This Book Is Based On The Field Enquiry In The Life And Works Of 41 Elite Artists In India, Art Galleries, Art Connoisseurs, Critics And Dealers And Art Public. Nmber Of Illustrations In B&W, Condition Good.

This beautifully illustrated book explores the opinions of artists, critics and others involved with arts or crafts, arguing for a theory that considers the different discursive formations and related strategic practices of an art world. Focusing on Orissan patta paintings in India the author examines the local, regional and national discourses involved. In so doing, the text demonstrates that, while painters' local discourses are characterised by pragmatism, the discourses of regional and especially national elites are concerned with the exegesis of local paintings and their association with the great Sanskrit tradition A central theme of the study focuses on the awards given for skill in craft making and their changing significance as they pass from national and regional elites to local painters. It is shown how certain key actions by local painters result from a clash between local discourses on the one hand and regional and national discourses on the other.

This book presents a critical and reflective view of fundamental theoretical orientations, thematic domains, and current debates in Indian sociology. It covers the growth of sociology as an academic and pedagogical subject, with four main parts. Part I discusses important theoretical orientations in Indian sociology, including Indological and civilizational approaches, as well as the contributions of an eminent sociologist and pioneer in Indian sociology, Professor Yogendra Singh, concerning the sociology of knowledge, liberal democracy, and the relevance of his concept of Islamization in the study of Indian society. Part II examines substantive areas of study such as caste, class, and tribe. Part III reflects on specific topics of current concern in Indian sociology, such as emerging vistas and futures, globalization, and rethinking area studies for planetary conversations. This book is highly relevant for postgraduate students and researchers in sociology, social anthropology, and social sciences.

"Abstracts were prepared under the general supervision of Dr. D. Narain, University of Bombay."

Sociology Looks at the Arts is intended as a concise yet nuanced introduction to the sociology of art. This book will provide a foundation for teaching and discussing a range of questions and perspectives used by sociologists who study the relationship between the arts – including music, performing arts, visual arts, literature, film and new media – and society.

Human being is distinct from other groups of species in many respects. Human being doesn't live by bread alone. He is a social animal and socialization, communication and integration is what makes him social. It has become possible due to culture, which is produced by human beings. It is in the human society alone that culture in its multiple forms has got evolved. The cultural development in human society could be possible because human beings have certain natural, inherent abilities and capacities, which are necessary for its creation. It has been noted by the scientists that the human being in general is far more intelligent and creative than the other animals. He has distinct capacities necessary to reproduce, remember, imagine and to conceptualise.

Taking South Asia as its focus, this wide-ranging collection probes the general reluctance of the cultural anthropology to engage with contemporary visual art and artists, including painting, sculpture, performance art and installation. Through case studies engaged equally in anthropology and visual studies, contributors examine art and artistic production in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal to bring the social and political complexities of artistic practice to the fore. Demonstrating the potential of the visual as a means to understand a society, its values, and its politics, this volume ranges across discourses of anthropology, sociology, biography, memory, art history, and contemporary practices of visual art. Ultimately, Intersections of Contemporary Art, Anthropology and Art History in South Asia simultaneously expands and challenges the disciplinary foci of two fields: it demonstrates to art criticism and art history the necessity of anthropological and sociological methodologies and theories, while at the same time challenging the “iconophobia” of social sciences.

This collection of 17 original essays, provides insights into the many ways in which the interrelated issues of culture, identity and `Indianness' are expressed in contemporary times. The contributors map and evaluate the developments in their respective fields over the past 50 years and cover the topics of art, music, theatre, literature, philosophy, science, history and feminism.