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CSSS organises a seminar by Prof. Vivek Kumar

CSSS organises a seminar by Prof. Vivek Kumar

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CSSS organises a seminar by Prof. Vivek Kumar
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Centre for the Study of Social Systems

School of Social Sciences

 

CSSS Colloquium

 

Vivek Kumar

 (Professor and Chairperson, CSSS, JNU)

 

Will be presenting a paper on

 

Classical Theory and Beyond:  Rationale for a Dalit Perspective

 

Date & Time: January 10, 2019 (Thursday), 11am

Venue:CSSS Committee Room (No: 13), SSS-II

Abstract: This paper tries to evolve a theoretical rationale for ‘Dalit Perspective’. For doing the same it draws its rationale from C. Wright Mills’s ‘sociological imagination’, Peter Berger & Thomas Luckmann’s notion of ‘Sociology of Knowledge’, P. Bourdieu’s idea of ‘cultural and social capital’ and Paulo Freire’s notion of ‘pedagogy of the oppressed’. The paper has operationalized these propositions in the study of Indian society. In this context it discusses the epistemology of the term Dalit and thereby, the ‘Dalit Perspective’ as well.  The paper emphasizes how social structure is responsible for the development of a community and helps in shaping their construction of consciousness out which production of Knowledge takes place. Taking cognizance of the nature and history of social exclusion, emanating from the structural location of the Dalits, the perspective performs four very important functions. One, it analyses the existing book and field view about the Dalits; two, it records how other social scientists have observed the Dalits; three, it presents the Dalit view about the society as a whole and finally, it provides a framework to understand Dalit society as a separate entity from the mainstream society. Dalit perspective in this context tries to deconstruct the existing socio-cultural and political reality about the Dalit society and allows us to capture the internal dimensions of Dalit society as a whole. In this regard it helps us to understand the internal categories, institutions, and processes unfolding within the Dalit society.

 

Bio: Prof. Vivek Kumar is a Sociologist, a public intellectual and currently is the Chairperson of the Centre for the Study of Social System, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. As a recipient of Fulbright Teachers Fellowship he has taught (2012) in the Department of Sociology in Columbia University, New York, USA. He has been a visiting faculty in the Department of Asian and African Studies, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. His areas of interest include methodology of social sciences, sociology of marginalized sections, dependent and independent Dalit political leadership, sociology of Indian diaspora, sociology of South Asia, social movements, globalization and social change.He has authored many books include “Caste and Democracy in India”, “India’s Roaring Revolution: Dalit Assertions and New Horizons”, “Dalit Leadership in India”, “Dynamics of Change and Continuity in the Era of Globalization: Voices from the Margins” and several research papers and articles. He also writes in newspapers and participates in debates on television channels regularly. Prof. Vivek Kumar is the Professor In-charge of Ambedkar Chair at the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, JNU.

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.