Evaluate M.N. Srinivas's structural-functionalist perspective in analyzing contemporary Indian social institutions.

Structural functionalism in analysis of Indian Society

1.> Field view: emphasized village studies, ethnographic methods and using anthropological tools to collect evidence-based views on Indian society.

2.> Dynamic view: marked shift from Ghurye's stagnant Indological approach with minimal social mobility to a dynamic jati order characterized by social mobility, through processes such as Sanskritization.

3.> Holistic Perspective: traces how one institution interacts with and influence another; for instance, Srinivas gave concept of Dominant Caste to explain how caste interacted with political processes.

4.> Macro-generalizations on micro-anthropological insights: For instance, Srinivas founded concept of Brahmanization (later Sanskritization) based on the study of the Coorgs.

5.> Views on caste: M.N. Srinivas viewed caste as a hereditary, segmental, hierarchical division of society. He argued that caste was transforming with breakdown of Jajmani system from a vertical hierarchy to horizontal units competing with one another for benefits.

6.> Views on religion: In his study of the Coorgs, M.N. Srinivas found that religious festivals brought the community together, fostering social cohesion and legitimizing traditional authority structures.

Limitations

1> Ideational Empiricism: Yogendra Singh pointed out that structural functionalism presumes evolutionary change and thus formulates evidence to support a status quoist view of society.

2> Brahmanical orientation: Gail Omvedt pointed out that M.N. Srinivas largely ignored the concern of Dalits and did not account for their absence of mobility.

3> Critique of Sanskritization: positional mobility without structural change; legitimates "ritual purity" of Dwijas (Kancha Ilaiah).

4> Problem of generalizability of village insights to pan-India basis (Yogendra Singh).

Nonetheless, M.N. Srinivas' perspective has had enduring contribution to Indian sociology: (i) it liberated Indian Society from the book view (A.M. Shah) (ii) Development of methodological techniques, village studies, ethnography. (iii) Inspired further research by A.M. Shah on family, Beteille on village stratification etc.