Untouchable (social system)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Untouchability is a social system in which people belonging to a particular group restrict people in other groups from interacting with them socially. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers and criminals. This exclusion was a method of punishing law-breakers and also protected against contagion from strangers. A member of the excluded group is known as an untouchable.[1]
The most prominent example of this practice is the treatment of few sections of the Dalit class in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Untouchability has been made illegal in post-Independence India and its practice is fast dying out.[2]
Other examples include the segregation and discrimination of the al-Akdham in Yemen, and the Japanese Burakumin undercastes.
[edit] References
- ^ Untouchable definition from the Online Etymology Dictionary
- ^ India's "Untouchables" Face Violence, Discrimination. Hillary Mayell for National Geographic News. June 2, 2003
