Volcaste

Volcaste is a proposed term used in some discussions within anthropology, disaster studies, and speculative fiction to describe a social formation in volcanic regions in which social hierarchy, identity, and access to resources are shaped by exposure to volcanic hazards and the communities' adaptive practices. The term blends "volcano" and "caste" and is not a formally recognized classification in geology or anthropology.

Interpreted as a theoretical framework, volcaste suggests that hazards such as eruptions, ash fall, lava flows, and eruption risk influence land tenure, economic opportunity, governance, and social networks. Proximity to vent zones, evacuation routes, and hazard mitigation capacity can become markers of status or inclusion in risk-sharing arrangements. It may also address how cultural memory of eruptions, religious or ritual practices, and state-supported disaster resilience programs reproduce or challenge existing hierarchies.

Scope and usage: employed mainly in academic essays exploring the social dimensions of volcanism or in speculative fiction to imagine future societies living with volcanic risk. It is not universally accepted and faces critique for potential determinism and oversimplification of complex social dynamics.

See also: caste, social stratification, disaster sociology, volcanology, hazard mitigation.