CASTE PREJUDICE AMONG YOUTH 53 exhibited significantly higher scores of caste prejudice than their counterparts of low socio-economic backgrounds (p<.01). Quite the reverse trend emerged in the case of Bhumihar and Kayastha where middle and low income subjects respectively scored less. This seems to show the impact of socio-political and other field forces operating in Indian society. One more striking picture emerged when members of different castes were compared on the prejudice scores in the same socio-economic background. There were 66.6 per cent significant differences in low socio-economic status whereas the percentages were only 33.3 and 38.1 in case of middle and high socio-economic status. The pace of change in attitude towards caste was more among low-income groups in comparison with the middle and high. This was ascertained when on the aggregate the low income group scored significantly less (p<^.01). The middle and high income groups were having the same intensity of caste prejudice. Sex Difference Men and women students showed marked differences in outlook. In our socio-cultural matrix men and women seem to behave differently in a similar situation. The results of this study indicated that girls harboured more caste prejudices than the boys did (table I). The mean values of prejudice scores were 103.77 for girls and 100.08 for the boys when the subjects belonging to all castes were combined. Statistically, this is not significant but the difference between boys and girls was clearly noticeable when taken for the high caste groups. Brahmin, Bhumihar, Rajput, Kayastha and Vaisya girls scored higher than the boys. The opposite was the finding for the low castes (Yadava and Harijan) in which boys expressed more prejudices than the girls. Only in the case of Bhumihar caste were these differences statistically significant (p as.05). [This report is based on a research project on ct Caste Prejudices and Democratic Orientation among Indian Touth" undertaken by the Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Magadh University.] 1 ACParanjpe, Caste, Prejudice and the Individual, Lalvani Publishing House, Bombay 1970; NPrasad, The Myth of Caste System, Samjana Prakashan, Patna 1957; KK Singh, Pattern of Caste Tension, Asia Publishing House, Bombay; D Sinha, "Caste-dynamics: a Psychological Analysis", Eastern Anthropologist, XIII (4), 1960, pp 159-71. 3 A Shukia, Dynamic Models and Possibility of Their Application to Planned Economic Develop" ment, Abhinav Publications, New Delhi 1972. 8 D Sinha, "Psychological Analysis of Caste-tension," Indian Psychological Review, 1964, I 91,p 25. 4 R K Mukherjce "The Intercaste Tensions", N Prasad, op. cit. 5 S S Anant, Changing Concept of Caste in India, Vikas Publications 1972; SS Anant, "Intercaste Relations and Legislation", Psychological Studies XVI (2), 197J, pp 18-34; G S Ghurye, Caste and Class in India, Philosophical Library, New York 1952$ HH Hutton, Caste in India, Oxford University Press, London 1961; PJoshi, "Caste as It Exists Today/' Indian Psychological Review IV (2), 1968, pp 151-54; P C Josh ^"Reflections on the Present Crisis in India," Indian Left Review II (12) 1974, pp 6-21; R Kothari and T Seth, "Extent and Limits of Community Voting", Economic Weekly