I presented on the paper of Bishnu Bhandari titled 'The Past and Future of Sociology in Nepal' at the class of Sociology of South Asia in MA Sociology Semester 1, South Asian University, New Delhi, India

1. THE PAST AND FUTURE OF SOCIOLOGY
IN NEPAL
BY
BISHNU BHANDARI
Md. Hamza Kamal Mostafa
Semester 1, MA Sociology,
South Asian University,
New Delhi

2. OVERVIEW
 Source: Occasional Papers in Sociology and
Anthropology, Volume 2
 Published by: Central Department of Sociology and
Anthropology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
 Author: Bishnu Bhandari, Reader, Ph.D. (Sociology),
University of Wisconsin-Madison ,United States
 Date of Publication: April, 1990
 Content of the text:
1. Plain account of historical development
2. Drawbacks and Ways out
 Context: Beginning of the journey of the discipline
 Perspective: Neutral point of View

3. DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AS A
DISCIPLINE IN NEPAL

4. FIRST PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT
 1953: Rural sociology taught in the Village
Development Training for low level
manpower.
 Content of the training: Nepali Society and
Culture (Rural Society)
 Purpose: Understand the dynamics of social
change

5. SECOND PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT
 1970: The VC of Tribhuvan University
expresses about the absence of a sociology
department.
 Reason:
1. Growing popularity of sociology in the
universities abroad.
2. Social change after the 1951 movement.
 Initiative: Prof. E. Gellner’s visit to Nepal to
prepare feasibility report with the support of
British Council.

6. TO BE CONTINUED…
 1973: Establishment of the department of
Sociology/ Anthropology in the Institute of Nepal
and Asian Studies.
 Primary objectives:
1. Systematic social research
2. Training
3. Act as a clearing house and point of contact,
coordination and cooperation
 Department head: Gellner got appointed as a
Professor & Head of the department of
Sociology.

7. TO BE CONTINUED…
 Program: M.A. & Ph.D
 Three activities in INAS:
1. Weekly seminar on ‘The Sociology of spirit-possession
in Nepal’
2. Recruitment of three Nepali researchers on the
particular areas.
3. Admission of two Nepali students for M.A. degree.
 Infrastructure: Basic infrastructure established by INAS
in 1973
 Transformation of INAS: INAS changed to Research
Center for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS) and shut
down granting degrees to students.

8. THIRD PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT
 1977: Five students sent to India by
Tribhuvan University to obtain M.A. degrees
in Sociology and Anthropology.
 1978: Institute of Humanities and Social
Sciences (IHSS) prepared the courses of
study and opened the department of
Sociology and Anthropology.
 Purpose: To equip the students with the
theoretical and practical tools so that they
can meet the needs of Nepal (Pp 15).

9. TO BE CONTINUED….
 Admission requirement to M.A.: Students seeking
admission should have a bachelor’s degree in
respective or relevant subjects.
 Masters program duration: 2 years
 1985: Undergraduate level sociology and
anthropology courses begin at four campuses.
First M.A. Degree granted by the department.
 1989: Six batches of students graduated from the
department.
 Teaching of Sociology: Number of campuses offer
sociology courses at undergraduate level.

10. TO BE CONTINUED…
 Professional and technical institutes also teach sociology
course.
 Ph.D. degree: The department in Kirtipur initiated to
provide Ph.D. program. At that moment, three students
enrolled in Ph.D. program.
 Faculty members: Till then, 14 faculty members engaged
in teaching in the department.
 Course Outline: Eight courses offered for 2year-Masters
program.
 1986: Publication of the first issue of the SEASON
Newsletter
 1987: Publication of volume 1 of Occasional Papers in
Sociology and Anthropology by the department.

11. RESEARCH AFFILIATION
 Journey of the department: Nine years, 1000 students in
the masters program, three students enrolled in Ph.D.
program.
 Students from abroad: Foreign students came from the
United States, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
 Research affiliation with foreign universities: Number of
universities in US, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and
Japan affiliated with the department.
 Reason behind coming foreign students: To research
Nepali society and culture.
 Nepali students going abroad: Under the program with
INGO and international foundation, many Nepali scholars
go abroad to pursue higher education.

12. DRAWBACK
 Inadequacy of trained locals
 Scarcity of job opportunities
 Unavailability of text books
 Lack of funds
 Lack of theoretical framework
 Lack of commitment
 Lack of Professionalism

13. WAY OUT
 Enhance awareness about sociology
 Create more career opportunities for graduates
 Define research areas to be covered
 Adopt inter-disciplinary approaches to study
problems
 Revive Sociological Anthropological Society of
Nepal (SASON)
 Publish a regular professional journal
 Utilize more types of data and information
sources

14. TO BE CONTINUED
 Establishment a National Institute for Social
Science Research
 Shift the focus of research from the descriptive
to perspective
 Strike a balance between the quantitative and
qualitative
 Move towards institutionalization
 Making the discipline indigenous
 Determine ideological courses of action