Sociology of India - 2

The present course is oriented towards three broad categories. They are the introduction to popular ideologies of the Indian society, the changes that happen in the Indian society through resistance and mobilization, and the third part, the challenges to the civilization, state, and society. This six-credit course runs for fourteen weeks. The course covers popular ideologies and approaches, conversations, and the debates that shaped Indian society.Initially, social sciences in non-western countries like India were linked with the needs of colonial governmentality. The practice of constructing ‘national traditions’ after setting up political boundaries was the core focus of sociology or social anthropology. The study of Indian society, which shaped the understanding of social phenomena, and contributed to the development of theory in these disciplines, is based on conversations and debates. According to Beteille, an important feature of debates in India has been the concern to integrate, or at least to respond to, classical studies in both sociology and social anthropology. Indian sociology has a variety of ideas and debates. To understand Indian society the ideas of Gandhi and Ambedkar are so relevant and important. Though they do not form part of sociological tradition their contributions are the basis and foundation for understanding Indian society from the sociological perspective. Their ideas and ideologies reveal Indian society with more clarity. Most of the primary work and studies in India have Indological and ethnographic approaches. These form one of the predominant bases for the knowledge of Indian social structure. These ideas and ideologies will be the first part of the present course.The debates and conversations that take place in India can be classified under two broad categories for this course and they are first change and progress and second challenges. In the change and progress, concepts of Resistance, Mobilization, and Change will be the core where the Dalit politics, Mobility and Change, and social movements with special reference to women, peasants, and ethnicity are dealt. Middle-class phenomena that emerged due to the changes that occurred during British rule will also be part of this course. Challenges to civilization, state, and society are discussed in the next part where communalism, secularism, and nationalism will be the themes for discussion. The course will address the multiple socio-political forces and ideologies which shape the terrain of the nation.