What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places

In India, there are strong and intimate links between traditional notions of caste, purity and pollution and the preparation and consumption of food. This article studies trajectories of social change within small South Indian eating places, popularly known as Udupi hotels. During the second half of...

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Main Authors: Iversen, Vegard, Raghavendra, P. S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: SAGE Publications 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172225
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author Iversen, Vegard
Raghavendra, P. S.
author_browse Iversen, Vegard
Raghavendra, P. S.
author_facet Iversen, Vegard
Raghavendra, P. S.
author_sort Iversen, Vegard
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In India, there are strong and intimate links between traditional notions of caste, purity and pollution and the preparation and consumption of food. This article studies trajectories of social change within small South Indian eating places, popularly known as Udupi hotels. During the second half of the 20th century such enterprises absorbed a large number of unskilled migrants, mainly from Karnataka's coastal belt. We explore the relationship between caste and employability within the industry and the impact of caste on individual career progress. Combining case studies of enterprises from villages, small towns and cities with data from in-depth interviews with a sample of hotel workers, we argue that small South Indian eating places are elusive social arenas that can shed new light on the nature, persistence and change in caste-based exclusion in important markets for unskilled labour in modern India.
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spelling CGSpace1722252025-02-19T14:06:48Z What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places Iversen, Vegard Raghavendra, P. S. traditional foods labour market caste systems employment social change unskilled labour In India, there are strong and intimate links between traditional notions of caste, purity and pollution and the preparation and consumption of food. This article studies trajectories of social change within small South Indian eating places, popularly known as Udupi hotels. During the second half of the 20th century such enterprises absorbed a large number of unskilled migrants, mainly from Karnataka's coastal belt. We explore the relationship between caste and employability within the industry and the impact of caste on individual career progress. Combining case studies of enterprises from villages, small towns and cities with data from in-depth interviews with a sample of hotel workers, we argue that small South Indian eating places are elusive social arenas that can shed new light on the nature, persistence and change in caste-based exclusion in important markets for unskilled labour in modern India. 2006-10 2025-01-29T12:59:35Z 2025-01-29T12:59:35Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172225 en Limited Access SAGE Publications Iversen, Vegard; Raghavendra, P. S. 2006. What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places. Contributions to Indian Sociology 40(3): 311-341. https://doi.org/10.1177/006996670604000302
spellingShingle traditional foods
labour market
caste systems
employment
social change
unskilled labour
Iversen, Vegard
Raghavendra, P. S.
What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title_full What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title_fullStr What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title_full_unstemmed What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title_short What the signboard hides: food, caste and employability in small South-Indian eating places
title_sort what the signboard hides food caste and employability in small south indian eating places
topic traditional foods
labour market
caste systems
employment
social change
unskilled labour
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172225
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