MODERNIZATION OF INDIAN TRADITION : PROF YOGENDRA SINGH

 

MODERNIZATION OF INDIAN TRADITION

PROF YOGENDRA SINGH

Prof. Yogendra Singh is a renowned Indian sociologist who has made significant contributions to the understanding and theorization of India’s modernization. Born in 1932, he has held various prestigious positions, including being the founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Social Systems at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Prof. Singh has authored several books and articles on Indian society, culture, and modernization, with his most notable work being “Modernization of Indian Tradition” (1973)

Methodology:

Yogendra Singh was neither functionalist nor Marxist but he empha­sizes theory in relation to context. Therefore, he related structural-functional, structuralism, structural-historical, culturalism and Marxist orientation and constructs in the study social stratification. He applied integrated approach for his analysis of social stratification, modernization and change in Indian society. Singh has published extensively in national and international scholarly research journals. He is also author of many books.

He obtained his Master’s and PhD degree from Lucknow University

His main works are:

1.      Modernization of Indian Tradition (1973)

2.      Essays on Modernization (1977)

3.      Social Stratification and Social Change in India (1978)4

4.      Image of Man: Ideology and Theory in Indian Sociology (1984)

5.      Indian Sociology: Social Conditioning and Emerging Concerns (1987)

6.      Social Change in India: Crisis and Resilience (1993)

7.      Culture Change in India: Identity and Globalization (2000)8

8.      Ideology and Theory in Indian Sociology (2004)

 

MODERNIZATION OF INDIAN TRADITION

MODERNIZATION: A process associated with sweeping changes in a society particularly-

.                                    --Social\

                                     --Economic

                                     --Political

                                     --Cultural

Substantial break with traditional society

Before a process it is an idea

Concept of Westernization emerged as an explanation of how Western countries/societies developed through Capitalism.

Modernization depends primarily on introduction of technology and the knowledge required for it.

Some prerequisites of modernization

1  increased level of education

2  development of mass media

3  accessibility to transportation and communication

4  democratic political institutions

5  more urban and mobile population

6  nuclear family

7  complex division of labor

8  declining public influence of religion

 

Daniel Thorner in his essay ‘Modernization’ explains modernization is current term for on old process of social change through which less developed societies acquire the character of more developed societies.

Modernization : a process of social change in which development is the economic component.

Yogendra Singh: modernization implies a rational attitude towards issues and their evaluation from universal point of view.

Tradition: refers to those value themes prior to the beginning of modernization. There values are the basis of Indian society.

Value themes: organized on the principles of

HIERARCHY: engrained the system of caste and sub caste stratification. It is also there in the Hindu concept of nature- Yugas, Ashrams (occupational life cycle), Dharma and Purushartha.

HOLISM: implied a relationship between individual and group. Preference was given to Sangha (community) not individual. For ex. Family, Village community etc.

CONTINUITY: was symbolized by principle of Karma, Transmigration of soul, and cyclical view of change (Satyuga, Tretayug, Dwapar and Kaliyuga)

TRANSCENDENCE: posited the legitimacy of traditional values could never be challenged on grounds of rationality derived from non-sacred or profane scales of evaluation. A super concept contributes to integration as well as rationalization of other value themes.

 

 

MODERNIZATION DICHOTOMY

 

E. Durkheim:                Mechanical versus Organic solidarity

Max Weber:                  Traditional versus Rational legal authority

T. Parsons:                    Pattern variables-       Affectivity versus Affective neutrality

                                                                        Particularism versus Universalism

                                                                        Collectivity versus Self orientation

                                                                        Specificity versus Diffusioness

F. Tonnies:                    Gemeinschaft versus Gesellschaft

Ralph Linton:               Achieved versus Ascribed

 

Modernization of Indian Tradition:

Cultural analysis: Sanskritization- M.N. Srinivas

Little and Great tradition-      Milton Singer and McKim Mariott

Multiple tradition: S.C. Dube

 

Structural analysis: Dialectical approach (functional /dialectical )

Cognitive historical/indological

Yogendra Singh used both cultural and structural but advocated structural particularistic view.

PARADIGM OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

 

SOURCES OF CHANGE	CULTURAL STRUCTURE		SOCIAL STRUCTURE
	LITTLE TRADITION	GREAT TRADITION	MICRO STRUCTURE	MACRO STRUCTURE
HETEROGENETIC CHANGES	ISLAMIZATION	SECONDARY ISLAMIC IMPACT	ROLE DIFFEENTIATION	POLITICAL INNOVATION
	PRIMARY WESTERNIZATION	SECONDARY WESTERNIZATION OR (MODERNIZATION	NEW LEGITIMATION	NEW STRUCTURE OF ELITES, BUREAUCRACY, INDUSTRY ETC.
ORTHOGENETIC CHANGES	SANSKRITIZATION OR	CULTURAL RENAISSANCE	PATTERN RECURRENCE, COMPULSIVE MIGRATION OR POPULATION SHIFT	ELITE CIRCULATION SUCCESSION OF KINGS, RISE AND FALL OF CITIES AND TRADE CENTRES
	TRADITIONALIZATION

Macro level

According to Yogendra Singh British introduced modern legal system (based on equality of law) and many subsequent laws like Sati abolition, IPC, CRPC etc.

Parsons takes the emergence of modern legal system as aspect of modernization. Emergence of modern political system which was not existent in Indian society (Ancient India: Political system : Sabha and Samiti)

Introduction of modern means of communication and transportation.

 Micro level:

Caste becomes more strong and repressive.  New avenues of progress were not allowed to lower cast by upper caste (through tradition, customs and practices)

Singh: modernization was used by the elites to camouflage the micro structure

In India modernization has many contradictions:

1 Right from British higher education is given preference over primary level

2 Democratization process: from elites to masses rather than adoption by masses itself

3 Existent of contradiction between national and regional elites

4 Regional elites : parochial, danger for national interest, encourage regionalism

Industrialization at the cost of development of agriculture. We adopted that industrialization is more important and agriculture was given the role of bargaining sector (to keep wages low in industries)

Modernity in Europe was value modernity. Religious values were replaced by secular, humanistic, rational values. Value transformation was followed by institutional transformation- Transformation of political, social, economic, educational institutions.

Modernity in Europe: Replacing and destroying traditions.

Modernity has been a cultural choice for India rather than coming at the cost of culture (like West)   

Prof. K.L. Sharma: indicates structural inconsistencies in India

                        Bureaucracy without universalism

                        Legislation without rule of law

Democratization without rule of law

Cultural Schizophrenia: M.N. Srinivas found a bulldozer driver (modern occupation) who also practice magic and sorcery.

India remains driven by norms and values

Behavior remains culture bound and normative

Indians go for modernity as per their interests and choices hence modernity in India is different from modernity in West

Parsonian analysis: Social change in India is leading to tension between culture and structure.

Even constitution is confused between holism versus individualism.

Buddhism wanted super Brahmin status

Jainism wanted Supra Brahmin status.

Bhakti movement took sanskritic faith to Shudras – got culture and religion

Also incorporated some tribals, non Hindu elements into Hinduism.  

Little and Great tradition:

Sikhism has elements of Hindu and Muslim religion

Syncretic Hindu culture – with Aryan and Non-Aryan elements

Louis Dumont: India is not a multicultural tradition. Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are only sects of Hinduism. Indian society is Hindu society. Hindu is not a relation but a system of values.

Concept of Little and Great tradition was put forward by Milton Singer while advancing Folk-Urban continuum theory was given by Robert Redfield.

Redfield rejected the theory of Alfred Kroeber’ Culture and Civilization.

Redfield: Modernity do not fall from heaven, there is a continuity in rural urban social traditions.

Milton Singer argued in favor of Redfield. He divides civilization into :

Primary: formed by indigenous people

Secondary: comes from outside  

Yogendra Singh advocated modernity as a matter of time only when little tradition will imbibe culture of great tradition fully and India will be modern nation.

Modernists : celebrate and glorify modernity. According to modernist tradition will be fully replaced by modernity as happened in Europe.

Continuity School: Arrived in phases in India. Knocked at the doors of Indian tradition (ancient, historic, deeply rooted)

Refused to change significantly.

Modernity was given space in specific spheres.

Family, religion still  traditional

Cognitive School: India can never be modern.

Dumont: as values are different

Hierarchy, Holism, Continuity and transcendence are in mind and ideology, so cognitive change needed but it is difficult

Dialectical: Modernity only benefits certain sections of society. For ex. Green revolution benefited only large land owners and rich farmers

Cultural Approach: India is Primary civilization.

Tradition has specific characteristics (Hierarchy, Holism, Continuity and transcendence) which is opposite to modernity

Structural change : Fast Example removal of untouchability, abolition of Sati etc.

Cultural change: Slow

Change in structure: Harijans (word used ) for untouchables. Sri Narayan Dharma Paripalan Movement

Change of Structure: Class becomes more important than caste

Joint family is replaced by nuclear family

 India is driven by norms, values and traditions. Pointing out the limitation of earlier approaches – evolutionary, cultural, ideological and structural Yogendra Singh proposed an integrated approach which provides a new paradigm to observed and describe social change.

This paradigm has the following features:

Substantive domain: domain of phenomena which is undergoing change- level could be culture or social structure

Context: change could begin at micro (limited boundaries- Caste, Kinship, Village community) or macro level (pan Indian – Bureaucracy, Industry etc).

Sources of change:

Exogenous: Heterogenetic

Endogenous: Orthogenetic

Direction of change: Evolutionary liner- from traditionalization to modernization

Applying the paradigm Yogendra Singh analyses social change in India.

He makes distinction between social change and modernization.

Modernization: Evolutionary linear change, Structural change

Describes modern social change in terms of

Additive:         provides impetus to traditional practices like use of computers

Synthetic:       provides impetus to traditional practices

Disruptive:     has changed the entire system: in economy BPO, Call centre, Outsourcing etc

changes in economic structure (LPG model), rise of Indian middle class, consumerism etc

but modernity in the form of Green revolution continued our dependency on agriculture

Disjunctive:    no impact

Y. Singh: Modernity is a complex phenomena. Modernity and tradition co-exist in India.