Political Effects of Caste in Senegal

• In Event: New Frontiers in Identity Politics

Abstract

Caste hierarchies exist among 15 ethnic groups in West Africa, spanning at least 14 countries (Tamari 1991), yet we know relatively little about the political role of caste in the region, where scholars have predominantly focused on ethnic identities. Although caste presents known barriers to marriage, limits employment opportunities, confers social stigma (Babou 2008) and impacts development or access to education (e.g. Gueye et al. 2018), the political consequences of caste are poorly understood. Scholars note that caste is an obstacle to political representation (Markovitz 1970, Diop 1981, Villalon 1995, Mbow 2008), but the specific degree and nature of the limitations it poses have not been studied systematically. Using data from an original survey experiment in Senegal, this paper analyzes how Senegalese voters weigh candidates’ caste status when assessing electoral viability at different levels of political competition. Our statistical analysis shows that voters are attentive to the caste status of candidates, supporting them at appreciably lower levels even if candidates belong to different ethnic groups, and voters are less willing to cooperate with initiatives led by politicians from caste backgrounds. This survey represents the first systematic attempt to estimate the effect of caste on political competition in a West African society, expanding our understanding of how hierarchical caste structures shape politics beyond the Indian context.

Authors

• Martha Wilfahrt, University of California, Berkeley

• Leonardo R. Arriola, University of California, Merced

• Dominika Koter, Colgate University