Ethnography is a collection of qualitative methods used in the social sciences that focus on the close observation of social practices and interactions. These qualitative methods enable the researcher to interpret and build theories about how and why a social process occurs. They are particularly useful for elucidating the steps of processes that have not been well understood, and to create rich descriptions of people’s experiences. Qualitative research tends to be inductive and hypothesis-generating; that is, it helps the researcher make educated guesses about how or why a process happens. Quantitative research, on the other hand, tends to be deductive and hypothesis-testing; it helps the researcher determine how true such an educated guess is across a population. Historically the caste system has formed the social and economic framework for the life of the people in India. This innovative work of historical anthropology explores how India’s Dalits, or ex-untouchables, transformed themselves from stigmatized subjects into citizens. This monumental work is useful for scholars and readers of ethnic study of western Indian the dalit communities.
