Culture, Caste and Religion in India – We Can't Talk About That at Work
This article summarises an Armchair Discussion that took place as part of our Community Business India Conference 2017. This virtual session brought together global and local experts to discuss the sensitive subject of culture, caste and religion in the workplace.
The session was moderated by Rashmi Vikram, Senior Programme Manager – India, Community Business and featured three panelists:
- Mary Frances Winters – Founder, The Winters Group
- Christina Thomas Dhanaraj – Volunteer Consultant for #DalitWomenFighti
- Pooja Shahani – Head, Talent Development, Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru
The discussion was inspired by themes explored in a book by established thought leader and D&I expert, Mary Frances Winters, called 'We Can't Talk About That at Work: How to Talk about Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics'. Applying the concepts to the Indian context, the session focused on why and how it is important to facilitate more open and honest discussion on the sensitive subjects of religion and caste.
The Sensitivities Today
Mary Frances offered some insights into why culture and religion are so sensitive in today's climate, noting that the world is increasingly divided along religious and racial lines, and observed that this is filtering through into our working lives. People bring their whole selves to work, including their socio-political fears, anxieties and biases. These factors will affect the way we interact. Coupled with these underlying fears are the taboos that we have been taught to avoid.
Localising the discussion, Christina provided an insight into the Indian workplace, explaining that diversity is particularly layered in India: people are willing to talk about gender, age and disability, however, caste and religion often remain un-tackled.
Understanding the Caste System in India
Traditionally, India’s caste system structured Hindu society into four main categories: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras. Each category was determined by a specific occupation. Dalits or untouchables fell outside of this caste system. This classification bestowed certain privileges on those in the upper castes - denying such privileges to those in lower castes and sanctioning their repression by the more elite. Often criticised for being unjust and regressive, the caste system remained virtually unchanged for centuries, trapping people into fixed social hierarchies from which it was impossible to escape. Despite the obstacles, however, some Dalits and other Indians who belonged to the lower castes – B.R. Ambedkar who authored the Indian constitution and K.R. Narayanan who became the nation's first Dalit president for example – broke free of the restrictive structure and rose to hold prestigious positions in the country.
Independent India's constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste, and, in an attempt to correct historical injustices and provide a level playing field to the traditionally disadvantaged, the authorities announced quotas for government jobs and educational institutions in 1950.
In recent decades, with the spread of secular education and growing urbanisation, the influence of caste has somewhat declined, especially in large cities where different castes live side-by-side and inter-caste marriages are becoming more common. However, the system still comes into question when there are political powers at play and employers should remain mindful of the informal social implications as well as the structural issues that may affect certain groups.
Tackling the Issues
The business case for increased inclusion in the workplace is clear: coming to work with fear will negatively impact productivity. Engagement is linked to how connected to and welcomed a person feels within an organisation. This phenomenon was summarised as psychological safety by Mary Frances. Hiding a part of yourself at work will decrease feelings of belonging and level of engagement.
Difficult conversations about caste, culture or religion can be initiated by finding common ground. Enhanced cross-cultural understanding can help foster empathy for why someone feels the way that they do. Taking caste as an example, an outsider may have difficulty relating to the entrenched reasons why caste impacts on relationships and social capital and should be given the opportunity to learn more.
"The idea shouldn’t be for us to get comfortable with [caste]. It should be the opposite. Because its sensitive, it will never become comfortable."
Christina Thomas Dhanaraj
Christina provided keen insights into the reality of difficult conversations but stressed that we should not give up or avoid these conversations, just because they are tough. She noted the lived experience of first generation Dalits that have broken into corporate spaces. They face specific disadvantages in networking or when taking part in conversations. In the context of Diversity & Inclusion, companies often overlook the important role informal networking plays - these can define and determine an employee’s growth within an organisation.
Pooja drew on her experiences working for a multinational company in India to stress that inclusive policies must be well stated and clear. People need to know what protections and services their firm is offering them. She shared that Goldman Sachs is one of the few companies in India in that has set up an employee network specifically to focus on this: Religion and Culture. A key role of this network is to increase understanding about people from different religions and backgrounds. As part of the network activities, they invite guest experts to take part in panel discussions on topics such as caste or religion to help shed light and dispel myths. This has had a direct impact on creating a workplace environment where employees feel more comfortable expressing their cultural needs (eg. on religious fasting days) and come to work more engaged.
Engaging in Bold, Inclusive Conversations: Advice from Mary-Frances Winters
These conversations are important but not easy. We need to be skilled and tactful in approaching them. Mary Frances draws on her wealth of experience to provide key pointers to help people engage effectively in meaningful dialogue:
- Focus on yourself. What are your biases, your triggers?
- Assess your readiness and prepare for the conversation rather than having informal and impromptu one-off chats.
- Learn when to reflect and pause.
- Create shared meaning.
- Interpret recognise lines of differences and explore unexpected similarities
A final word from Mary Frances on engaging in bold conversations: "Remember, inclusion is a journey, not a destination, and takes time and patience".
For more information on this topic, please reference Mary Frances Winters' book 'We Can’t Talk about That at Work!: How to Talk about Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics' (2017)
Author: Emily Moss Manager, Marketing & Communications, Community Business.