The Sociological Traditions and Their Margins—The Bombay School of Sociology and Dalits

Abstract

Bombay School of sociology has contributed immensely to the development of sociology in India. G. S. Ghurye and his students and followers practised and popularized diverse sociological orientations illustrated in Indological, fieldwork and ethnographic approaches in India. Since Ghurye was the main architect of the discipline, it is necessary to unfold the different dimensions of the craft he and his students institutionalized over a period of time. Much has already been written about Ghurye’s contribution and the contribution of the Bombay School to the making of sociology in India. Yet there is no detail critical account either of his work or of the contribution of the Bombay School. As an initial step towards a critical evaluation of the contribution of the Bombay School, the present paper deals with the issues and concerns expressed in the works of Ghurye and others.KeywordsBombay School of sociologyDalitsIndologicalEthnographic