Classism & Casteism Resources

TAKE ACTION

• Classism | (stanford.edu) – A resource to learn about classism and ways you can disrupt it.

READ / LEARN

• Definition of Classism - BC's Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (bchumanrights.ca)
• Social-Condition.pdf (bchumanrights.ca) - BC’s Human Rights Commissioner urges the provincial government to consider strengthening human rights protections through the addition of social condition as a protected ground to the B.C. Human Rights Code.
• Who Is Afraid of Caste Equity in Canada?  - Why caste equity matters in Canada.
• Unions help reduce disparities and strengthen our democracy | Economic Policy Institute - By bringing workers’ collective power to the bargaining table, unions are able to win better wages and benefits for working people—reducing income inequality and related classism.
• How Unions Are Crucial for Building Working-Class Economic Power - Findings show that union membership offers a range of economic benefits for members of the working class.
• The Boundaries of Class in History and Society – Defining Moments Canada % - What are social classes?  How are they divided, and where do they come from? This article will explore these questions, surveying two broad methods for looking at class and class membership today.
• Article on Canadians & Class: Strong belief in Canada as a meritocracy, but plurality identify as the same social class as their parents - Angus Reid Institute
• Article on How caste discrimination impacts communities in Canada (theconversation.com)
• Article: India banned the caste system 60 years ago, but it lives on for many in Metro Vancouver | The Province
• Caste in Canada | Anne Murphy (ubc.ca) - The “Caste in Canada” project presents the histories and experiences of Canadians impacted by caste discrimination.
• News: Burnaby votes unanimously to include caste as a protected category | Vancouver Sun

WATCH

• Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies | TED Talk – Richard Wilkinson charts the data on economic inequality and shows what gets worse when rich and poor are too far apart: real effects on health, lifespan, even such basic values as trust.
• Zoe Holbo: The Caste System: Life Lesson or a Life Sentence? | TED Talk - How to solve the continuing challenges of the caste system?
• How caste discrimination continues to exist in North America | The Social (youtube.com) - Meera Estrada opens up about being born into the Untouchable caste, and her experiences with casteism in Canada.
• Alexandra Barber: How classism is slowing down the Fourth Industrial Revolution | TED Talk - What is classism and why do companies need to start tackling it as part of their diversity and inclusion agenda? What does this have to do with the fourth industrial revolution?

LISTEN

• Podcast on Canada starts tackling caste discrimination- Transcript | CBC Radio
• On class divisions, and why not everyone’s stories get told (thestar.com) - A talk about class divisions in Canada, and what not talking about it means for whose stories get told and by whom.
• 328: Blended - Breaking the Class Ceiling • Let's Talk Supply Chain (letstalksupplychain.com) - Reflecting on education, privilege and pedigree; and discussing what organizations can do to tackle classism in the workplace and create more truly diverse communities.
• For the Ages: A History Podcast: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents on Apple Podcasts - Examines an unspoken hierarchy that transcends race, class, and other lines of division in modern society.