Notes Class 11 Chapter 2 Sociology Maharashtra Board

Contribution of Western and Indian Sociologists

Introduction

• Origin of Sociology: Sociology is considered to have originated in France, with its foundations laid by Auguste Comte and Emile Durkheim.
• Global Development: While often seen as a Western discipline, sociological thought existed in various parts of the world long before its formal recognition, including in India and North Africa.
• Focus of the Chapter: This unit explores the contributions of six key sociologists-three from the West (Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx) and three from India (G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Iravati Karve)-highlighting their unique concepts and theories on human social behavior.

2.1 Introduction to Western Sociologists

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

Background: Born on January 19, 1798, in Montpellier, France. Full name: Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Xavier Comte. A brilliant mathematician and philosopher with a rebellious streak, he advocated for societal reconstruction from age 14.

Contributions:

• Known as the “Father of Sociology.”
• Formulated the Law of Three Stages of human thought:
  1. Theological Stage: Dominated by spiritual and supernatural explanations (e.g., attributing natural calamities to God’s anger).
  2. Metaphysical Stage: Replaced supernatural beliefs with abstract powers, marking a transition from theology.
  3. Positive/Scientific Stage: Emphasized observation, reason, and empirical evidence to establish laws governing society.
• Developed Positivism, advocating a scientific approach to studying society.
• Introduced static (structure of society) and dynamic (social change) aspects of Sociology.

Philosophy: Believed human thought evolved parallel to individual mind development, from faith to scientific reasoning.

Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)

Background: British social theorist, often recognized as the first female sociologist.

Contributions:

• Translated Auguste Comte’s Cours de Philosophie Positive (1839) into English as The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte (1853), introducing his ideas to the English-speaking world.
• Authored Society in America (1837), analyzing political, religious, and social institutions.
• Pioneered the inclusion of women’s lives, marriage, children, religious life, and race relations in sociological studies.
• Advocated comprehensive social analysis to understand women’s secondary status.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Background: Born on April 15, 1858, in Epinal, France. A brilliant scholar with numerous academic honors.

Contributions:

• Defined social facts as ways of acting, thinking, and feeling external to the individual, shaping behavior.
• Developed the Theory of Suicide in Le Suicide, viewing it as a social phenomenon rather than a personal issue:
  • Egoistic Suicide: Results from social isolation and lack of integration.
  • Anomic Suicide: Arises from normlessness due to sudden social changes (e.g., economic depression).
  • Altruistic Suicide: Occurs when individuals sacrifice themselves for societal good (e.g., Sati, Hara-kiri).
  • Fatalistic Suicide: Stemming from excessive societal control.
• Explored social solidarity, collective representation, social values, morality, crime, and punishment.

William Du Bois (1868-1963)

Background: First Black American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. A sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, and Pan-Africanist.

Contributions:

• Conducted extensive research on race and racism, notably The Philadelphia Negro (1899), the first case study of a Black community based on 2,500 interviews.
• Highlighted economic exploitation of Black workers and racial division in labor.
• Advocated for a separate “group economy” of producers and consumers’ cooperatives to combat discrimination and poverty.
• Promoted cultural nationalism and Black literature/art, emphasizing “Beauty in Black.”

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Background: German philosopher, economist, historian, and revolutionary, known as the architect of Communism.

Contributions:

• Central theory: Class Conflict, based on economic factors and class stratification.
• Analyzed capitalism through:
  1. Importance of Property: Classes determined by ownership of production means.
  2. Polarization of Classes: Society divides into hostile capitalist and worker camps.
  3. Surplus Value: Profit from labor exploitation.
  4. Pauperization: Increasing poverty due to exploitation.
  5. Alienation: Workers disconnected from their labor, product, and self.
  6. Class Solidarity and Antagonism: Growing class consciousness intensifies struggle.
  7. Revolution: Violent overthrow of capitalism.
  8. Dictatorship of Proletariat: Transitional phase post-revolution.
  9. Communist Society: Classless society with no private property, where the state withers away.
• Interpreted history as a series of class struggles.

2.2 Introduction to Indian Sociologists

Origin in India: Sociology and Social Anthropology were introduced by British scholars and later developed by Indian scholars trained in Britain and the USA. The first Sociology Department was established at the University of Bombay in 1919 under Patrick Geddes.

Key Contributors: Pioneers include G. S. Ghurye, R. K. Mukherjee, D. P. Mukherjee, B. N. Seal, B. K. Sarkar, M. N. Srinivas, A. R. Desai, Iravati Karve, S. C. Dube, and Gail Omvedt.

Dr. G. S. Ghurye (1893-1983)

Background: Known as the “Father of Indian Sociology.” Founded the Indian Sociological Society (1952) and Sociological Bulletin. Trained the first generation of Indian sociologists post-independence.

Contributions:

• Focused on cultural evolution, especially Indian civilization.
• Analysis of Indian Tribes: Argued for their integration into Hindu society through Hinduization, opposing separate tribal identities. Studied specific tribes like the Mahadev Kolis.
• Views on Caste: Caste and Race in India (1932) analyzed caste historically, anthropologically, and sociologically, emphasizing endogamy as a key feature. Viewed caste as a dynamic social issue.

Dr. M. N. Srinivas (1916-1999)

Background: Born on November 16, 1916, in Mysore. Studied under Ghurye at the University of Bombay.

Contributions:

• Introduced concepts like Brahminisation, Sanskritisation, Westernisation, Secularisation, and Dominant Caste.
• Dominant Caste: Defined as a caste with numerical strength, economic/political power, and high ritual status. Examples include Lingayats and Okkaligas in Karnataka, Reddys and Kammas in Andhra Pradesh, etc. Attributes include land ownership, education, and occupation.
• Highlighted caste interdependence and conflicts in Indian society.

Dr. Iravati Karve (1905-1970)

Background: Born on December 15, 1905, in Myanmar. Daughter-in-law of social reformer Dhondo Keshav Karve. Published over 80 papers and books in English and Marathi.

Contributions:

• Pioneered Kinship Relations in Kinship Organization in India (1953), analyzing kinship systems across India’s geographical (Northern, Central, Southern, Eastern) and linguistic (Indo-European, Dravidian) regions.
• Explored kinship terms, marriage patterns, descent, inheritance, and family structures, integrating caste, language, and culture.

Summary

• Western Sociologists: Auguste Comte’s Law of Three Stages, Durkheim’s social facts and suicide theory, Marx’s class conflict, Martineau’s gender focus, and Du Bois’ race studies shaped global Sociology.
• Indian Sociologists: Ghurye’s foundational role and caste/tribe analysis, Srinivas’ dominant caste concept, and Karve’s kinship studies enriched Indian Sociology.

Key Terms

• Law of Three Stages: Theological, Metaphysical, Positive.
• Social Facts: External societal influences (Durkheim).
• Class Conflict: Economic basis of societal struggle (Marx).
• Dominant Caste: Numerically and economically powerful caste (Srinivas).
• Kinship: Socio-cultural family and caste relationships (Karve).