Sociology · Indian Sociological Thoughts B K Nagla
Chapter 31 : Indigenization of Sociology: Need, Attempts and the Case of Indian Sociology
Table of contents18 sections
- 1.Need for Indigenization
- 2.Key Terms
- 3.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 4.Attempts for Indigenization
- 5.Teaching in the National Language and Use of Local Materials
- 6.Research by Insiders
- 7.Determination of Priorities
- 8.Theoretical and Methodological Reorientation
- 9.Key Terms
- 10.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 11.Indigenization: The Case of Indian Sociology
- 12.Indigenization of Sociology in India
- 13.Key Terms
- 14.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 15.Conclusion
- 16.Key Terms
- 17.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 18.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Need for Indigenization
The primary intellectual crisis in Asian social sciences revolves around the applicability and appropriateness of imported foreign theories and methodologies. Native scholarship has started almost a campaign to replace these with 'native categories of thought' and indigenous research techniques.
The call for indigenization manifests differently depending on a country's stage of social science development:
| Stage of Social Science | Form of Indigenization |
|---|---|
| Newly introduced | A plea for the introduction and recognition of social sciences to aid nation-building (substantive issues are not discussed). |
| Established (In some others) | Expressed in terms of switch over to the national language for instruction/report writing, and curriculum development biased toward national needs. |
One will have to watch carefully whether this movement will lead to a retreat into national shells (a parochial regional social science) or contribute to a truly universal-global social science. Development strategists currently sloganize endogenous development, while social scientists agonize over indigenization.
Chronology of the Global Indigenization Movement
| Year | Event / Organization | Key Detail / Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Early 1970s | Third World Scholars | Raised voices against the "implantation of social sciences" that perpetuated "captivity" of mind. |
| 1973 | First Asian Conference on Teaching and Research in Social Sciences | Organized by UNESCO in Shimla, India; eloquently expressed Asian concerns. |
| 1976 | UNESCO Meeting (Paris) | Focused on International Cooperation; noted that 90 per cent of the world's social scientists came from developed countries. |
| 1977 | Conference of National Social Science Councils (CNSSC) | Took up the question of indigenization globally. |
| 1978 | Wenner-Gren Foundation | Organized a conference specifically on indigenous anthropology. |
| Early 1979 | Korean Social Science Research Council | Convened a seminar to discuss the "Organization of Western Approaches to Social Sciences". |
| Sept 1979 | AASSREC & IFSSO (formerly CNSSC) | Organized a special panel discussion during the Third Conference in Manila. |
The movement is largely in a "reactive phase," driven by decolonization (spelt out politically as localization or nativization, e.g., Jawaharlal Nehru's slogan for Indianization). Proponents do not wish to appear as "courageous natives talking back the alien masters" or as chauvinists.
Yogesh Atal (2003) outlines four positive aspects emphasized by exponents of indigenization:
4 Positive Aspects of…
This chapter is part of the Sociology plan
Subscribe to read every chapter on any device. Free chapters remain readable for everyone.
View plans