Social Sciences: The Indian Scene

Book excerpt: Social Sciences in India have acquired the status of a profession. Although they are relatively recent, their achievements have been remarkable. The papers collected in this volume relate to some aspects of the growth of the profession of social sciences in India. Written by one of the distinguished and leading sociologists of the country Professor Yogesh Atal — these essays convey an insider-view of the profession. The growth of the profession and the general problems related to teaching and research are discussed in the first two chapters. The reader is then introduced more intimately to the twin disciplines of sociology and social anthropology as they have developed in India. A full chapter is devoted to the studies of the village. The book also contains two articles on research methodology. One is a detailed account of the research carried out by the author on which is based his well-known book, Local Communities and National Politics (1971). The other essay is on the evolution of content analysis as a research technique. The essays do not merely narrate the history of the growth of social science enterprise in India. The author has frankly discussed the problems facing the profession, and has critically evaluated its past performance.