“Education was Equally Important for All Us Siblings”: Family Cultures of Mobility, Gender and Higher Education in Middle-Class India

Abstract

This article explores the culture of aspirations for mobility through higher education in middle-class Indian families. Drawing on a study of adult sibling relationships among middle-class Indians, we explore the character and consequences of this culture as revealed in the retrospective accounts of 38 women and men from middle-class families. Our investigations show the centrality of siblings and comparisons between them in the organisation of family projects of mobility through higher education. Siblings are allies in these projects as well as competitors, as children struggle to gain parental favour and resources. Family cultures of collectivism and age and gender hierarchies shape these struggles in varied and complex ways. Our findings highlight the fluid and deeply contested presence of family cultures that emphasise the special importance of educational achievement for sons who are expected to assume responsibility for family elders.