Perpetuation of Casteism through Proverbs: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Despite the legal provision against caste discrimination, casteism remains a pressing social issue in Nepal, affecting various aspects of individuals’ lives and perpetuating systemic inequalities. In this context, the role of language and discourse in reinforcing caste hierarchies and legitimizing discriminatory practices is of paramount importance. This paper examines the roles of proverbs in perpetuating caste discrimination and reinforcing caste hierarchies in Nepal. For that purpose, five caste-specific proverbs are strategically selected to highlight the diverse issues related to caste discrimination, such as fixed categorization, heritability, power dynamics, dehumanization, stereotypes, and intersectionality of gender and caste. Drawing upon the insights from the critical caste theory of Isabel Wilkerson (2020) and the Critical Discourse Analysis of Norman Fairclough (1989) as a theoretical framework and building upon the ideas of the hegemony of Gramsci and the discourse of Foucault, this paper examines the selected proverbs to uncover the hidden assumptions, biases, and power dynamics that underpin caste-based discourses and practices. By shedding light on the rhetoric of caste-specific proverbs as the discourse for perpetuating caste discrimination, this study makes double calls: a call for the critical examination of linguistic and discursive practices that sustain caste hierarchies and a call for challenging and dismantling caste-based discrimination.