GASA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Khadi, Chinese Tunic Suit, Cheongsam
Document Summary
Lecture in two parts: part 1, how status is determined. He lays out the argument that the basis of hierarchy in traditional india is two-fold. First there is the caste system, based on purity. In this system every member of society is ranked, on what he finds to be a purity pollution scale, into many castes, j ti. Second there is a system of orders, var a. In this system every member of society is ranked, according to their occupations, in a pecking order of power. We will look at: hair and clothing in south asia; uniforms and cuteness in japan; and clothing and ideals of beauty in china. Pages 321-350: hair and society, social significance of hair in south asian traditions. Olivelle focuses on hair in south asia, but reminds us that what we see under this particular spotlight applies elsewhere too. He looks at three modes of hair for the south asian male: groomed, unkempt and shaven.
