Modernity and Ethnic Processes in India

Book Details:

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: D. V. Kumar

• Language: English

• Edition: 2014

• ISBN: 9788131606391

• Pages: 223

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches

About the Book:

In this thought-provoking volume, Modernity and Ethnicity: Paradoxes of Modernisation, D. V. Kumar explores the complex and often paradoxical relationship between modernity and ethnicity. Modernity has spread globally, supported by political and intellectual forces, in what seemed to be a relatively unproblematic manner. However, the interplay between modernity and ethnic consciousness reveals deeper complexities that challenge traditional assumptions.

Both Marxists and liberals had theorized that ethnic consciousness would wane in the face of growing capitalism and modernization. Yet, in contemporary society, ethnicity has resurged, defying expectations. While this can be rationalized in the case of traditional societies undergoing incomplete modernization, even advanced, 'modern' societies continue to experience a reawakening of ethnic identities. This apparent paradox of modernity's inability to weaken ethnic consciousness forms the core issue examined in this book.

The book presents a series of essays that investigate various empirical situations, especially within the Indian context, while critically engaging with the prevailing theoretical formulations. From examining the politics of ethnicity in Uttar Pradesh to exploring the role of ethnicity in modern India's tribal and ethnic movements, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between modernity and ethnicity.

Contents include:

• Ethnicity in an Era of Globalisation by T.N. Madan

• Nationality, Ethnicity and Modernity by T.K. Oommen

• Politics of Ethnicity in Uttar Pradesh by Ravindra K. Jain

• Feasibility of Another Modernity by Avijit Pathak

• Modernity and Ethnicity: An Intersectionality Analysis by V. Bijukumar

• The Politics of Collective Muslim Identity in Modern India by Esita Sur

• Modernity and Ethnic Identity Formation of Rajbangshis by Nandini Basistha

About the Author:
D.V. Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests include modernity, ethnicity, development, and social change. He has published extensively in leading academic journals in sociology and authored several notable works, including Modernisation and Ethnicity (2006) and Social Change and Development (edited, 2012).