I.P. Desai : A Pioneering Indian Sociologist

Contents: Preface. Foreword. 1. Introduction: Life and Work of I.P. Desai. 2. Sociology of Education. 3. Sociology of the Family. 4. Sociology of Caste, Untouchability and Reservation. 5. Sociology of Migration. 6. Sociology of Social Movements and Change. 7. Conclusion. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.

“I.P. Desai belonged to the second generation of sociologists in India after G.S. Ghurye, Radhakamal Mukherjee and D.P. Mukerji and played a pioneering role in shaping the teaching and research in the discipline. During his long academic stint, he served as Professor or Sociology and Dean, Faculty of Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and as founder Director of the Centre for Social Studies, Surat. He was also the President of the Indian Sociological Society during 1976-78. He pioneered many areas of sociological research, such as education, family, untouchability, migration, social movements, and social change. He contributed a lot to the growth of Indian Sociological Society and to the profession of sociology.

As a member of the Second Backward Class Commission on Gujarat, popularly known as Rane Commission, Desai sparked off a debate by questioning cast as the basis of reservations. This book is an intellectual biography of I.P. Desai, narrating his growth from a school student to an eminent scholar and institution builder. It shows how the intellectual and social context in which he studied influenced his research as also development of sociology and its various specializations.

This book will be useful to students, teachers and researchers and all others interested in knowing the development of sociology in India.”(jacket)