Arati Kade is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, where her research focuses on the transforming political economy and caste consciousness of middle-caste communities in post-liberalization India. Her work critically examines the intersections of neoliberalism, Hindu nationalism (Hindutva), and caste dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the lived experiences of oppressed communities, including nomadic and pastoral groups. Arati has conducted extensive fieldwork on issues affecting oppressed caste women and nomadic women, particularly in the areas of education, social exclusion, and access to resources. Additionally, she has carried out fieldwork on housing rights for oppressed castes in metropolitan Mumbai and participated in sustainable development projects in Gadchiroli district.
Arati’s educational background includes a Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Journalism from Nagpur University (2016), where her research involved a content analysis of two leading Marathi newspapers’ coverage of the sedition cases involving JNU students. She also holds an MPhil in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (2019), with her thesis focusing on an ethnographic study of the lives of Nomadic Dhangar (Shepherd) women in Maharashtra, using a feminist ethnographic approach. Her professional experience is diverse, encompassing roles in research, journalism, activism, and the development sector. She has served as a research assistant at TISS Mumbai and IIT Bombay, working on projects related to population rehabilitation and micro-district development plans. Additionally, she worked as a South Asia consultant(remote) in Chicago, leading a racial equity audit at international companies. In journalism, Arati has contributed to the online platform GroundXero, covering a range of social issues, including housing rights movements and the struggles of women workers in Maharashtra’s sugarcane plantations. Her activism includes significant work with the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan in Mumbai and the Urja Trust, where she led campaigns against violence toward women and supported homeless women. Fluent in English, Hindi, and Marathi, Arati has published and presented extensively on caste, gender, and social exclusion in India, demonstrating a strong commitment to documenting and advocating for oppressed communities.
Current Research:
Her PhD research investigates the interplay between caste and capitalism in India, focusing on the middle caste Dhangar community. It explores how neoliberal reforms and global capitalism impact caste dynamics, highlighting the persistence of caste as both a rigid social structure and a flexible unit of identity and political action.
The study builds on theoretical insights from scholars like Dr Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Sharad Patil, Dr Umesh Bagade and Anand Teltumbde, who argue that caste functions as a material system intertwined with the economic framework of capitalism. Despite the abolition of traditional caste-based production systems, caste remains integral to socio-economic structures where caste-based labor division persists.
Using the Dhangars as a case study, this research examines how middle castes navigate marginalization in the neoliberal era. It explores their mobilization for state benefits and reservation policies, revealing how caste identity is both a tool for political struggle and a constraint on class solidarity. By analyzing the Dhangars’ responses to economic shifts and their demand for recognition based on caste, the study highlights the complex relationship between caste and class in contemporary India.
Areas of Study:
Gender, Caste, Capitalism, Identity Politics, Patriarchy