In just the past few days, my experiences in India have shed a great deal of light upon the more informal power structures of the country. Though the long-standing Indian caste system was formally eradicated by the Indian constitution in 1947, a new sort of educational caste system is developing, according to our guest speaker, Dr. Singh. Dr. Singh's argument is based on the understanding that there is a socio-cultural division created within Indian schools in which Indian students with English educations are creating a new elitist caste that sits above those Indian students in more traditional, local language-based schools. Thus, the old adage that "Knowledge is power" is both true and unture in India. The receipt of education can only serve to benefit an individual, but it is clear that not all education paths are equal in India and for that matter, in the United States. Just as English-language schools create a cultural caste division in India, so too do regional, racial, and socio-economic characteristics determine the quality of education within our own country.
It's no secret to my friends and students that I love television. To me, television is more than just entertainment, it is a clear reflection of the values and traits of any society. So, when I travel, the first thing I do is not to inspect my hotel room, it's to turn on the tv to a local program. While watching MTV India, I came away with a few conclusions. First, I am far too old to watch any version of MTV. More importantly, though, I noticed several commercials directed at women and girls promoting beauty products that either helped achieve or maintain fair skin. The women in the commercials, and in most of the Indian television shows, are remarkably light in their skin tone, and could easily pass as Caucasian in the United States. The number of ads promoting such beauty ideals can only lead me to believe that in Indian culture and standards of beauty, lighter is better, and thus, the lighter the skin, the more power or cultural weight your skin tone carries.
Over the past two days, I've had the pleasure of visiting two very different schools that not only shed light on the Indian education system, but also the notion of power through and within educational systems. Come back soon for more thoughts!