SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN INDIA: A Review of Literature -- SECOND EDITION

Book Details

• Author: Ghanshyam Shah

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2023

• ISBN: 9788131612910

• Pages: 284

• Cover: Paperback

• Sale Territory: India

About the Book

Social Movements in India by Ghanshyam Shah presents a comprehensive exploration of non-institutionalised collective political actions that aim to bring about political and social change. Although India has a long history of such movements, serious academic attention to them has emerged only in recent decades.

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition, the author categorizes social movements based on participants and key issues, including peasants, tribals, Dalits, backward castes, women, students, the middle class, the working class, and human rights and environmental activists. Each movement is discussed through the lenses of issues, ideologies, organizational structures, and leadership patterns.

Shah critically reviews literature on these movements from 1857 to the present, engaging with the theoretical debates raised by scholars and identifying major trends. The book concludes with valuable suggestions for future research in the field.

This scholarly work offers a logical framework for understanding social movements in modern India and is an essential resource for students, political scientists, sociologists, historians, and activists engaged in the study of social and political change.

Contents

• Introduction

• Peasant Movements

• Tribal Movements

• Dalit Movements

• Backward Caste/Class Movements

• Women’s Movements

• Industrial Working Class Movements

• Students’ Movements

• Middle Class Movements

• Human Rights and Environmental Movements

• Conclusions and Future Research

About the Author

Ghanshyam Shah is a noted independent researcher based in Ahmedabad. Formerly Professor of Social Sciences at the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, he also served as Director of the Centre for Social Studies, Surat. He was the Dr. Ambedkar Chair Professor (1996–97) at the LBS National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. His extensive work in political sociology has contributed significantly to the academic understanding of social movements in India.