Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

RESEARCH TRADITIONS IN INDIAN SOCIOLOGY

A. Meaning Of Research In Sociology
Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and for the use of existing knowledge in
a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.
This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it leads to new
and creative outcomes.
Research is important in sociology because it allows these professionals to ask important
questions about social structure and contribute new knowledge to their field of study.
Research is the foundation of knowledge for the purpose of knowledge and an important
source for providing guidelines or norms for solving different social, business or governmental
problems. It is a variety of formal training which enables us to understand the new
developments in ones field in an efficient way.
• Social Research
Definition: Social Research is a method used by social scientists and researchers to learn about
people and societies. So that they can design products or services that cater to various needs
of the people. Different socio-economic groups belonging to different parts of a country think
differently. Various aspects of human behaviour need to be addressed to understand their
thoughts and feedback about the social world, which can be done using Social Research.
Any topic can trigger social research - New feature, New market trend or an upgrade in old
technology.
Social Research is conducted by following a systematic plan of action which includes
Qualitative and Quantitative observation methods.
Qualitative methods rely on direct communication with members of a market, observation,
text analysis. The results of this method are focused more on being accurate rather than
generalizing to the entire population.
For example: Case study research, Record keeping, Qualitative observation, Focus groups,
One-in-one interview, Ethnographic research.
Quantitative methods use statistical analysis techniques to evaluate data collected via
mediums such as surveys, polls and questionnaires. The gathered data can be analysed to
conclude numerical or statistical results.

1
Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

2
Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

B. Structural Functionalism
Brief Biography: Shyama Charan Dube was born on 25th July 1922 in Madhya Pradesh. Dube
earned his Master's Degree in Political Science from Nagpur University and started his career
professionally as a lecturer in Hislop College in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
S.C Dube was an Indian Anthropologist, Sociologist. He was also the President of the Indian
Sociological Society from 1975-1976. He was a National fellow all the Indian Council of Social
Sciences Research.
Dube was known for his research of Indian villages and tribal societies. He made use of the
structural functionalist approach to study these villages. He also studied Kamar tribe an
aboriginal group in Madhya Pradesh.
S.C Dube played a key role in his study on India's changing villages.
S.C Dube has contributed on a variety of themes including tribes, rural life, community
development, and modernization management of change and tradition and development over
the next 30 years. He has written on many aspects of Indian society and culture.
• Structural Functionalism: S.C Dube
Structural Functionalism or Simply Functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees
society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote Solidarity and Stability.
S.C Dube focused on the changing nature of Indian villages. He viewed Indian village as
changing and evolving rather than being static and changeless. He regarded Indian villages as
semi-autonomous rather than Independent and completely autonomous for him, village is just
one unit in a wider social system and is a part of an Organised Political Society.
Dube's Structural Functional approach to understand Indian society is clearly manifested in his
work on Indian village.
Dube wrote Extensively on the varied dimensions of Indian society and culture. His works
Covered multiple themes which include tribes, rural social structure, rural Life, community
development, modernization so on and so forth.
He has immensely contributed to the body of knowledge on Indian society by writing number
of books, articles and research papers. All his writings reflect multidisciplinary approach. Some
of his significant works are as follows—

3
Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

• The Kamar, Indian Village (1955)

• India’s Changing Villages (1958)
• Institution Building for Community Development (1968)
• Contemporary India and its Modernization (1974)
• Tribal Heritage of India (1977)
• Understanding Society (1977)
• Modernization and Development (1988)
• Tradition and Development (1990)
• Understanding Change (1990)
• Indian Society (1990)
By looking at the names of the works mentioned above, we can clearly understand that the
key interest and the prime focus of S.C Dube’s works was the changing nature of Indian society
particularly Indian Rural Society.
Thus, To Summarise Dube's theoretical and methodological approach it can be said that he
emphasized on interdisciplinary approach to understand Social Reality.
He focused both on structure and change of Indian society. further he followed the Deductive-
positivistic method and examined the different dimensions of Indian society to derive a holistic
understanding about it. He too, like M.N Srinivas, stressed up on field investigations and most
of his works reflect a descriptive and exploratory approach.

C. Walking on the Edge of Functionalism: An Industrial

Biography: Co-operatives in Rural Maharashtra – B.S Baviskar was one of the pioneers of the
study of co-operatives in India. At a time when many of his peers were still focused on village
studies. Baviskar was prescient in recognising the importance of new institution like co-
operatives in state politics, particularly in his native Maharashtra.
A former professor of sociology at the University of Delhi, Baviskar had been president of the
Indian sociological society had held visiting appointments in the UK, The Netherlands, Egypt
and Canada. In 2000, He bacame a senior fellow at the institute of social sciences. (New Delhi),
Where the continued to work till his death, bearing with enormous dignity and fortitude a
decade long struggle with cancer.
Born in 1929, The son of a small farmer in Maharashtra, Baburao did well in primary school
and won a scholarship to attend high school in Chalisgaon, The nearest market town. As
4
Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

Independence approached, He became politically active and was noticed for his skill in public
speaking. The headmaster nominated him to participate in the prestigious Lakshmibai Ranade
Elocution Competition held in Pune. Baburao was the first student from a country school to
win the prize money enabled him to attend Fergusson college in Pune.
Thanks to ability and hard work, He moved from a small farm to professorship in Delhi. The
credit also goes to dedicated teachers and to the remarkable spread of new educational
institution all over western Maharashtra - Schools and colleges established by voluntary civic
association and by inspiring leaders from every corner of society.
Baburao benefitted from an education movement (Scarcely noticed by historians). That
reached out to Women, Widows, Dalits and Others in both urban and rural area. His
achievement marked by the rise of a new civil society, investing in its own future in the
twilight of the British Raj.
• His Research Site
At Delhi, Baburao studied under M.N Srinivas and M.S.A Rao, Who were both giants in the
field for his PhD. He close the dynamic new co-operative sugar factories in Maharashtra and
selected the Kopargaon factory, Not far from his home district, as his research site.
He was fascinated by the intense political competition among the leaders, Their business savvy
and their easy command over state officials. Two generation earlier, these villages had been
like those in his home village mostly illiterate subsistence farmer by 1963 leaders in the
Kopargaon area were among those taking charge of district and state politics.
His PhD research was eventually published at the politics of development, sugar, co-operatives
in rural Maharashtra (1980).
He drew us into team research projects resulting in Who Shares? Cooperatives and Rural
Development (1988), followed by Finding the Middle Path: The Political Economy of
Cooperation in Rural India (1995). Our final project together tells of Baburao’s life and work:
Inside-Outside: Two Views of Social Change in Rural India (in press).
Baburao also collaborated with others. For example, along with his colleagues at the Delhi
School, A.M. Shah and E.A. Ramaswamy, he edited a five-volume collection of papers in
honour of M.N. Srinivas: Social Structure and Change (1996-1998).
With George Mathew, the Director of the Institute of Social Sciences, Baburao organised a
research project on the impact of the 73rd amendment, which was published as Inclusion and
Exclusion in Local Governance: Field Studies from Rural India (2009).
5
Semester III – Paper II Research Traditions In Indian Sociology Unit – II

Baburao was a decent, kind, good-humoured, sensible person. He paid close attention to his
students and their interests. He was a good story teller and a good listener; his company was
welcome wherever he went.
Baviskar is survived by his wife Kusum, and three children who have followed in their father’s
scholarly footsteps.

STUDY HARD AND FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS,

ONE DAY YOU'RE GONNA MAKE YOURSELF PROUD.

Thank You..