Article Review
Abstract
In this article
Prof. Dr. Chaitanya Mishra states the process, development and rise of
sociology, contributions of international and national scholars in the
development of sociology of Nepal. This article
has four sub topics: Rise of sociology, embedding, Sociology in Nepal:
Institutions and Growth, Review of the state of Sociology Emphases of sociology
in Nepal. Writer states the historical development and rise of sociology.
According to him the rise of social science in post – 16th century
Western Europe has widely been attributed to the enormous political, economic
and cultural contradictions and struggles generated by the twin crises of
feudalism and religious faith, the working out of reformation and renaissance,
the rise of capitalism and later, of the structure of democracy. This large
scale and drawn out dislocation and crises could find resolution only with a
radical reorganization of life and society. He also argues that the democratic
and liberating influences of the American and French revolution, the industrial
revolutions, the Soviet and socialist
revolutions as well as the much more drawn –out process of de-colonization,
state formation, democratization, nationalism, modernity and developmentalism
with in the newly independent region and countries.
Introduction:
According to writer comprehension and explanation, control and reshaping and prediction of this large scale political, economic and cultural struggles and transformation, which generated a wide ranging and intense departure form established order at multiple levels – ranging from individual and group identity to the nature and relationship among individuals, households, states, class and the multifarious constituents of the global system , were the planks on which the social science were founded. Specialized field within the social science largely evolved during the 19th century in response to the expansion and intensification of the process of transformation itself, the popular struggles that this transformation entitled the multifarious impacts on religious affairs, polity administration, law economy, culture etc, it generated and the emergent structures the transformation created.
Sketching and
elaborating the feature of the new society as contrasted with the older form
expectedly was the first item in the agenda of such thinking. Comte’s “ law of three stages” and Durkheim
‘sexploration of the bases of religion, education , anomie individualism and
social integration in the new society were symptomatic of the thinking.
Similarly, Weber’s vast corpus sought to map this transformation in
economic, political, administrative social and physiological terms with in a
deeply historical and cross- societal comparative matrix.
Marx’s even vaster corpus, in turn laid bare the history and functioning of the emerging mega
structure of capitalism the mother of all transformations, the contradictions
that it produced and sharpened , and the impact it had on everyday social
personal lives. Different movement within western countries themselves, the
rise of civil right movement, anti-Vetinam war protest and women’s and student
movement during the late 60’s and the early 70’s however led to a serious
question of the functionalists position as also of the empiricist and a
historical stance. These movement and protests have also had the effect of
substantially expanding the sub field of sociology as well as the job of market
for the sociologists within the governments, semi governmental institution, the
private sector, international institutions and the universities. The world
system perspective has been a singular contribution on the post 70 sociology as
in the feminist perspective. Some Sociologist and anthropologists, at time have
disagreed to honor and the agenda and themes put forth by modernization,
developmentalism and globalization, critiqued them and found and worked with
other frames and themes.Finally during the 80’s and the 90’s serious questions
have been raised on the legitimacy of existing disciplinary contours and
boundaries in the social science as well as on the legitimacy of the accepted
theory and practice of the social sciences. Calls have been made for tearing
down the old but strong walls among the social sciences on account of the fact
that they inhibit insightful enquiry of the social conditions.
Discussions:
Writer discusses the states of sociology in Nepal. The emergence as well as the specific nature of evolution of sociology is prediction on the scale and intensity of social struggles and social transformation. Writer argues that large scale and intense social struggle and transformation in Europe, particularly during th 18th and 19th centuries led to a Zeigeist which insisted on a historical and worldly rather than mythical and ecclesiastical nature of the social domain. The specific nature of evolution of sociology is also predicted on the nature of the transition, that is, what and which political and economic structure and regions, ideologies, institutions, class, groups are driving the transition how the dominant structures are negotiating the transition with other less dominant structure; and relative strength of the other less powerful but nonetheless competing structure. Nonetheless, and despite the growing salience of global structure and processes that shapes the polity, economy and culture in Nepal, sociologists and social anthropologists often continue to visualize societies in Nepal as uniquely local products. In addition the significance of world systemic processes on the present macro-economic and sectoral public polices and their implications for processes such as centralization, democratization etc has been neglected in sociology and anthropology in Nepal. Similarly, the developmentalists and functionalists perspective which remain dominant in Nepal has inhibited teaching and research on frameworks and themes such as politics, conflict, struggle, resistance etc despite, among others, the ongoing Maoist rebellion.
Writer discusses the institutional bases for the emergence and growth of social accounts the social sciences and pre-sociology in Nepal. According to writer it hasto be recalled that the literacy rate in 1950 was approximately 5 percent, the first college was established in 1917 and the Rana regime was politically highly controlled and autocratic. The traditional of oral and/ or reconstructive history and sociology has been weak as well. Nepali sociologists and anthropologists who remained almost exclusively preoccupied with in the agenda of the future, that is, modernization and development have been particularly unproductive in reconstructing the past as also in analyzing a historically informed present. Similarly, the writer describes the contributions of Mahesh Chandra Regmi, Prayagraj Sharma, Kamal Prakash Malla, Harka Gurung, in the field of sociology in Nepal through their writings. He describes the Historical and political (from Rana regime) state through where sociology rise in Nepal. Recently, Baburam Bhattarai’s (2003) Marxists account of Nepal’s political economy has provided a rich source for further reconstruction of socio- spatial relationships in Nepal. The writer also includes political influence in the field of sociology in Nepal. Different movement held in different period of time. Like movement of against the autocrat (Ranarchy) in the leadership of Prajaparishad constituted a social account and political agenda which underlined the contradiction between the old and defucnct which was losing its popular legitimacy and a new yet to become democratic state of Nepal. Then Nepali congress and Nepal communists Party together with a number of other whose account and agendas had touched the lives and imaginations of sizable number of independent peasants, skilled worker, urban dweller, merchants and a section of the disgruntled but political aristocracy.
The details of the emergence and practice of applied sociology as such immediately following the 1951 transition gas been sketched.The interconnection of between the emergence and practice of sociology and the large emerging developmentalists, modernist, international financial and policy assistant driven, statist and liberal democratic national and international agenda however appears to have been given a shortshrift in the search for details.
In addition, a number of trained sociologists and anthropologists were hired by the state in elaborating a national scale education system. The state was the largest employer of trained specialist and there were only a few trained Nepali sociologists and Anthropologists so employed. These processes and initiative culminated in the formation of a Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tribhuvan University in 1981. The department initiated a Master’s level program and in collaboration with Sociology subject committee at the university, took steps to initiate bachelor’s level programsin several Campuses College affiliated with University. Organizationally the academic program on sociology and anthropology has expanded rapidly within TU and is making a slow headway in other universities.
Review have been prepared at different periods of the evolution of sociology in Nepal, the arguments raised have to read with reference to the period of publication of the assessment. Many of the reviewers are Nepali national, some are international academics.
Writer includes key arguments of National and International reviewer’s review of the state of sociology and social anthropology. Eg. Gellener 1970, key argumentview romanticism and midwifery complementary particularly in Nepal where past is very present. Thapa 1973 key argument on Discipline should sever the needs of society and social problems; should assess the impact or major national political initiatives on social organization.
In this article writer presentQuantitative review with Five tables including Description contributions of academic and semi academic writings of National and international sociologists and anthropologists. He also describes the role of academic and semi academic writings in development of society and culture of Nepal. He further state the evolution of the discipline in Nepal can also be characterized and assessed through the review of the outlets for sociological and anthropological writings. Such writings, however, remain scattered in several academic and semi- academic journals, magazines and newspapers. The significance of semi academic writings of sociologists and anthropologists, while lying along the borders of the discipline , should not be underrated.
At present, several journals cater to the writings of sociologist and anthropologists. Contribution (1973), which is published by the center for Nepal and Asian Studies, of course has remained the principal outlet for the last decades. Occasional papers in sociology and Anthropology published by the department of Sociology and Anthropology, TU, Kirtipur Campus since 1987 is an additional outlet. By 2001seven volumes of journal have come out. Studies in Nepali History and Society, Published by center of Social Research and Development since 1996 Kailash the publication of which has recently become irregular and the journal of Nepal research center are other significant outlets. In addition there are several other academic and semi academic journal and magazines published in English and Nepali, such as Pragya, Mulyanka Himal, Himal south Asian, Asmita, Rolamba.In addition during the last decade several semi academic and news magazines have focused on the issues related to gender ethnicity and ethnic groups, dalithood and dalits as well as specific regions of the country. Such publications have started the ployvocal genre within the social thinking and writing and are beginning to make their presence felt within public institution.
Conclusions:
In short Mishra, In his essay states the rise of development and rise of Sociology in world as well as the rise of sociology in Nepal its condition, institutions, Growth, similarly the political influence in the development of sociology in Nepal, impact of writings (Academic and semi Academic) of national and international writer in the field of sociology.
Prakash Nepal
Kabhre Multiple Campus, Banepa
Roll no. 21
Reference:
Amin, Samir, 1997.Capitalism in the age of globalization : The Management of Contemporary Society. Delhi: Madhyam Books
Bista, Dor Bahadur. 1996.(see fisher, James, 1996)
Bhattachan, Krishna B. 1987. "Sociology and anthropology curriculum and the needs of Nepal. Occasional papers in the Sociology and Anthroplog, Vol. , Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tribhuvan University.
Bhattarai, Baburam. 2003. The Nature of Underdevelopment and Regional Structure of Nepal : A Marxist Analysis. Delhi Adroit.
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