Transcript Acharya`s PowerPoint Presentation

Sociology and Security
For India & friendly countries
-Acharya
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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Sociology
– Noun
– S: (n) sociology (the study and classification of
human societies)
THE FASCINATION OF SOCIOLOGY LIES
IN THE FACT THAT ITS PERSPECTIVE MAKES
US SEE IN A NEW LIGHT THE VERY WORLD
IN WHICH WE HAVE LIVED ALL OUR LIVES
PETER BERGER
INVITATION TO SOCIOLOGY
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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Sociology
• Sociology is a social science on the study of the social lives of
people, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of
social interactions. It is a relatively new academic discipline that
evolved in the early 19th century. It concerns itself with the social
rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as
individuals, but as members of associations, groups, and
institutions. Sociology is interested in our behavior as social
beings; thus the sociological field of interest ranges from the
analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the
street to the study of global social processes. In a broad sense,
sociology is the scientific study of social groups, the entities
through which humans move throughout their lives. There is a
current trend in sociology to make it a more "applied" discipline,
applicable in areas such as non-profit organizations and nursing
homes.
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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Social Engineering
• In political science, social engineering refers
to attempts by governments or private groups
to change or "engineer" the views and
behaviour of citizens, for example, by the use of
advertising, through active support of culture, or
through the legal system. The discussion of the
possibilities for such manipulation became quite
active following World War II. Today, social
engineering is used mainly as a pejorative term,
having been likened by some commentators to
practices under authoritarian systems of
government, especially in the United States and
the United Kingdom.
• Secular politics in India is an example
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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Anthropology
• Anthropology (from the Greek word
άνθρωπος, "human") consists of the study of
humankind (see genus Homo). It is holistic in
two senses: it is concerned with all humans at
all times, and with all dimensions of humanity.
A primary trait that traditionally distinguished
anthropology from other humanistic disciplines
is an emphasis on cross-cultural comparisons.
This distinction has, however, become
increasingly the subject of controversy and
debate, with anthropological methods now
being commonly applied in single
society/group studies.
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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Sociology in India
• Started in 1794 by East India Company
• Indian Sociologist trained in 1810s
• Large amount of information of Indian society
collected for more than 100 years by the
British
• Social information was used for governance,
social management/control and long term
social changes.
• Obsession about Indian sociology after 1971
in the west
• Large number of Indians trained in modern
sociology and the birth of secular politics
22 October 2005
Bharat-Rakshak & India-Forum
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