Does Caste-based Social Stratification Moderate the Relationship Between Social Capital and Life Satisfaction? Evidence from India

Abstract This study examined if India’s caste system, a form of social stratification that divides different social groups into ranked categories, moderates the relationship between social capital and life satisfaction. Using data extracted from the International Social Survey Programme’s module on Social Network and Social Resources (N = 909), we conducted Principal Component Analysis and identified two distinct components of social capital – formal and informal. Using Multiple Hierarchical Regression, we examined the relationship between social capital (formal and informal) and life satisfaction, and it was found to be significant. We also found that the relationship is different for different castes. Average life satisfaction was lowest among the middle castes (Other Backward Classes), and not the lower castes (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes). Formal social capital was found to positively contribute to life satisfaction across all the caste categories, but heavy informal social capital was observed to reduce life satisfaction among upper castes.