The sociology of sociology in Kerala: A reflexive account of the development of the discipline
Author: Linda T Luiz, lindatherese@teresas.ac.in
Department: Sociology
University: University of Kerala, India
Supervisor: Antony Palackal
Year of completion: 2023
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Sociology of sociology
, Kerala
, Bibliometric analysis
, Global Christianity
Areas of Research:
History of Sociology
, Education
, Professional Groups
Abstract
This dissertation analyses the establishment and development of the discipline of sociology in Kerala, and the challenges it faces at present. The study stemmed from a clash of academic cultures ('central' and 'peripheral') experienced by the author. The objectives of the study were as follows: to study the socio-political background in which sociology was institutionalised and developed in Kerala; to evaluate the role of the Kerala Sociological Society and the Kerala Sociologist journal in the development of the discipline in Kerala; to examine the perceptions regarding the discipline of sociology in Kerala; to gauge the extent of growth of an autonomous sociological tradition in the state; to compare the form of sociology practiced in Kerala with the trends in the rest of India.
Bourdieu’s and Alatas' analysis of sociologists in academia have been used to theoretically frame my arguments. The study was primarily qualitative in nature. The methods included historical study, participant observation, survey and interviews. A study of the referencing trends was conducted to assess the level of intellectual dependence in Kerala. Comparisons between contexts, institutions and practices in Kerala with those outside Kerala provided a macro-level perspective.
This dissertation focussed on the institutional bases of professional sociology in Kerala. Patterns in the establishment of sociology departments and the structure of teaching and research in sociology in the state is given in the first substantive chapter. The Kerala Sociological Society and its journal Kerala Sociologist are analysed in subsequent chapters. An attempt to understand the ways in which the discipline is imagined by practitioners and lay people is presented in the following chapter. Finally, the public interface and policy contributions of the discipline are briefly touched upon while examining the possibility of an autonomous sociological tradition in Kerala.
Some of the significant findings are as follows: Starting out from the 1930s as a minor paper, independent departments of sociology were established in the state from the 1960s. The development of sociology in Kerala can be explained through the interplay of varied factors including global religious networks, the handiwork of individuals and the emerging market forces within the context of larger global socio-political currents. Christian educational institutions, and educators with training from the USA have left their imprint on the sociology that was imported into Kerala after India gained independence. At present sociology has a presence at over thirty regular and many more self-financing institutions in Kerala but the state has hardly embraced the discipline other than in its avatar as a cash-making enterprise.
A survey of the reference lists that appeared in the Kerala Sociologist reveals an overwhelming dependence on international and extra-regional sources. This, and the unfavourable climate for research in Indian university settings, has meant that an autonomous sociological tradition has not yet developed in Kerala. Observations regarding the public image of sociology in Kerala are echoed by sociologists elsewhere, pointing to systemic pressures on the discipline. Greater public interventions, especially in the vernacular, and more engagement with grounded thinkers and reformers are suggested as ways to increase the visibility and relevance of sociology in Kerala.
