Understanding Middle Class in India

The sociological concept of class remains an important analytical tool for the study of modern societies. The development of individual segments of class stratification, and relations among them in a society, serve as an important indicator for the economic, social and political development of the state. Over the last decade, it has particularly been the middle class, which received higher attention from various authors and institutions as it represents a significant aspect of the emerging economies associated with the BRICS. This bachelor thesis deals with the description of the contemporary middle class in India and with the changes that have occurred in the process of its formation, primarily after the independence in 1947. The historical perspective will serve as one of the methods for observing its evolution. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive analysis of this social segment, and at the same time, to portray the current effects of globalization and the economy on existing hierarchies within the Indian society. Key words middle class, social stratification, liberalization, globalization, Indi