Author Description

Bringing together M.N. Srinivas's best writings on subjects ranging from village studies, caste and the social structure, gender, religion, and cultural and social change in India, The Oxford India Srinivas re-introduces a new generation of readers to the one of the pioneers of sociology and social anthropology in India. This compilation of essays examines many diverse aspects of Indian society and culture, both traditional as well as contemporary. Part I, on village studies, contains essays on Srinivas's studies in the village of Rampura, looking at various aspects of life in an Indian village, including the domination of caste in social life and village hierarchy. Part II focuses on caste and social structure in India, discussing caste in India, not just its evolution over time but also its place in modern times. Parts III and IV contain essays on gender and religion, while Part V examines the phenomena of cultural and social change in India, including a discussion on nation-building, science, technology and development as well as changing values and institutions in modern India. Parts VI and VII examine the development and scope of sociology and social anthropology in India, including a discussion on the importance of method in these disciplines. Part VIII is a unique section which includes essays of an autobiographical nature. The new Introduction by Ramachandra Guha assesses Srinivas's contributions to both Indian academic as well as his position as one of the heavyweights of the disciplines he was associated with. The Foreword by A.M. Shah highlights the importance of Srinivas's work for both academia and in understanding the dynamics of social reality in India. This edition will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology and social anthropology, as well as the informed general reader interested in Indian society.