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    Social Anthropology in India

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    Gayathri S
    1) Sociology developed in India under British rule to help them understand and govern Indian society more effectively. Early surveys and studies evolved into more systematic data collection through censuses. 2) In the early 20th century, sociology began to be taught professionally in Indian universities but remained subordinate to social anthropology, which was seen as more practically useful by the British for understanding tribal groups. 3) After independence, the establishment of organizations like the ICSSR and increased funding and exposure to foreign work led to substantial growth in sociological research in India.

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    Social Anthropology in India

    Uploaded by

    Gayathri S
    115 views6 pages
    1) Sociology developed in India under British rule to help them understand and govern Indian society more effectively. Early surveys and studies evolved into more systematic data collection through censuses. 2) In the early 20th century, sociology began to be taught professionally in Indian universities but remained subordinate to social anthropology, which was seen as more practically useful by the British for understanding tribal groups. 3) After independence, the establishment of organizations like the ICSSR and increased funding and exposure to foreign work led to substantial growth in sociological research in India.

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    Sociology

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    1) Sociology developed in India under British rule to help them understand and govern Indian society more effectively. Early surveys and studies evolved into more systematic data collection through censuses. 2) In the early 20th century, sociology began to be taught professionally in Indian universities but remained subordinate to social anthropology, which was seen as more practically useful by the British for understanding tribal groups. 3) After independence, the establishment of organizations like the ICSSR and increased funding and exposure to foreign work led to substantial growth in sociological research in India.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    115 views6 pages

    Social Anthropology in India

    Uploaded by

    Gayathri S
    1) Sociology developed in India under British rule to help them understand and govern Indian society more effectively. Early surveys and studies evolved into more systematic data collection through censuses. 2) In the early 20th century, sociology began to be taught professionally in Indian universities but remained subordinate to social anthropology, which was seen as more practically useful by the British for understanding tribal groups. 3) After independence, the establishment of organizations like the ICSSR and increased funding and exposure to foreign work led to substantial growth in sociological research in India.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    Development of Sociology and Social

    Anthropology in India

    Growing Realisation of the Importance of


    Sociology

    When India became independent, it embarked on a programme


    of planned economic development to lift its people out of
    poverty, something which continues to this day.

    The intelligentsia have by now realised the need for the social
    sciences, including sociology, in securing this lofty end. The
    establishment of the Indian Council of Social Science Research
    (ICSSR) is testimony to that.

    Development of Sociology in the West

    Thanks to the rise of Darwinism and Positivism, Europeans


    began to see man as a part of nature. Meanwhile, in the 19th
    century, the Industrial Revolution exacerbated the evils of the
    capitalist system.

    While one group – viz. Marx – set about denouncing the entire
    capitalist system itself, another group – whom we today call
    social reformers – began to systematically study and suggest
    remedies for the pitfalls of capitalism. It is the former class that
    led to the development of sociology.
    Development of Anthropology as a Colonial
    Science

    Anthropology was a discipline created by the Europeans to ease


    the process of colonisation.

    As their empires grew, the European powers needed to govern


    more and more people, for which an understanding of their
    culture and social life is essential. This need led to the
    development of anthropology as a subject, essentially a tool for
    colonialism to flourish better.
    Growth of both in India

    The growth of both these disciplines in India may be viewed in


    3 stages:

    1. 1773 – 1900: Foundations for both laid.


    2. 1901 – 1950: Both the disciplines became more
    professional.
    3. Post 1950: A complex of forces – namely economic
    development, funds, and increased exposure to foreign
    work – led to substantial research work.

    I. First Phase

    Sociology in India originated when the British masters realised


    how valuable knowledge of Indian culture and society is to
    effectively ruling India.

    Several rag-tag surveys were conducted in the 18 th century,


    until the first all-India census was undertaken by the British in
    1871. The census continues to this day, and was, in colonial
    India, used as a tool to exacerbate the differences amongst the
    diverse Hindu castes and social groups to “divide and rule”. By
    the same logic, indology received considerable attention from
    British scholars and officials.

    Hence, this very task of surveys and more surveys became


    increasingly complex and systematic with time, and thus
    developed. The results soon began to be used for policymaking
    purposes.

    II. Second Phase


    Sociology, however, was a relatively young discipline, and it
    evolved predominantly after the 19th century, and only then
    did it take its current status – the science of studying the
    society. It was introduced in the Lucknow School in 1921, when
    R. Mukherji became the HOD of the Economics and Sociology
    Department. Sociology then played a minor role, and had only
    one paper. Hence, compared to social anthropology, its
    beginning was very slow. It was remained so till the 1940s.

    Sociology then was more concerned with social


    problems, which social anthropology was more
    concerned with the study of tribal people. The British
    Indian government found social anthropology to be of more
    practical value. However, it was sociology which had a wider
    scope, but its research was mainly theoretical.

    In the beginning, sociology faced many problems due to its


    dependence on Western institutions, which made it the subject
    of suspicion in Indian academic circles. Moreover, it was seen to
    be a colonial policy. It was suspected because of its history and
    usage in the past.

    With the Lucknow School’s emphasis on bringing sociology and


    economics together, many socio-economic studies were
    conducted. However, the way the results of the same were
    used by the British to keep tribals out of the nationalist struggle
    made sociology the object of suspicion of the Indian people.

    One of the most important developments, which took place


    after India’s independence, was the development of the
    structural-functional method – which clearly delineated, once
    and for all, the boundaries between sociology and social
    anthropology.

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