Social Change in Rural India

This is the first ever investigative study of the processes of social change vis-?-vis the traditional socio-cultural institutions of the two villages, Kolghar and Golatgaon, in Maharashtra state. Dr. Hiramani, drawing on the findings of his extensive field-work and diverse primary as well as secondary sources, vividly builds up a broad perspective of rural builds up a broad perspective of rural Maharashtra, offers a remarkable insight into the age-old socio-cultural patterns and attempts to gauge the impact registered on them by the over all changes on the national scene. The study, consistently supported by tabular and statistical information, examines the four major social institutions, viz., Marriage and Family; Village Economy; Stratification; and Power, Authority and influence. In the sweep of his analyses, the author highlights the structure and composition of the rural family, its level of education; marriage alliances; occupational mobility, and the land-holding patterns; caste hierarchy and caste councils; leadership patterns and factions in the rural polity. This empirical study, aimed at contributing to an intimate understanding of the rural life in Maharashtra, can be used with great advantage by all those interested in social and economic conditions in rural India.