Pathways: Approaches to the Study of Society in India
Author Description
Pathways is an important contribution in the study of how intellectual traditions grow through a process of critical assessment. Madan first examines various aspects of the work of several outstanding scholars, including D.N. Majumdar and M.N. Srinivas, who have had a major impact on the direction of his own work. Through this examination Madan discusses the major theoretical and methodological perspectives which have guided the study of society in India during the last fifty years. Next, he describes how his own conception of anthropology has evolved during this period, providing an interesting and insightful discussion of some of the substantive concerns of Indian sociology such as the social construction of ethnicity and intellectual responses to the modern West.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How do the intellectual traditions and methodological frameworks governing the study of Indian society evolve through critical assessment and scholarly dialogue? T.N. Madan, a prominent sociologist and anthropologist, utilizes his extensive academic background to evaluate the contributions of foundational scholars such as D.N. Majumdar and M.N. Srinivas. By tracing these influences, Madan constructs a comprehensive argument regarding the development of Indian sociology and the shifting paradigms that have defined the field over the last half-century.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A critical examination of the work of influential Indian sociologists and anthropologists.
- An analysis of the theoretical and methodological shifts in Indian social studies over fifty years.
- A reflective account of the author's own intellectual evolution within the discipline.
- Discussions on substantive themes including the social construction of ethnicity and responses to Western modernity.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the history of social science in India, noting its value as both a biographical reflection and a historiographical survey. Readers frequently highlight the clarity with which Madan navigates complex theoretical debates, making it a useful text for students and scholars interested in the development of regional sociological traditions.
Page Count:
312
Publication Date:
1994-05-26
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195632117
ISBN-13:
9780195632118
Intellectual History
Anthropology
Sociology
India
Social Science
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