Interim: Team #: 23
School Name: Bosque School
Area of Science: Social Sciences
Project Title: Modelling a Caste Society
Problem Definition:
One of the oldest and most well known caste systems on the planet is the Indian caste system which is still used to this day. The Indian caste system contains thousands of sub-castes called jâtis. Luckily, there are five main castes that these thousands of sub-castes fit into, allowing us to model these just those five. We will then model this caste system with one of the variables being interbreeding within the different caste systems. With the ability to change the percentage of the amount of interbreeding that occurs will provide us a great amount of flexibility.
Problem Solution:
We would like our model to demonstrate long term results of a caste society. Such as problems that may pop up within such as inbreeding. If an individual of caste 3 can only breed with another individual from caste 3 and their offspring are of caste 3, then before long there would be one unified family, where individuals would have to breed with a family member. Various social problems prevent this such as an event which we call the “Romeo & Juliet scenario” in which and individual will breed outside of a caste. However there is a deeper problem in that, let’s say an individual from caste 2 breeds with another from caste 4, the problem pops up when the offspring comes along, which caste is that individual to be put in since he parents are from different castes.
Progress to Date:
We have a small amount of research however this project does not require much anyways so we don’t need to much work in that area. At this time we have a working model however it is in need of more complexity and so there is much more work to be done in this area.
Expected Results:
We plan to incorporate a Romeo and Juliet type scenario in which there is a small percentage from each caste breeding outside of their respective castes. This in turn should slightly prevent inbreeding. By creating individuals outside of caste systems therefore outside of the inbreeding cycle, however creating hybrid castes, given that their parents are from two classes themselves the individuals would be placed in a caste outside from society.

Team Members: Nick Reinstra, Tristan Wright

Team Members:

  Nicholas Rienstra
  Tristan Wright
  Valerie Jojola

Sponsoring Teacher: Thomas Allen

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