Sociology · Indian Sociological Thoughts B K Nagla
Chapter 19 : Andre Beteille: Biography and Contribution to World Sociology
Table of contents30 sections
- 1.Andre Beteille: Biography and Contribution to World Sociology
- 2.Biography and Intellectual Influences
- 3.Key Terms
- 4.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 5.Theoretical Perspective
- 6.Key Terms
- 7.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 8.Writings of Andre Beteille
- 9.Key Terms
- 10.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 11.Key Themes in Beteille's Writings
- 12.Anti-Utopia and Civil Society
- 13.Antinomies of Society
- 14.The Idea of Equality and Inequality
- 15.Social Stratification in India (Caste, Class and Power)
- 16.Race and Caste
- 17.Studies in Agrarian Social Structure
- 18.Society and Politics in India
- 19.Backward Classes in Contemporary India
- 20.Ideology and Social Science
- 21.Sociology: Essays on Approach and Method
- 22.Key Terms
- 23.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 24.Criticism
- 25.Key Terms
- 26.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 27.Conclusion
- 28.Key Terms
- 29.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 30.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Andre Beteille: Biography and Contribution to World Sociology
Biography and Intellectual Influences
Andre Beteille is a quintessential Bengali Bhadralok of French parentage who became one of India's most distinguished sociologists, known for applying Weberian analysis to Indian society and pioneering the sociological study of class and power alongside caste.
- Early Life & Education: Born in September 1934 in Chandannagore (then under French rule). He was the youngest of 3 brothers and 1 sister. His father was French (and mayor of the municipality) and his mother was Bengali. He studied at Chandannagore and at a boarding school in Patna, before moving to Calcutta in 1946. He graduated from St. Xavier's College (starting in physics before switching to anthropology), and completed his Honours and M.Sc. in Anthropology at the University of Calcutta.
- Academic Career: After a brief stint at the Indian Statistical Institute, he joined the newly opened Department of Sociology at Delhi University as a lecturer. He completed his Ph.D. under M.N. Srinivas. He served as Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, where he taught for 40 years. He also taught at Oxford, Cambridge, Chicago, LSE, Erasmus University, UC Berkeley, and the Institute of Advanced Study (Berlin).
- Administrative Roles: Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University, Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and Chairman of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata.
- Awards & Honours:
- The first Nehru Fellow.
- Elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1992 (a rare distinction for an Indian sociologist).
- Awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2005.
- Appointed National Professor in 2006.
- Political Stance & Resignation: Appointed to the Prime Minister's National Knowledge Commission in 2005, but quit in protest in 2006 over a proposal to increase caste-based reservations.
Intellectual Influences
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bhadralok | A Bengali term referring to the educated, middle-class gentlefolk; Beteille is described as a quintessential Bengali Bhadralok due to his mother and grandmother's deep impression on him. |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Andre Beteille (1934–) : First…
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