THEMES IN SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND MOBILITY: Essays in Honour of Prof K.L. Sharma

This volume offers an insightful understanding and analysis of issues related to social stratification, mobility, village community, urban life, tribal and peasant movements, gender relations, etc. in India in a broad theoretical and empirical perspective. Most of the articles are on structure, culture, process and dialectics in post-independent India. Contours and dynamics of Indian society in relation to caste, class and power hierarchies have been discussed with a view to ascertain relative role played by the structural and cultural factors. The contributors have ably demonstrated the nexus between theoretical formulations and empirical realities. The differential bearing of theory on facts and vice versa would encourage and inspire students, researchers and teachers for new pastures in the domain of knowledge.

Since this volume is a festschrift in honour of eminent sociologist, Prof. K.L. Sharma, all articles related to his interest have been incorporated in it. Several eminent scholars, his colleagues and students have contributed to the volume. The editors have taken sincere pains to make the volume a composite one for the benefit of all the interested and concerned scholars.

Ishwar Modi is founder Director, Centre for Leisure and Tourism Studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur and was Visiting Professor, Indian Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur. A pioneer of leisure studies in India, he is an Honorary Life Member of World Leisure Organization and also visiting faculty of WICE, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He is currently Secretary, Indian Sociological Society and President of the Research Committee on Leisure. He is also the member board, ISA Research Committee on Sociology of Health.

B.K. Nagla is former Professor of Sociology, M.D. University, Rohtak. He has also researched and taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, M.S. University, Baroda and National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, New Delhi. His main interests include political sociology, criminology and sociology of Indian sociology. He has widely travelled in India and abroad in pursuit of his academic activities. His interdisciplinary writings have readership far beyond the domain of sociology.

Arvind Kumar Agrawal is presently Head, Department of Sociology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He was honoured with the Career Award by the University Grant Commission in 1994 for his doctoral research on Max Weber. His works on Max Weber are widely read with great interest by social scientists. He has also been a visiting faculty at Heidelberg University (Germany), University of Insubria (Italy) and Gujarat National Law University (India).