By Kate Weingart
CASTE: The Origin of Our Discontent
By Isabel Wilkerson
Biography of Isabel Wilkerson (IW)
born on November 12, 1961, in D.C., parents were part of the Great Migration. father served as a military officer, and her mother was a schoolteacher,
EDUCATION: has a degree in journalism from Howard University, School of Communications. she served as editor-in-chief of the university’s student newspaper, The Hilltop.
CAREER in journalism
the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for her work at The New York Times. where she became the Chicago bureau chief
Books:
1. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration (2010) won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and named one of the best books of the decade by NYTIMES.
2. Caste: (2020) longlisted for the National Book Award, and an Oprah’s Book Club pick.
The THESIS OF CASTE:
explores the entrenched systems of hierarchy and oppression that shape societies, focusing particularly on the United States.
argues that caste, not race, is the fundamental framework for understanding inequality and discrimination in America.
main argument and thesis is Caste is the Invisible Architecture of Inequality.
1. IW defines caste as an entrenched hierarchy that assigns individuals to a particular status based on perceived innate differences. caste operates independently of race, although race often serves as a key marker within a caste system.
2. Race is a tool to enforce the caste system, which establishes enduring social and economic hierarchies.
3. BEST PART, HER CONTRIBUTION IS She draws parallels between the U.S. racial caste system, India’s caste system, and Nazi Germany’s racial hierarchy.
II. The Eight Pillars of Caste:
Wilkerson identifies eight pillars that uphold caste systems, regardless of the society:
1. Divine Will and Laws of Nature: The belief that hierarchies are ordained by a higher power or natural order.
2. Heritability: Caste is passed down through generations, solidifying its persistence.
3.Endogamy and Control of Marriage: Restrictions on relationships and marriage maintain boundaries between castes.
4. Purity vs. Pollution: Dominant groups maintain “purity” by avoiding contact with subordinate groups.
5. Occupational Hierarchy: Jobs and roles are assigned based on caste.
6.Dehumanization and Stigma: Subordinate groups are dehumanized to justify mistreatment.
7.Terror as Enforcement: Violence and fear are used to reinforce caste boundaries.
8. Inherent Superiority and Inferiority: Dominant groups internalize superiority, while subordinate groups are labeled as inherently inferior.
III.The Effects of Caste on Society:
A. caste systems dehumanize people, perpetuate inequality, and harm everyone, including those at the top of the hierarchy. there is psychological, social, and economic toll of caste on individuals and societies.
B. Key Argument: Caste limits human potential and perpetuates division and resentment, hindering collective progress.
IV. The Global Scope of Caste:
She compares the U.S., India, and Nazi Germany, showing how similar caste systems function across cultures. For example:
• In India, caste is explicitly linked to the Hindu social order.
• In Nazi Germany, the Jewish population was targeted and stratified based on pseudoscientific racial theories.
• In the U.S., caste is enforced through systemic racism, particularly the oppression of Black Americans.
V. Hope for Change:Despite the enduring nature of caste, Wilkerson emphasizes the possibility for transformation through awareness and collective action. She argues for dismantling the caste system by recognizing its existence and challenging its underlying assumptions.
VI. Final Thesis: Healing requires confronting and deconstructing the invisible systems of power and privilege that perpetuate inequality.
VII. Conclusion:
Wilkerson’s Caste reframes the discussion of race and inequality, offering a broader, structural analysis of oppression. By situating the U.S. in a global context, she provides a powerful lens to understand and address systemic injustice.
Art by Kate W 