Hierarchy as a value in Indian democracy

Anastasia Piliavsky

Hierarchy as a value in Indian democracy

King's India Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The article discusses the presence of hierarchical values in Indian democracy. Drawing on ethnography of political representatives in the North Indian state of Rajasthan, I argue in the piece that hierarchical values are not just co-present with India's democratic process, but are its essential driving force. This observation has foundational implications for understanding what democracy, treated conventionally as an egalitarian political form, is and is not; and being able to perceive its varieties, the world over, as 'true democracies', which reflect the values central to each society's sense of community, polity and government. The article is the subject of a forum discussion.

Original language	English
Number of pages	23
Journal	CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 20 May 2020

Keywords

Democracy

Cite this

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Hierarchy as a value in Indian democracy

Abstract

Keywords

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