India is not just a stretch of land. It is a living civilisation that has continued without a break for thousands of years. Many languages, religions, castes, tribes and cultural traditions have grown side by side here. This book asks two basic questions: how has Indian society stayed united amid so much diversity, and in which direction is it changing today?
In this book, Prof. Reeta Saxena explains Indian society in the light of both tradition and modernity. It opens with the historically embedded diversities of Indian society. It then turns to its philosophical foundations: Varna, Ashrama, Dharma, Karma and Purushartha. Next, it studies social institutions such as caste, kinship, family and marriage.
Chapters on villages, towns, cities, tribes, Dalits, minorities and women. It brings out the structure of society. Finally, it explains how society changes through Sanskritisation, Westernisation, Urbanisation, Planned Change and Nation-Building.
The language is simple and flowing. The book presents the ideas of leading Indian and Western sociologists, with clear diagrams and summary tables. Each chapter ends with questions of different kinds. This makes the book a dependable companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students, teachers and researchers, and for anyone preparing for competitive examinations.
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