| The worldwide globalization of services coincided with India's adoption of economic liberalization policies in 1991, which are widely believed to benefit members of the middle class. This study analyzes the impact of the liberalization policies from the perspective of the employees (the "new" middle class) in the IT and banking services sector in Hyderabad, India. While there is some continuity with the practices of the "old" middle class, such as the preoccupation with status and arranged marriage, the "new" middle class is significantly different: its membership is composed of persons of diverse caste origins, who hold new occupations in the growing services sector, and exude a concern for visibility through increasing consumption practices. This study also finds that work is no longer viewed as permanent or even long term. Instead, increasingly the "new" workplace is characterized by temporary workers, greater mobility between occupations and organizations, and growing emphasis on individualization and productivity. Despite the growing insecurity and fleeting nature of employment contracts that this new workplace fosters, many individuals aspire to be employed in the new private services sector because of its high salaries, focus on individuality and creativity, and the elevated social status that comes from being associated with the global economy. Further, the study also finds that the economic liberalization policies have set into motion larger cultural transformations, especially within the context of the family. As the services sector has become increasingly feminized, a growing number of women are working in gender-integrated teams, increasing the chances of friendship, dating across caste lines, and self-selected marriages. Women's emergence as serious economic actors enables them to challenge age- and gender-based hierarchies within the family, attain higher education, successfully negotiate when and who they marry, and play an active role in decision-making within the household. And finally, in contrast to previous debates concerning middle class consumption, this study finds that while owning (high-end) consumer durables is seen as a crucial symbol of upward mobility, consumption practices are tempered by the fact they produce a great deal of anxiety for members of the "new" middle class. |
