Social Mobility Among Urban Women

Women in India belonging to all castes anc classes have been downtrodden and suppressed for centuries. And the women of backward castes are more oppressed and depressed as they face different kinds of socio —cultural problems. Through an empirical analysis, the present study demonstrates the social mobility attained by the Urban Mali women in Pune belonging to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) on the basis of factors such as premarital and marital status, education, occupation, the extent of social participation, the extent of social distance between the Mali women and the upper castes. The study also concentrates on change in their attitudes and beliefs towards institution of marriage, family, rites and rituals in religion, level of political participation and exposure to and utilization of mass media lead to/hamper to achieve social mobility among the Urban Mali women of Pune. By providing empirical data on the women's position, mobility pattern and in identifying the socio-cultural and behavioral changes among Mali women in detail, the study helps the readers understand the issues of concern very clearly. The indicators which have been analyzed will make the reader comfortable in applying of this in practice and in analyzing the process in development of women. This study would be helpful for researchers, academicians, development professionals as the literature is practically devoid of enough substantive information on the mobility of Other Backward Caste (OBCs) women belonging to Mali community. An empirical research in such an area would be good contribution to the discipline of Socio-Cultural Anthropology particularly Urban Anthropology.