About the Book

This book presents a critical and reflective view of fundamental theoretical orientations, thematic domains, and current debates in Indian sociology. It covers the growth of sociology as an academic and pedagogical subject, with four main parts. Part I discusses important theoretical orientations in Indian sociology, including Indological and civilizational approaches, as well as the contributions of an eminent sociologist and pioneer in Indian sociology, Professor Yogendra Singh, concerning the sociology of knowledge, liberal democracy, and the relevance of his concept of Islamization in the study of Indian society. Part II examines substantive areas of study such as caste, class, and tribe. Part III reflects on specific topics of current concern in Indian sociology, such as emerging vistas and futures, globalization, and rethinking area studies for planetary conversations. This book is highly relevant for postgraduate students and researchers in sociology, social anthropology, and social sciences.

Contents

1      Introduction by B. K. Nagla and Kameshwar Choudhary Part I Theoretical Orientations

2      Indology and Sociology by Pradip Kumar Bose

3      The Civilizational Approach: Contributions of Surajit Sinha by Biswajit Ghosh

4     A. K. Saran on Modernity, Indian Tradition and Sociology in India by Ajit Kumar Pandey

5      Sociology and Public Life: Professor Yogendra Singh and His Contribution to Liberal Democracy by Dipankar Gupta

6     Re-visiting Islamization as a Contribution to Indian Sociology and Yogendra Singh by K. M. Ziyauddin

7      Exploring B. R. Ambedkar’s Sociology: A Biographical Approach by Swapan Kumar Bhattacharyya

Part II Thematic Domains

8     Power in Caste: The Decline of the Dominant Caste in a Village in Eastern Uttar Pradesh by Hira Singh

9     Village Meaning Home: The Exodus from Urban India During the Pandemic of COVID-19 by Tulsi Patel

10   The Text and Context of Tribal Studies in India by Vidyut Joshi

11     Changing Issues in Population Research in India by A. K. Sharma

12    Disability, Social Inequalities, and Intersectionality in India by Ritika Gulyani and Nilika Mehrotra

Part III Some Emerging Concerns

13    Orientations and Futures of Indian and South African Sociologies by Kiran Odhav and Jayanathan P. Govender

14    Globalization of Sociology to the Sociology of Globalization by Habibul Haque Khondker

15    Rethinking and Transforming Area Studies and Indian Studies: A New Cosmopolitanism and the Challenges of Planetary Realizations by Ananta Kumar Giri

About the Author / Editor

B. K. Nagla is former Professor of Sociology, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana. He obtained his master's degree from Udaipur University, Udaipur, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Before joining at M.D. University, Rohtak, in 1978, he taught at M.S. University, Baroda, and Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, New Delhi. After retirement in 2006, he worked as Consultant at Kota Open University and also at Banaras Hindu University as Professor, Babu Jagjivan Ram Chair. Professor Nagla has published 12 books in areas like political sociology, Indian sociological thought, and social strati?cation. His main books are: Factionalism, Politics and Social Structure; Political Sociology; Development and Transformation; Social Strati?cation and Social Mobility; and Indian Sociological Thought. He has about 70 research papers in national and international journals. He received an ISC Fellow Award for the growth anddevelopment of the Indian Society of Criminology given by the Council of the Indian Society of Criminology, af?liated with the International Society of Criminology, Paris. In 2017, Sulabh International Social Organization conferred upon him 'Sulabh Swachhata Samman' with Gold Medal for authoring an outstanding book, Sociology of Sanitation. He is awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by Rajasthan Sociological Society and also by the Indian Sociological Society. He was also the editor of the Indian Sociological Society Journal (Hindi), Bhartiya Samajshastra Sameeksha (published by Sage).

Kameshwar Choudhary is former Professor of Sociology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Lucknow, India. Earlier, he was Professor of Sociology at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Associate Professor at Institute of Rural Management, Anand (Gujarat); and Lecturer in Sociology at Institute of Social Sciences, Agra. He was Visiting Fellow at CSSS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Associate at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. He completed his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. studies at CSSS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has completed, as Coordinator/Team Member, about a dozen projects sponsored by National Dairy Development Board, Gujarat Ecology Commission, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India; Forest Department, Government of Gujarat; UNDP, India; etc. His books have been published by reputed national and international publishers, which include Globalisation, Governance Reforms and Development in India (ed., Sage Publications, New Delhi); Intellectuals and Society: A Study of Teachers in India (Popular Prakashan, Bombay). He has also published several papers in reputed journals, edited books and articles in newspapers, like The Times of India and The Hindustan Times. He was Head, Department of Sociology, and Dean, Ambedkar School of Social Sciences (formerly SAS), B. B. Ambedkar (Central) University, Lucknow. He was Member of the Twelfth Plan Working Group on Empowerment of OBCs, DNTs and EBCs, constituted by the Planning Commission, Government of India. He was honored with Prof. L. P. Vidyarthi Memorial Award 2017 by the Indian Social Science Association (Email: kames.c@gmail.com).