Sociology · Indian Sociological Thoughts B K Nagla
Chapter 13 : McKim Marriott: Biography and Contribution to World Sociology
Table of contents24 sections
- 1.Biography and Key Works
- 2.Key Terms
- 3.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 4.Methodology and Theoretical Influences
- 5.Key Terms
- 6.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 7.Communities and Traditions
- 8.Key Terms
- 9.Village India
- 10.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 11.Little and Great Traditions
- 12.Parochialization and Universalization
- 13.Key Terms
- 14.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 15.Social Stratification
- 16.Key Terms
- 17.Specialized Study of Caste Ranking
- 18.Hierarchical Order
- 19.Social Mobility
- 20.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 21.Hindu Cultural Categories
- 22.Key Terms
- 23.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 24.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Biography and Key Works
McKim Marriott is a prominent anthropologist and Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division of the University of Chicago. He is primarily concerned with formulating and simulating indigenous sociologies and psychologies in countries like India and Japan.
- Academic Background: Earned his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago in 1955.
- Fieldwork: Conducted extensive fieldwork in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Major Works of McKim Marriott:
- Village India: Studies in the Little Community (1955) — Edited volume.
- Caste Ranking and Community Structure in the Five Regions of India and Pakistan (1960).
- Hindu Caste Ranking: The Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures (1967).
- India through Hindu Categories (1990).
Key Terms
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Indigenous sociologies | Sociological frameworks developed from the cultural realities and categories native to a specific region (e.g., India or Japan), rather than relying on Western disciplines. |
📌 Exam Tidbits
- McKim Marriott (1955): PhD from Chicago; edited Village India.
- McKim Marriott (1960): Authored Caste Ranking and Community Structure.
- McKim Marriott (1990): Authored India through Hindu Categories.
- 4 Major Works: Village India (1955), Caste Ranking (1960), Hindu Caste Ranking (1967), India through Hindu Categories (1990).
Methodology and Theoretical Influences
Marriott utilized a structural-functional approach in his study of village India. He was deeply influenced by the models of Robert Redfield and Milton Singer, utilizing their conceptual frameworks to study social change in India.
The foundational ideas of his approach are 'civilization' and the 'social organization of tradition'. This is based on an evolutionary view that civilization (comprising both cultural and social structures) grows in two distinct stages.
2 Stages of Civilization Growth
| # | Stage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthogenetic Evolution | The indigenous or internal growth and development of a civilization. |
| 2 | Heterogenetic Encounters | Growth occurring through contacts and encounters with other cultures and civilizations. |
Key Terms
📌 Exam Tidbits
- Robert Redfield & Milton Singer: Primary theoretical influences on Marriott's conceptual framework.
- 2 stages of civilization growth: Orthogenetic (indigenous) and Heterogenetic (external contact).
Communities and Traditions
The study of communities and traditions traces…
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