Determinants of Social Identity and Integration of Dalit Children: Implications for Identity Reconstruction and Social Inclusion

A cross sectional study was conducted to examine the factors influencing dalit children's social identity, peer acceptance, self-esteem and social integration. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 100 children of dalit origin were recruited from rural schools. Multivariate regression analysis was performed. Analysis reveals that caste group membership, private collective self-esteem, importance of identity, everyday life discrimination, negative self-esteem, inadequate access to basic rights and material deprivation significantly predicted social identity (R²=61). The age, parental occupation, importance of identity, positive and negative self-esteem and inadequate access to social rights were the significant predictors of peer acceptance, explaining 39 per cent of variance (R²=.394). The rural residence, parental occupation, negative self-image, and peer acceptance predicted 31.3 per cent of variance on self-esteem (R²=.313). The importance of identity, positive self-esteem, normative integration and material deprivation together accounted for 29.7% of variance on social integration. The study concludes that psychosocial factors significantly influence dalit identity and social integration.