Caste, Technology and Social Network

This paper analyzes the role of informal social networks in the technology diffusion in a caste based society where social hierarchical structure is prevalent. Often information and technology diffusion get constrained within the social and economic boundaries. In a complex and hierarchical social system where caste plays a very decisive role in everyday life as well as the political and policy fabric of the regional, state and national system; proper targeting and dissemination of technology to the marginalized sections of the society is very important for their development. Taking diffusion of improved rice varieties as an example, we analyse whether technology diffusion is confined within caste based social network or technology can break the caste boundaries and spreads across the social network