Social Stratification and Mobility

Book Details

• Author: K. L. Sharma

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• ISBN: 9788170332626

• Pages: 294

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches

• Release Date: 01-01-2006

About the Book

Social Stratification by K. L. Sharma provides an in-depth exploration of the complexities surrounding the study of social stratification in India. The book critically examines the structural, ideological, and emotional issues that have led to significant debates in the field of sociology. Sharma offers a unique perspective through essays that address the theoretical and methodological aspects of social stratification with a preference for a structural-historical approach.

The book engages with the ongoing discourse on caste and class, presenting their relationship with a fresh analysis that focuses on their nexus, continuity, and change. A critical review of studies on social stratification in India, particularly from a sociology of knowledge perspective, forms a central part of the text. Sharma points out the gaps between theory and method in these studies and emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach.

Sharma also provides a discussion of Louis Dumont's Homo Hierarchicus, critically examining the structuralist approach to caste stratification. Further, the book explores profiles of social stratification in various settings such as urban-industrial, rural-agrarian, and tribal India. It also sheds light on the caste-class nexus, particularly in relation to the scheduled castes, and delves into the impact of ethnicity and class on social relations among tribal communities.

Social mobility, both upward and downward, is discussed as an ongoing theme in the book, with particular attention given to social mobility among the scheduled castes. The text also explores the concept of Harijans and their position within the class structure, making it a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in the dynamics of social stratification in India.