Theoretical Perspectives and Thinkers
Old Middle Class
- Partha Chatterjee: Called it a class of "derivative nationalism"—imitated Western modernity while rooted in tradition.
- T.K. Oommen: This class mediated between tradition and modernity, attempting synthesis.
- M.N. Srinivas: Linked to the "dominant caste" and "mobility multiplier"—especially through education and state employment.
New Middle Class
- Leela Fernandes (India's New Middle Class, 2006): Emphasizes "politics of consumption" and exclusion of the working class from the imagination of the nation.
- Surinder S. Jodhka: Highlights caste invisibilization in the new middle class and selective meritocracy.
- Dipankar Gupta: The new middle class is more "urban-industrial" and defines identity through consumption rather than ascription.
Media, Politics, and Cultural Identity
- Arvind Rajagopal (Politics After Television): The middle class became visible in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement via media.
- Rajni Kothari: Middle class as "custodians of public morality", yet ambivalent toward redistribution.
Caste and Class Nexus
- Andre Beteille: Despite claims of meritocracy, caste continues to shape the trajectory of the middle class.
- Surajit Sinha's Tribe-to-Caste Continuum: Many OBCs and tribal elites have entered the middle class through sanskritisation and state aid.
Cultural Contradictions and Challenges
- Pierre Bourdieu's Habitus & Cultural Capital: The new middle class distinguishes itself through lifestyle, English fluency, taste in media, and consumer patterns.
- Amita Baviskar & Raka Ray: They describe the Indian middle class as "bourgeois environmentalists"—demanding green spaces but displacing the poor.
