kastist

Kastist is a term used to describe a person who adheres to kastism, an ideology that defends or promotes social stratification based on inherited or ascribed categories. In this framework, society is organized into distinct groups, or kasts, with defined rights, duties, and social interactions.

Etymology: The word is formed from kast, a variant spelling of caste, and the English suffix -ist. It has appeared in theoretical writings and in speculative fiction since the early 21st century.

Concept: Kastism holds that the social order should reflect historically or culturally sanctioned classifications. Proponents may argue for restricted mobility between kasts, lineage-based privileges, or endogamous marriage rules. Critics contend that kastism institutionalizes hierarchy and discrimination and undermines individual rights.

Contexts: In academic discourse, kastist is used as an analytical label to study caste-like systems, ideologies of social purity, or policy debates about mobility and inequality. In speculative fiction and world-building, kastist governance may shape law, education, and economic opportunity, creating rigid, multilevel societies.

Criticism: Human rights frameworks and modern liberal democracies generally reject kastist principles, citing equality before the law, freedom of movement, and non-discrimination. Critics warn that even framed hypothetically, such ideologies risk legitimizing harm.

See also: caste system, social stratification, discrimination, ideology, endogamy.