Department of Sociology

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/3478

The present Department of Sociology was established as a combined Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology by the University of North Bengal in 1976. Professor Niren Ch. Choudhury, eminent anthropologist, was the first Professor and Head of the Department who provided the leadership in the formative years of the Department.Professor R.K.Bhadra and Dr.Namita Choudhury were associated with him since inception of this department and helped in the process of its development. The bifurcation between sociology and anthropology took place in 2001 and thus the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology was renamed Department of Sociology and a separate Department of Anthropology was established under the Science Faculty. From its beginning the Department of Sociology has been training students for three courses: M.A., M. Phil. and Ph.D. The Department has produced more than 30 Ph.Ds and more than one thousand Masters. Besides the two main programmes the Department invites visiting faculty, from the reputed national and international universities and the faculty of this department visit the universities abroad on visiting faculty programme and for attending seminars/conferences. The teachers of the Department encourage students to take part in academic discussions outside the class-room interaction and encourage them to present papers in seminars/conferences. In recognition of the good work done by the Department the University Grants’ Commission (UGC) has granted the Special Assistance Programme (DRS – 1) in 2007 which has facilitated undertaking a good number of research projects on issues relating to gender question and the problem of ethnicity in the North Bengal region. The Department has been organizing a national level seminar every year on the gender and ethnicity related issues, which constitute the focal theme of the SAP. As a part of the programme the Department publishes Occasional Papers and edited volumes based on the research articles that are produced under different SAP related programs.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 165

Open Access
Aesthetic imageries : look at the ideas of sartre and levi-strauss
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2020) Roy, Sanjay K.
The purpose of the paper is not to do a review of the theories of art and aesthetics but to focus on the contrasting views of the two French scholars, Jean Paul Sartre and Claude Levi-Strauss with a view to prepare the launch-pad for an exploration into the world of art and aesthetics, without which, I firmly believe, there cannot be any form of creation (not even in the field of social sciences). It primarily deals with the contrasting views on the modes of aesthetic creations and examines whether aesthetics is founded on the concrete or is completely an act of imagination.
Open Access
Aesthetics of Living: The Deepening Crises
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2021) Roy, Sanjay K.
A combination of neo-liberalism and right-wing nationalism is out to vitiate democratic orders and citizenship in some parts of the globe. This new order threatens the livelihood of a large majority of the population in one way or the other, destabilizes their livelihood rights, disenfranchises them, constricts their freedom and imprisons their creative faculty in its efforts to enforce a homogenous culture. The prime challenge before the citizens in these countries, therefore, is to defend the individual freedom and agency and right to collective resistance making use of their critical faculty. An ideal benevolent social democratic order, which respects freedom of the subjects and of the communities, upholds the egalitarian and humane ideals and negates any form of coercion or oppression, is everybody’s dream. Such a dream is actualized in some social-democratic countries in the Scandinavian. However, the countries that combine neo-liberal greed with authoritarianism and a monolithic culture betray the livelihood expectations and sabotage the proliferation of an aesthetic life. The task before the enlightened citizens, therefore, is to prepare to be able to decrypt the systemic technology of subversion of human freedom, rights and agency and look for ways and means to preserve the subjective freedom and be a part of the collective moves to create an ideal material and aesthetic order.
Open Access
Analysing Classification and its Implications: Inequality, Ideology and Power
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2023) Beri, Suraj
Present paper endeavours to delve into the concept of classification and its pertinence within the realm of social sciences. Through an exploration of existing social science literature in anthropology, and sociology, this analysis undertakes a critical examination of the social and political processes involved in the classification of individuals, identities, groups, categories, and, ultimately, moral and cultural discourses. The potential exists for an ideological “misrecognition” of the historical context, whereby certain categories and concepts are emphasised over others, resulting in the eulogising of specific identities while rendering the articulation of certain forms of inequality impossible. The utility and ramifications of categorization are being discussed.
Open Access
Ancient Kirata and Kirata today: case of the Lepchas of West Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 2015-03) Roy, D. C.
Based on textual interpretation and an analysis of the geo-spatial, socio-cultural conditions the paper examines the relative position of Lepchas in Eastern Nepal and in Eastern Himalaya (Sikkim and Darjeeling) while dealing with the question whether the Lepchas could be included in the Kirata group of people.
Open Access
‘At the Entrance of the Kidney Transplantation Ward’: Narrating Ethnographic Anxieties and Negotiations
(University of North Bengal, 2022-03) Roy, Pinaki
The self or subjective experiences of the ethnographer are essential components of the ethnographic text. Ethnographic studies of disease, aliment and bodily suffering, and the fear of imminent death, resulting from any chronic disease like kidney failure cannot rule out the fact that the ethnographer is deeply implicated in the experiences narrated and represented in the ethnographic text. In the process of gaining knowledge, the ethnographer is subject to experiences which generate personal and ethical anxieties as result of encounter with the characteristic experiences of the ailing person and the immediate nexus of inter-personal relations, including family and kinship relations, surrounding the person. The personality of the ethnographer in such studies is very crucial for such fields of experience throw up challenges for documenting the unique nuances of the experiences characteristic to it. In this paper I ruminate as an ethnographer on my experiences of encountering the field of kidney failure, dialysis and transplantation and the anxieties I had to encounter during my fieldwork and how I sought to negotiate or resolve them. This paper is a reflexive engagement with the suffering of people with kidney failure and those immediately responsible as care-givers as much as it is a narrative about my personal negotiations with the anxieties such study generates.
Open Access
Bed Rest at Childbirth: Exploring Empirical Dimensions of Support and Vulnerability
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2023) Sharma, Rukmani
phenomenon of childbirth is a social event, whereby women hailing from both conventional and modern societies bestow substantial credence upon their social counterparts for the provision of emotional and psychological sustenance. The established importance of obtaining social support from one’s biological kin has been widely recognised. It is of utmost importance to adopt a discerning perspective when dealing with this reliance and evaluate it from a sociological standpoint, rather than simply acknowledging it as a mundane occurrence. The inquiry into the selection process of women beneficiaries and benefactors in times of vulnerability may shed light on the uncharted rules and norms governing social support. A comprehensive evaluation of the care dependency of expectant mothers mandates a meticulous examination of the sociocultural milieu in which they are positioned. The ongoing inquiry pertains to a specific cohort of women who give birth within a biomedicalized urban setting, wherein modern techniques enable the detection of potential risks with unparalleled efficiency. Expectant mothers are often troubled by the possibility of being classified as high-risk throughout the duration of their gestation period. Pregnancies that present a heightened risk are subject to meticulous oversight, diagnostic evaluations, and targeted pharmacological interventions. Although bed rest is a commonly prescribed intervention for the management of pregnancies with a high risk of complications, its effectiveness cannot always be assured. It is widely acknowledged that a considerable segment of the women lacks the requisite resources and capabilities to comply with the recommended protocols of prolonged antenatal and postnatal bed rest. The present study endeavours to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the organizational culture of Prakash Hospital, with a specific emphasis on the impact of unique social and economic determinants on the assimilation of bed rest norms among women. In a general sense, the discussion regarding the notion of bed rest pertains to the capacity of women to alleviate potential risks via reliance on their maternal kinship networks (baper bari).
Open Access
Bel Bibaha Among the Newars and its Social Significance
(University of North Bengal, 2019-03) Mangar, Ritu
The Newars are a fairly complex group, speaking Nepali and Newari, the two languages ofIndo-Aryan and a Tibeto-Burmese linguistic group, respectively. The Newars are the oldest among the communities that had settled down in the Kathmandu valley, long back and the majority of them still live there. The Newars distinguish themselves from the dominant Brahmin-Chettris, the Nepali upper castes, in terms of culture. The two important rituals, among many others, that distinguish the Newars from other communities are Ihi and Barha. These rituals, in the mould of “primitive” practice of nature worship, mark two critical junctures in the lives of women. The literal meaning of Ihi is marriage to a belfruit (wood apple) and it is a ceremony of immense social and religious significance to the Newars especially the females. The Ihi ceremony is looked at with high veneration by the Newars.The paper highlights the social significance of the ceremony, the rituals that afre performed, the reasons behind its practice and the changes that have come about with the passage of time.
Open Access
Biological Science under a Totalitarian Regime: The Case of the Third Reich
(University of North Bengal, 2025) Saha, Anjan
The pursuit of scientific knowledge and discovery is often presumed to be a neutral and apolitical endeavour. However, the darker chapters of History reveal a more complex reality. Under the Third Reich of Hitler, the biological scientists were co-opted to serve the sinister goals of the Nazi State. Scientists and Researchers, often driven by ambition and Nationalism, became complicit in the perpetuation of heinous crimes against humanity. This essay delves into the chilling tale of how biological science was perverted to justify the atrocities of the Third Reich, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers of science unhinged from ethics, morality and humanity.
Open Access
Body and ornaments : reflection on ghurye’s perspective
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2020) Raha, Sylvia
G. S.Ghurye, one of the founders of Indian Sociology, wrote on an unconventional subject like “Indian Costume”, which bears relevance to the study of aesthetics and fashion in modern India. Taking cues from Ghurey’s ideas the present paper will highlight the underneath meaning of wearing ornaments on women’s body. Since the time of Indus Valley Civilization Indians have developed a rich culture of making, trading and wearing ornaments for different parts of the body to beautify and celebrate the human body. A costume, as Ghurye defines, is to cover and protect the body and the design of costumes attracts the attention of the viewer. Parallel to this, ornaments not only serve to please the eyes of the beholder but also fulfil a sense of aesthetic pleasure of the wearer. Thus, this article will highlight the relation between body and ornaments.
Open Access
Body Image and Presentation of Self among the Women University Students in Sikkim
(University of North Bengal, 2022-03) Rai, Sunaina
The spread modern technology and global flow of ideas and practices expedited by globalization, transnational capitalism and social media platforms have generated new discourses on human body. Under the spell of new body discourses modern men and women look for new identities and new ways of presentation of self in their everyday life. This paper reflects on how the university going women students of Sikkim perceive and negotiate with diverse body images in their everyday life. The first section of paper identifies the agents that influence construction of ideas on body and beauty. It also attempts to trace how far the socio-economic background of the students determines their perceptions of body and beauty. The second section attempts to unravel the various determining factors relating to the body discourse. It also traces the revolutionized social and cultural construction of body discourse based on the lived experiences and close observations within the family. The final section of this paper situates the empirical findings in the light of theoretical arguments and present the body discourse from a sociological standpoint.
Open Access
Body Image: Women in Jewellery Advertisement
(University of North Bengal, 2016-03) Raha, Sylvia
The perspective of this article is to consider how media is utilizing the bodily attraction of women to cater the eyes of the viewers and the consumers, especially in the jewellery industry. They are dealing with the most powerful force of this universe, i.e the sensual attraction of humans. In one hand these ads are making the female audience to correlate them with the gorgeous beautiful models, to be like them, but on the other hand these ads are just exploiting the body image of women in a way. It objectifies women’s body. For jewellery advertisement women are generally produced and reproduced as decorative pieces where the image of a women turns into a ‘sign’ but this ‘sign’ is not the real sign of that particular women rather it creates simulation among the consumers. Women try to wear jewellery for all parts of the body in order to catch men’s attention on them. This paper reviews that how the body images of women in jewellery advertisement plays a crucial role in influencing consumer’s social interaction and how the modern society is dominated by the mediated image created by the mass media and/or Patriarchy. This paper also includes four case studies of renowned jewellery brands, and how they have incorporated sensual elements in their ads through women body and how body image is reflected in the ads.
Open Access
Calcutta as a Site of Post-colonial Identity Formation: Interactions and Experiences of the Anglo-Indian Community
(University of North Bengal, 2025) Das, Suchismita
The Anglo-Indian community of Calcutta, a product of British colonial rule, occupies a unique cultural and social space within the city. Historically positioned between the British and Indian populations, they developed distinct identity markers such as the English language, Christianity, Western attire, and cuisine. However, their identity has never been static; rather, it has undergone significant transformations, particularly in postcolonial Calcutta. This paper explores how the Anglo-Indian community of Calcutta navigates its identity in a postcolonial urban landscape, engaging with issues of cultural hybridity, spatial belonging, and social adaptation. Through an ethnographic lens, the study examines the evolving identity markers of Anglo-Indians in the city, highlighting the impact of migration, cultural assimilation, and interactions with the dominant Bengali Hindu and Muslim communities. Everyday spaces such as neighbourhoods, churches, schools, and workplaces serve as sites where their identity is negotiated and performed. The paper discusses how language use, dress patterns, food habits, and social practices reflect a process of adaptation and localisation while still retaining elements of their colonial heritage. It also addresses how the challenges of identity labelling and stereotyping influence both internal self-perception and external social integration. Drawing from postcolonial theories and urban ethnography, the study argues that the Anglo-Indian identity in Calcutta is neither fixed nor easily defined. Instead, it remains fluid, shaped by historical legacies, contemporary social realities, and individual agency.
Open Access
Changing Birth Practices and Rituals among the Bengali Women in Siliguri
(University of North Bengal, 2022-03) Sharma, Rukmani
In this paper, I have attempted to make sense of the social ways in which Bengali women find themselves when they go through birth giving. Based on ethnographic study of Bengali women in Siliguri city, this work aims to understand the dynamics of cultural change and continuity vis-à-vis the practice of birth rituals in contemporary times. It examines the ways in which birth practices provide both the context and the medium for the social formation of gender, caste and community relations. The fieldwork insights demonstrate the decaying significance of traditional birth rituals and builds on women’s narratives about the birth as a social event in their personal and family lives. The work draws upon the conceptual and theoretical insights from the sociological literature on child birth and social and cultural experiences, social classification, identity and socialization.
Open Access
Changing Dynamics of Family Roles: Sharing Experiences from Everyday Life
(University of North Bengal, 2019-03) Bhutia, Winkeyla
Statistics regarding the participation of the women at work in Sikkim has been encouraging. Factors like education, employment opportunities, reservation in employment, education and political bodies have combined to achieve this. However, the increase in work participation of women also calls for a reorganization of the various roles within the household. Based on my experience as a working woman in an urban setting, this paper attempts to throw light on the changes in the relations within the family in an urban Bhutia household vis-à-vis an earlier situation in a Bhutia family while also exploring the stresses and changes resulting changes in the larger social structure.
Open Access
Changing Social Relations in a Metropolis: The Perception of the Middleclass Aged
(University of North Bengal, 2016-03) Roy, Sinjini
In recent years urban middleclass families are experiencing rationalization of family size, rationalization of living arrangement and large-scale dispersal of younger members in search of livelihood opportunities. The question of sociological significance is that whether all these leave a disintegrating impact on relations in the family, on the kin-group or on the neighbourhood relations. The present paper, based on empirical findings, observes that the middleclass in an urban setting face a number of stresses but they understand the value of familial and social relations, and even neighbourhood relations, in order to thwart the potentially disintegrating social forces. In the face of dispersal of the lone child in a distant city, the aged couple fall back on each other, support each other with a great deal of empathy to combat the challenges of old-age.
Open Access
Childbirth Practices and Midwifery: Exploring Social Changes in Indian Context
(University of North Bengal, 2019-03) Sharma, Rukmani
Healthy women represent health standards of any nation, although the maternal health care throughout the world is severely damaged. The paper discusses changes in the social location of Dais and their socio-cultural roles over the decades till the contemporary society. Many scholars have brought to light the way politics of knowledge works, and how the knowledge based on experience, skill, insights and culture is denounced. State has taken several measures in maternal health care but has failed in yielding good results. The paper tires to compare birth practices in different parts of India and tries to evaluate the reasons behind the similarities and differences. Three major areas of the problem have been located in childbirth practices. First, despite of government measures the rural and poor women continue to face discrimination in the maternal health care, particularly those who depend on unskilled birth attendants; second, the over-medicalization of childbirth; and third, the continued practice of homebirth.
Open Access
Children and their Rights: Reflections on the Everyday Life of the Children in the Char Areas of Assam
(University of North Bengal, 2022-03) Borah, Anindita
This paper is an ethnographic account of children’s experiences in char areas of Assam from a sociological lens with special reference to child rights. From the 1970s onwards, social scientists have begun to consider children as social actors, as opposed to the idea of children as ‘incompetent and dependent beings’. It is argued that it is not always enough to make legal policies to solve children’s problems or see children’s well-being from an adult’s perspective, without considering them as their own agents. Children are now deemed as active members of society and they have the same rights as that of an adult to make their own understanding of the world. It is through the narrative of five children, selected from the char area, that I have analyzed various dimensions of their everyday life. The primary objective of this study has been to understand the everyday life of children in Bhomoraguri chapori from children’s perspective. Besides, this paper also explores various issues and challenges associated with the violation of child rights in the chapori.
Open Access
Chumki Piplai: Migration and Human Variation: A Study on Tribal Tea-Labourers. New Delhi: Mittal Publication, 2014, 209 pp., INR 750 (hb). ISBN 81-8324-460-2
(University of North Bengal, 2015-03) Khawas, Babika
Open Access
Commemorating two Pioneering Modern Sociologists of India
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2021) Tamang, Rosan
Open Access
Comment on the gurkha’s daughter
(University of North Bengal, 2015-03) Chhetri, Kumar
Although the British colonizers, anthropologist and administrators have produced a bulk of ethnographic accounts, travelogues, military accounts, and research papers there is no sufficient English literary work which centers on the life of the Nepalis. The earlier available works were either based on the life of Nepalis in Darjeeling or on the Himalayan kingdom (Nepal), whereas the present work The Gurkha’s Daughter by Prajwal Parajuly is unique in the sense that it engulfs the life of the Nepalis both in Nepal and its Diasporas around the world in eight short stories. Despite being fiction the stories carry the social reality of everyday life experiences of the Nepali people and its Diasporas.