagonists; polygamy, central to both novels by Ba and omnipresent in Sembene's novel; the religions of the societies portrayed, insofar as they affect the couples concerned; the images of woman - and particularly the Afiican woman - emerging from the marital situations developed by the authors and, finally, the possible influence of authorial gender on the presentation of woman. / Classics and Modern Euorpean Languages / M.A. (French)

No description available.

Racial and gender inequality, as well as other forms of discrimination has been a part of the South African, American and Indian histories for a very long time. Even today racial disparity is still very evident in the South African and American societies whilst discrimination based on caste is still prevalent in the Indian society. This is illustrated by continued racial discrimination and the remaining signs of societal segregation. Due to continuing disparities amongst the people, it became necessary to implement affirmative action programmes. Focusing in particular on education and jobs, affirmative action policies require active measures to be taken to ensure that blacks and other minorities enjoy the same opportunities for career advancement and school admissions that had been the nearly exclusive province of whites in SA and the USA, or for the forward castes in India. Affirmative action has been both praised and denounced, as an answer to racial inequality. One of the key issues that arise when affirmative action is discussed is whether or not affirmative action in fact promotes equality and atones for past prejudices. Another concern is whether the current affirmative action policy is the right policy to use. The issues surrounding affirmative action seems to be universal as are the circumstances. Perhaps the most widespread similarity among the programmes in these very different countries has been that group preferences and quotas are almost always discussed. The debate on affirmative action exists because it is a very divisive issue and it affects different groups of people in different ways, and some groups or persons seemingly benefit more from affirmative action than other persons or groups. In addition, it causes people to be classified into groups, and at the same time, strives to break down group barriers. It is an issue that is difficult to resolve because people have varied ideas about how the problems of racial inequality and historical discrimination should be addressed / Jurisprudence / LLD