Topics
Introduction of Sociology
Contribution of Western and Indian Sociologists
- Introduction to Western Sociologists
- Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
- Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
- Karl Marx (1818-1883)
- Abdul Rahman Ibn-khaldun
- Harriet Martineau (1802 – 1876)
- Durkheims’ Theory of Suicide
- William Du Bois (1868 – 1963)
- Marxian Theory of ‘Class Conflict’
- Introduction to Indian Sociologists
- Dr. G. S. Ghurye (1893-1983)
- Dr. M. N. Srinivas (1916-1999)
- Dr. Iravati Karve (1905-1970)
Basic Concepts in Sociology
- Introduction of Society
- Definition of Society
- Characteristics of Society
- Introduction of Community
- Definition of Community
- Elements of Community
- Introduction of Social Group
- Definition of Social Group
- Characteristics of Social Group
- Types of Social Group
- Concept of Social Status
- Types of Social Status
- Concept of Social Role
- Social Role Related Concept
- Concept of Social Norms
- Types of Social Norms
Social Institutions
- Concept of Social Institutions
- Characteristics of Social Institutions
- Concept of Family
- Functions of Family
- Forms of Family
- Twenty-first Century Families
- Concept of Marriage
- Forms of Marriage
- Family, Marriage and Kinship
- Economy and Work
- Concept of Education
- Types of Education
- Importance of Education
- Education and Social Division
Culture
Socialization
Social Stratification
Social Change
Notes
Dr. M. N. Srinivas
M.N Srinivas full name Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas. He was born in 1916 in Mysore and passed away in 1999 in Bangalore. He was one of the best Indian sociologists. He was a Brahmin. His studies are prominent in the area of caste and its other classifications, Sanskritization, and many other topics that revolve around caste itself.
Srinivas’s perspective was different from another sociologist as he did not want to rely on a western textbook to study his own country people. So, therefore, he himself participated and started with observation and fieldwork. Somewhere in 1940-42, He did vast fieldwork on Coorgs. He further talks about the unity and interaction among different castes present in Coorgs. Caste he covered was Brahmins, Kaniyas, Bannas, and Panikas. He also discusses in villages we can see many independent castes.
We would discuss briefly on a few topics which were of great importance to Srinivas:
- Social changes are occurring from the evolution of society but when we talk about Indian society there are certain social changes that have gained much popularity. Concepts like Sanskritization, Westernization, and Secularization, etc are an example of social changes.
- Sanskritization is the process in Hinduism in which the low caste Hindu person or group tries to acquire values, ideologies, and rituals of higher caste Hindu. Westernization in India when the culture of the West is gaining more importance than the culture of India. Indian people borrowing the culture of the West is said to be the process of Westernization.
- Secularization in India is a process in which all the religions existing in India will be treated as equal and neutral. These are some of the social changes which Srinivas emphasized.
- View on Religion, caste and its impact: He emphasized on many topics related to religion and village. How religion plays an important role to formulate Indian society. Religion, therefore, carries a caste system which again produces subdivision of these castes. He later discusses how these castes affect different caste groups differently. Each caste carries its position in society and treated on the basis of those ranks. He further talks about how these caste differences bring out more differences among people differences like occupational differences, a hierarchy in society, the system of pure and impure, caste panchayats, and assemblies.
- Dominant caste: according to Srinivas any caste that has three main powers of numerical strength, political power, and economic power is said to be a dominant caste.
