NEETI AGARWAL: OPTIONAL answer copy

Study of AR Desai -

1. Sociology of Indian Nationalism - Argued how colonial rule led to introduction of capitalist economic system which came into conflict with feudal structure and thus emerged the Nationalist struggle.

2. Failure of welfare state - Argued how welfare state failed on combating inequality and addressing inner contradictions.

3. Rural-Urban dynamics in response to Modernization leading to conflicts and paradoxes.

④ View on Caste system → Highlighted how division of labour in caste system is not dictated by cultural norms but by economic norms.

⑤ However, his view is often criticised on following grounds-

(1) Took narrow and simplistic view of Indian society. (2) He argued about exploitative nature of jajmani system, but ignored the role in maintaining social order. (3) Ignored role of caste & religion in bringing integration in society.

However, AR Desai provided critical and fresh view on Indian concepts of reality.

Tribes in India are not defined but described based on various characteristics and attributes.

Definitional issues & Tribal development

(1) Diversity on the basis of racial stock - Northern, North eastern tribes - Mongolian

Central India, Western India - Proto - Australian

South India - Proto-Australian, Negrito, Caucasoid.

(2) On the basis of their orientation towards Indian society -

- BK Roy Burman - Completely assimilated → Mundas, Hos - Partially assimilated - Positively oriented - Gaddis, Lohars - Negatively oriented - Nagas - Indifferent - Onges, Nicobarese

3 GS Ghurye called them Backward Hindus as they are incompletely integrated.

4 On the basis of economic development as defined by Hoffmann.

[Tribal development] → Issues in deciding the scale, scope of their integration and development.

Also, Surjit Sinha argued how they feel alienated on three fronts:

← Cultural ← Economic ← Emotional

Thus, one size fits all approach can not be applied to Tribal development. Sectoral needs based on the philosophy of Nehru's Tribal Panchsheel can be the guiding force.

Marriage and family are the Universal social institutions which are undergoing changes in the light of Modernisation and changing social norms.

Murdock argued how Marriage is the sexual union with rights of social relations, reproductive functions, economic relations inherent.

Family on the other hand relies on Kinship network:

• By Blood
• By marriage

In Indian social context, Marriage and family are mentioned as Grihastha ashram, needed to fulfill certain social obligations (shradha, etc)

However, this complementary nature is undergoing change -

(1) Marriage without familial relationships Ex- Weekend marriages

(2) Family without Marriage Ex - Live in couples.

Biological foundations also getting shaken due to → Adoption → Double income no kids culture → Same sex marriage demand with children rights.

Thus, the modernizing forces are leading to changing nature of Marriage and family in varied forms.

Middle class as argued by Weber is the group of individuals forming a social category lying between propitied class and manual labour class.

Old Middle class -

1. Due to colonial nature of structural differentiation.

2. Emerged due to disintegration of agriculture and selective Westernization of few individuals.

3. Oriented towards freedom from colonial rule and gave new dimension to national awakening.

4. Formed political organizations.

5. Post independence, they were result of government interventions in welfarism.

New Middleclass(MC)

1. D.L. Sheth argues that new MC is emerging irrespective of caste status.

2. Post liberalization - Middle class swelled due to consumerism and greater purchasing power.

3. Andre Beteille → Upper MC → Middle MC → Lower MC

4. Amartya sen argued how new MC is changing the opinions on public discourse.

5. Fragmented, diffused in terms of economic status and cultural notions

Thus, Old vs New MC is changing in response to societal conditions.

Ageing population increased from 6.9% (1991) to 9.2% in 2020. With greater average life expectancy, ageing and associated challenges are coming to the forefront.

Ageing & challenges :

1. Psychological perspective - Ageing refers to lower self esteem and loneliness leading to their alienation.

2. Structural perspective - Aged people often segregated from greater participation of social structures such as workspace, family.

3. Feminist view - Women have greater life expectancy leading to their overrepresent-ation among elderly. ex - plight of Vrindavan widows.

④ Generation gap - Aged people often left alone at home from greater kinship bonds.

⑤ Post Modernist view - Aged people often faces challenges of financial insecurity

⑥ Subaltern view - Rural poor, dalit elderly faces triple burden of ageing, social exclusion and financial insecurity

Measures taken to address

① Senior citizens welfare Act, 2007.

② Welfare schemes → PM Vayoshree Yojana → Indira Gandhi National social Assistance program

③ Startups like goodfellows to engage with elderly.

Thus, elderly population requires 'ethics of care' to realise them their worth and dignity.

Ans 2(a). Cultural revivalism refers to the emergence and precedence of cultural identity over national and integrated one. G S Ghurye through his works like sociological bulletin and Indian sociological society gave cultural view of Indian society.

Indological approach of G S Ghurye:

1. Relied heavily on textual view of caste system, study religion and tribes in India.
2. Radical shift from classical Indological approach of Orientalists to sociological Indology.
3. Argued that caste system have certain attributes which are inherent and vital for Indian society.
4. Held the view that caste system is changing in relation to modernisation

and forming caste associations to reassert it's identity.

(5) Argued that tribes are Backward Hindus Assimilated tribes, Partially Assimilated tribes and Hill tribes.

(6) Held the view that Indian sadhus form a link between Religion and Indian society.

Cultural Revivalism in Indian society -

(1) caste consciousness still present.

(2) Caste - It's ritual hierarchy is diminishing while present in secular terms (power, politics etc)

(3) Religious Revivalism

→ Sects → Attendance to religious institutions → Religion and politics

④ Notion of purity and pollution still guides economic sphere (manual scavenging and prevalence of Dalits)

⑤ Presence of patriarchy in latent and manifest forms. Ex - Role of Khap panchayats, honour killings etc.

However, there are other dimensions also

① secularization of religious institutions

② Rationality in modern sphere. Ex - Caste role diluted in division of labour.

③ Legislations leading to social change and upward mobility. Ex - Prevention of atrocities against SCs and STs Act, 1989

Impact of Globalisation on cultural diffusion. Ex- Domines offering wheat Pizza during Navratri

Role of Media in democratising the public discourse.

Thus, Ghurye's view on Indian society sums to be static and closed. However, it provided other dimension of social reality.

Ans 2(b) The ongoing cases of caste based atrocities, be it in form of Manual scavenging or violence against Dalits highlights the persistence of caste system.

Caste System and Social Mobility (SM)

Sorokin defined Social Mobility as the process through which individuals or social groups move upward/downward in the social ladder of hierarchy.

- Caste system (closed) - exploitative - Based on ascription - Civil + Religious disabilities - Restrictions to take occupation based on choice

① Historical factors → Various occupations have been associated with specific caste groups as specified in religious texts.

1. Closed system → leads to conflict and violence when lower caste tries to move up the social ladder. Ex - Ranvir Sena, Diamond Sena

2. Vicious cycle of exploitation Lower caste → Poor socio-economic avenues → Concentration to lower socio economic strata. Ex - Manual Scavengers (98% are Dalits)

3. Notion of purity and pollution as held by Louis Dumont in which even if a caste becomes higher on secular hierarchy, remains lower on ritual hierarchy.

4. Intersectionality of reasons → Gender, region specific, religious affirmation also influence social mobility. Ex - Poor Dalit Christians

However, Various castes have showcased SM in various contexts:

(1) MN Srinivas concept of Dominant Caste where Okkaligas of Karnataka showed Social Mobility.

(2) Green Revolution → Improved the social status of intermediate castes like Reddis, Kammas, Jats etc.

(3) Substantialization of caste (Louis Dumont) → castes becoming competitive group.

Factors contributing to Caste based inequalities:

(1) Historical injustices - leading to their concentration to lower rungs of society.

(2) Unequal benefits of affirmative action - As highlighted by Rohini Commission.

(3) Caste system → Changing from organic solidarity to competitive solidarity.

④ Politicisation of Caste - Paul Brass highlighte how politics have not effectively addressed the caste inequalities.

⑤ Intersectionality of factors - Gail Omvedt gave gender dimension to caste.

⑥ Failure of Welfare State as argued by AR Desai.

Thus, caste based inequalities have changed their form and content but still haunt the egalitarian philosophy of Indian Constitution.

Ans 2(c) As per Weber, power refers to the usage of collective will to pursue one's goals while Authority refers to the legitimate source of power.

Power in Indian context

1. Religious power - To pursue goals of maintaining peace and harmony and social order.

2. Caste power - To maintain the social control and preserve social order.

3. Male power - To keep women in subservient position.

Authority in Indian context

1. Legal Rational Authority exercised through Bureaucratic structure.

② Traditional Authority → Caste Councils - To maintain inter- -caste boundaries → Khap Panchayats - To maintain social order. → Religious leaders - To maintain observance to religious rituals and texts.

③ Charismatic Authority → seen in political context for interest articulation and aggregation.

→ Seen in social movements. → Also observed in sects and cults. Ex - Dera sacha sauda.

Thus, Weber's theory gives diverse and context specific arguments in Indian sphere.

National Education Policy, 2020 highlighted how democratic, inclusive and fair education can lead to social mobility.

Education and social mobility

1. Education → Knowledge based economy leading to meritocratic division of labour → Social mobility.
2. Education → Rational values over Traditional order. Ex - Diminishing caste system.
3. Education and women leading to their greater participation in work force.

However, education works in social context leading to complex results -

1. Althusser - Marxist view; Education promotes ideology of dominant castes.

1. NGO Pratham Survey highlighted Rural-urban divide in education.

2. Women → Girls drop out issues due to early age marriage. Also, STEM has lower girls.

3. Tribals inaccessibility due to non-suitability of curriculum.

4. Few research - Educated males prefer non-working wife. Thus, education not leading to social change.

Olive Banks held that relationship between education and social mobility is complex.

ILO defines Modern slavery as the practise which is coercive in which individuals can not escape on their own. As per recent estimates, 50 million people in world faces Modern slavery.

Reasons for Modern slavery

1. Historic reasons of servitude, exclusion, discrimination. Ex - Manual scavenging.

2. Laws institutionalised but not internalised due to poor focus on awareness and education. Ex - Domestic violence

3. Role of institutions questioned - NHRC being toothless tiger.

- Modern slavery - bonded labour - Trafficking - Coercive sexual relation

④ Failure of welfare state - Child labour still a menace and increasing due to poor track record.

⑤ Failure of Legal Justice system → Conviction rate low in cases of sexual abuse (around 6%).

⑥ Cultural notions of subservience followed due to prevalence of caste system- Ex- Prasad highlighted 150 types of discrimination.

Way forward → Social protection through monitoring and rehabilitation → Social assistance for dignified living.

Thus, Modern slavery should be eliminated in letter and spirit to bring inclusive social change.

Anthony Giddens defines globalization as the greater interconnectedness among world countries in terms of people, technology and ideas.

Globalization as Homogenization

1. Universalization of educational values such as equality, fairness, egalitarianism.
2. Cultural notions being diffused and inter mixed. ex - Pop music, K-pop etc.
3. Dressing style, food patterns being fluid and open. ex - Jeans.

Globalization as Polarization -

1. Global haves and have nots in terms of Technology access ex - Semiconductor chips, Rare earth elements, etc.

2. Identity polarization due to greater assertion of regional identities.

3. Inequality in terms of wealth and financial resources.

Globalization as Hybridization →

1. Glocalization of culture - Dominos offering onion less food during Indian Navratri.

2. Education - Vedic schools concept along with english Medium schools.

3. Medicinal knowledge - Traditional medicine (Kaadha during covid) with Allopathic medicine.

Thus, globalization is an evolving social process that is still under process.

Andre Beteille held that Indian villages reflect the culture and ideology of India. Also, still 67% of Indian population resides in rural areas.

Idea of Indian Village

1. Unity and Reciprocity as highlighted by MN Srinivas during his Rampura village study. Termed village kinship as village patriotrism.
2. Dipankar Gupta held though Indian villages are diminishing as social entity but remain as spatial one.
3. Caste System as the unifying, disintegrative force. ex - Tajmani system.
4. Religion at the centre of social life as viewed by SC Dube in Tanfore village

⑤ Village not as closed, little republic, instead an interacting, dynamic social entity. Ex - Village exogamy.

⑥ Village and development - JC Kumarappa argued how development efforts at village level needed for national progress.

⑦ Village - Urban dynamics - AR Desai highlighted the impact of modernising forces on villages.

The greater thrust on villages through village entrepreneurship, Rurbanization etc highlights the importance and vitality in Indian developmental landscape.

Ethnicity refers to the shared or perceived common physical characteristics and cultural markers. Pimekar described Indian ethnicity in terms of Caste, Religion, Region and Language.

Manipue Violence and Ethnic conflicts

1. Cultural isolation due to socio-economic and historical factors. Ex- Meiteis and Kukis both culturally isolated from mainstream India.
2. Relative deprivation - Perceived notion of backwardness. Ex - Kukis not as economically advanced as Meiteis.
3. Political subjugation - Meiteis overly represented in local bodies.

1. Fear of further alienation and exclusion - The recent Manipur High Court order to grant ST status to Meiteis fuelled the violence.

2. Porous borders - Influx of migrants from Myanmar (Chin Refugees) disturbing the demographic profile and cultural unity.

Ethnic conflicts - Demand for Autonomy (Bodoland issue) - Demand for Secession (Khalistan) - Separate state demand (Gorkhaland demand)

Thus, ethnic conflicts threatens the national unity and hampers the regional development.

Technology and Digital transformation have certainly democratised the public discourse. It has become an important tool of social change.

Technology and Social change

1. Welfare state - Issuing of welfare based subsidies, empowerments tools through Technology. Ex - DBT, JAM.

2. Addressing Rural distress - By reducing the information asymmetry and improving market linkage. Ex - e-NAM portal, DeHaat startup

3. Woman empowerment → Greater financial independence through improved educational access and work from home facility.

(4) Inclusivity - Role of Media in streamlining the hitherto unrepresented social sections.

Ex - Taali Movie on Transgenders.

(5) Educational accessibility - by addressing the curriculum flaws and reaching out to the hitherto untouched sections.

Ex - SWAYAM portal.

(6) Health improvement - Through improved diagnostics, therapeutic effect, lowers out of pocket health expenditure. Ex - Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Change in social relationships & behaviour

Functions - (1) Greater interaction → Due to ease of communication.

(2) Strengthening of familial bonds - As seen during Covid ex. Video calls to family members (3) Virtual network communities leading to greater social capital and harmony. (4) Collective orientation to personalised relationships over virtual mediums. (5) Kinship changes - Strengthening of filial and fraternal bonds. Dysfunctions - (1) Alienation from greater society due to over reliance on virtual mediums. (2) Mental health issues due to addictive tendency. (3) Issues of cyber crime → Honey trapping, Child sexual abuse, Financial security threats

1. Poor Integration to real world leading to loosening of real kinship bonds.

2. Fake news and morphed video incidents leading to communal disharmony and erosion of social capital.

Thus, digital technology is like a double edged sword whose functions and dysfunctions are still evolving.

Ans 6(b) Social Movements refers to the sustained collective actions over a period of time to address a specific issue. Social Media have led to evolution of new paradigm in social Movements.

Social Media and Social Movements

1. Change in demands of social Movements (SM) → due to greater interaction with world communities, leading to cultural exchange and networked communities. Ex - #MeToo Movement.
2. Democratised the hitherto unrepresented space into public policy making - Twitter usage during Arab spring.
3. Mobilization of greater number of

people over the world. ex- Farmers' Protests and support of Western powers.

(4) New front to connect → Strike against Railway recruitment exams through online medium.

(5) Emerging issues coming to the forefront - Right to Breathe campaign against Delhi's air pollution.

(6) Wider reach and public support - Save Aarey Environmental movement mobilised people across the country.

(7) Escalating the issue to higher authorities → Supreme Court issued guidelines wrt Acid sale over campaign by Lakshmi Agrawal (online)

However, there are associated concerns →

1. Ignores the rural poor and lower classes of urban areas. → Poor participation of women in MeToo movement.
2. Digital illiteracy leads to exclusion of greater segment of demands.
3. Vested interests who are politically energised often grab the benefits.
4. Tribals are often excluded due to language barriers and cultural divide.
5. Hard to distinguish the genuine demands and fake propaganda due to thin line between the two.

Nevertheless, social Media have enlarged the vision, expanded the leadership and changed the mobilization strategy of social Movements.

The recent killing of 22 year old girl due to inter-caste marriage highlights the paradoxical nature of Modernisation of Indian tradition.

* Yogendra Singh * Modernisation * Orthogenetic Factors (Internal) * Heterogenetic (external) * Change at * Structural level * Cultural level * Micro * Macro

(1) Yogendra singh argued that though there is change at Structural level in the form of legal machinery (Special Marriage Act), Bureaucratic level, there is not change at Micro (family level) and associated ideology.

2 Argued that there is traditionalization of Modernisation.

3 There is a dialectical relationship between Modernisation and Traditionalization

4 Argued how the modernisation agenda is incomplete and still under progress.

5 Khap Panchayats over Legal Rational Authority.

Thus, cases of Honour killings and similar ones gives an incomplete age Modernisation picture.

Ans 8(a) GS Ghurye was among the first Indian sociologists who argued that despite of diminishing importance of caste system, scramble for benefits will take place.

Caste identity and Caste based politics

1. Rajni Kothari on caste in Indian politics- -"It is not the politics that got castinised ; it is the caste that got politicised" → Politics limited to entrenched castes ↓ 3 stages → Factions among these castes. ↓ → lower castes gets politicised.

Caste identity → Competing for material gains.

1. MN Srinivas argued how vertical solidarity changed to horizontal solidarity

solidarity for political gains.

(3) As per ADR report, elections in Bihar are centred around politics.

(4) Pauline Kolenda held how caste identity changes from organic solidarity to competitive solidarity for political patronage.

(5) Panchayati Raj institutions are provided political power to hitherto unrepresented caste groups.

(6) Andre Beteille in his Tanjore village study argued how people are not bound by the Constitution but by caste.

1. Stages of caste representation in electoral politics -

I → Emergence of caste associations ↓ II → Political parties associated themselves with certain caste groups. Ex - AJGAR etc ↓ III → Emergence of caste based political parties. Ex - Bahujan samaj Party etc

1. Caste identity changing itself into a Pressure Group to gain material benefits.

2. Fission tendency ↓ In which relatively dominant caste dissociates from large group to demand separate identity

Fusion Tendency ↓ Relatively depressed castes unites to demand combined status & benefits.

* Impact of caste in electoral politics * Divisive tendency * Class polarization * Issues in national integration * Violence and subjugation * Threat to relatively depressed caste

Caste based politics can be fruitful if brings out the genuine demands of depressed sections. The presence of caste in politics have been a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges to electoral space.

Indian morality centered around traditional notions of caste, religion, patriarchy and limited social mobility. While Constitutional Morality is liberating, egalitarian and just.

Indian Morality and social change

1. Argues for subservient role of women. ex - Mothers, Women in care economy.
2. Binary gender identity against varied sexual orientation.

③ Cultural isolation over Cultural diffusion as envisaged by global forces.

④ Caste bound over Rational division of labour.

⑤ Religious morality over Scientific nature of inquiry.

⑥ Collective in nature and over reliance on kiship bonds over Individualistic freedom and excellence.

However, Indian Morality acts as a guide in following spheres-

① Religion as the source of unifying factor, peace and harmony.

② Imposing 'woman' as 'Devi' for greater respect and dignity.

⑬ Collective orientation for greater integration within society and maintenance of social order.

Thus, Indian Morality and Constitutional morality are coming together and working hand in hand to bring inclusive and sustainable social change.

Ans 8(c) Census 2011 argued that India's urban population stands at 32%. At the same time, there is overurbanisation and under urbanization in India.

- Growth and Modernisation - Rational division of labour - Industrial Mobility - Push and pull factors - Urban areas as a cultural and structural concept - Urbanization

Need of sustainable urbanization

1. Slums → 17% of urban population lives in slums.
2. Poverty → M.S. Gore argues how urban areas are becoming extension of rural poverty.

(3) Carrying capacity of urban areas getting depleted. Ex - Flooding, Urban fires etc . (4) Pollution - 35/50 Indian cities among World's most polluted cities. (5) Urban heat Islands affecting the labour productivity.

so Sustainable Urbanization & Inclusive development - (1) Addressing urban poverty through urban employment schemes. (2) Bluegreen Infrastructure for environment sustainability. (3) Keeping citizens at the centre of development.