Social Movements, Old and New: A Post-Modernist Critique

Contemporary Indian society is ridden with issues of conflict and the competing struggles of classes and communities. These conflicts are occurring in a society which, on the one hand, is lagging behind on the path of modernity and development but, on the other, has paradoxically and quickly produced all the cultural conditions which have encouraged the emergence of post-modernist struggles. Despite these developments, traditional sociology continues to view social movements from an increasingly out-dated and inadequate theoretical framework. This important book is both about social movements and collective actions, and about the discipline of sociology and prevailing concepts of Indian society. Presenting a post-modernist critique of the study of social movements, Professor Rajendra Singh maintains that it is these movements which truly represent the contemporary nature of Indian society. He thus challenges the dominant view that these struggles are expressions of disruption and a breakdown of the established social order. The author goes on to argue for the need for a post-sociology, based on broader perspectives drawn from all the social science disciplines, to fully grasp the realities of present-day Indian society. The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with conceptual issues involved in articulating a generic perspective for an understanding of social movements. The author examines current theories relating to old and new social movements; highlights the conflictual and transformational matrix of Indian society; and discusses various dynamics such as the movement from modernity to post-modernity, from society to post-society, and from sociology to post-sociology. In the second part Professor Singh presents a conceptual critique of various studies on social movements including the neo-classical model, Marxist Paradigms and historical approaches. He ends by presenting a unified perspective for an understanding of representations of society and social movements in the critical context of sociology. Presenting an entirely new paradigm for an understanding of social movements, both old and new, this unusual book will attract a wide readership among students and scholars of social movements, sociology, anthropology, political science and history while also being of interest to voluntary organisations, political activists, and administrators.