Indigenization of Sociology: A Transformative Perspective in Higher Education with Reference to India

Indigenization in understanding society is a way for self-awareness and rejection of borrowed consciousness by opposing Western perspective and its universalism. Many Indian scholars questioned the western model, pleaded for the adoption of new approaches and methods which are applicable in Indian context. Sociologists and Anthropologists have tried to explore social institutions through the analysis of contemporary ideologies, Values and norms of Indian Society. In the Asian context, Indigenization of teaching sociology in higher education has been pursued as teaching Sociology in national language, research by insiders on prioritizing the relevant researchable issues, theoretical and methodological reorientation and challenges in accepting the Indigenization in the academic culture under the Globalization. The objective of this paper is, to re-conceptualize the sociological concepts for a scientific study of Indian society, to provide a vision for future development, social innovation and its implications. It mainly emphasizes on contextualizing the Indianization of education on social and cultural institutions of Indian society. This will lead to the growth of Native Scholarships and the Nation-building process.

The article concludes and justifies the need to re-examine to evolve suitable strategies in understanding the Indian Society. The Indian education should synthesize traditional principles in terms of modern rationalistic-positivistic ideas and also the western value-neutral scien­tific attitude. Infusing Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum is important and this kind of transformation is desirable also. so that society can be examined through new lenses. It emphasizes the positive aspects of indigenization in understanding the social and intellectual traditions and institutional growth of Indian society.