This document provides an overview of social sciences perspectives relevant for social work. It discusses the traditional Hindu society, impact of various historical factors on Indian society, characteristics of tribal society and rural/urban communities in India. It also covers concepts like social stratification, caste system, social class, social disorganization, and common social problems in India and their causes.

1. Social Sciences perspective for
Social Work
II
JFM Lohith Shetty
PGDPM, MSW(HRD), MBA(Hosp Mgt), NET
Chief Facilitator – Vinetra Training Institute
Trainer – Junior Chamber International
President - 2014, JCI Mangalore
LohithShetty

2. Statutory Instructions:
This is not a study material & only a teaching
aid.
There is constant changes made to this teaching
material & those changes are not updated in
Slide Share.
This slide is prepared as teaching aid only, so it
can be understood & interpreted rightly only
after attending my classes.
LohithShetty

3. 2 Intro to Indian Society.pptx
Historical Morning of the Indian Society - Traditional Hindu
Society:
It laid emphasis on religion and magic in behavioural norms
and values, implying continuity with a real or imagined past.
A. Broadly it can be understood as one in which:
1. I di idual s status is deter i ed his irth a d he does
not strive for social mobility.
2. I di idual s eha iour is go er ed usto s, traditio s,
norms and values having deep links with the past.
3. Social organization provides regularity and predictability in
social interaction based on hierarchy.
4. Kinship relations predominate in interaction and individual
identifies himself with primary group.
5. Individual is given more importance in social relations than
what his position actually warrants.
LohithShetty

4. 6. People are conservative.
7. Economy is simple i.e. tool economy & not machine.
8. Mythical thoughts were predominant, no logical
resourcing.
9. Superstitious beliefs were predominant
10. Like most other religions women were suppressed.
B. Basic Tenets and Doctrines of Hindu Society:
I. Theological ideas – a) Karma (deeds) b) Dharma
(morality) c) Punarjanma (rebirth) d) Atma (soul) e)
Papa (sin) f) Punya (merit) and g) Moksha (salvation)
II. Purity and impurity (Shudha and Ashudha)
III. Hierarchy - a) division in Varanas, b) In charismatic
qualities (Guna) c) In values regarding life gods Kama
(sex and material gods of sensory enjoyments), Artha
(achieving wealth), Dharma (moral obligation in
social, religious and cultural realms), Moksha
(pursuit of salvation). LohithShetty

5. C. Idol Worship
D. Monolithic charter (many gods)
E. Ashramas: Stages of Life in Realizing the Ideal of Life
a) Brahmacharya (student life)
b) Grahasthya (family life)
c) Vanaprastha (retired life) and
d) Sannyasa (life of renunciation)
F. Varanas
a) Brahmanas – engaged in priestly function, teaching,
medicine etc.
b) Kshatriyas – engaged in war, ruling and
administration.
c) Vaishyas – engaged in agriculture, trade and
commerce.
d) Sudras – engaged in unskilled work and as labourers.
LohithShetty

6. Indian Society through the Ages:
✓Impact of Cultural Renaissance and Buddhism
✓Impact of Islam
✓Impact of West and Modernization
✓Impact of modern Education System
Factors in continuity and change in Indian Society:
✓Political Independence and Democratic values
✓Urbanization
✓Industrialization
✓Increase in Education
✓Legislative Measures
✓Change in Caste system
✓Social Movement and Social Awareness
✓Feminism
✓Globalization
LohithShetty

7. Tribal Society:
Society in India by Ram Ahuja
According to July 11, 1995-Hindustan Times
8.08% of Indian population is constituted by
Tribes.
They are distinct by following charrectoristics:
❖Isolated from larger cultural influences
❖They believe in spirits, magic and witch craft
❖They have their own taboos
❖Most tribes believe in Animisms
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8. Some Important features of
tribes:
A. Common Name
B. Common Territory
C. Common Language
D. Common Culture
E. Endogamy
F. Political Organizations – Own
administration and judgement
G. Practice their own herbal medicines
H. Tribal leadership
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9. Tribal Problem:
1. They hold small and uneconomic land holdings
2. Isolated from civilization and amenities
3. Illiteracy
4. Ignorance of law and constitution
5. Blind faith
6. Declaration and National forest Reservoirs
7. Mining and land acquisition
8. Poor hygiene accommodation and health
facilities
9. Exploitation
10.Bonded labours
11.Human trafficking / Women Trafficking
12.Displacement and Resettlement
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10. The Indian Rural Community:
Characteristics
1. Joint Family system
2. Agriculture Dependent
3. Handicraft and Folk Culture
4. Religious
5. Caste System
6. High illiteracy and Ignorance
7. Superstitious belief
8. Less Modernized
9. Low access to health care
10.Gender inequality
11.Power structure dominates
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11. Problems - Rural Community:
1) High birth-rate and death rate
2) Illiteracy and ignorance
3) High exploitation of suppressed
class
4) Low per-capita income
5) Breakdown of family structure
6) Low Employment opportunities
7) Lack of educational
8) Lack of health care facilitiesLohithShetty

12. Problems - Rural Community: Contd.
9) Superstitious belief and spiritual medicines
10) High gender inequality and discrimination
11) Child marriage
12) Bonded Labour
13) Caste discrimination, class discrimination
14) Remote legislative and judicial approach
15) High dependency on nature and natural
calamities
16) Lack of cleanliness and hygiene
17) Lack of awareness and prevention of illness
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13. Problems of Indian Urban Community:
1) Slums
2) High inequality of income
3) Unemployment
4) Drug addiction and mafia
5) Divorce, separation, living to gather, extra
marital unwedded mother affairs etc.
6) Homeless
7) Juvenile delinquency
8) Prostitution
9) Child trafficking / women trafficking
10)Pollution and over crowding
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14. The Indian Urban Community
characteristics:
1. Nuclear / extended family
2. Higher level of literacy
3. Higher per-capita Income
4. Sophisticated and automated life style
5. Higher involvement and membership in tertiary
groups
6. Employment of both the spouse is highly
observed
7. Weaker family bond
8. Industrialization
9. Over population
10.Good infrastructure and facilities
11.Higher surveillance and securityLohithShetty

15. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION: Shankar Rao
a) Raymond W Murry: So ial stratifi atio is a
horizo tal di isio of so iet i to high a d
lo er so ial u its .
b) Gisbert: So ial stratifi atio is the di isio
of society into permanent groups of
categories linked with each other by the
relationship of superiority and
su ordi atio .
c) Lundberg: A stratified so iet is o e arked
by inequality, by differences among people
that are e aluated the as ei g lo erLohithShetty

16. Characteristics:
I. It is Social
II. It is Ancient
III. It is Universal
IV. It is in diverse forms
V. It is consequential
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17. Caste system:
• C H Cooley: Whe a lass is so e hat
stri tl hereditar , e a all it a aste .
• Mac Iver and Page: Whe status is holl
predetermined so that men are sort to their
lot without any hope of changing it, then the
lass takes the e tre e for of aste .
• A W Green: Caste is a s ste of stratifi atio
in which mobility up and down the status
ladder, at least ideall a ot o ur .
LohithShetty

18. Characteristics of Caste:
• Caste as a hierarchical division of society
• Sentimental division of society
• Restriction on Food habits
• Restriction on social relations, i.e. social and
religious disabilities of certain castes
• The civil and religious privilege of certain
castes
• Restrictions on Occupational choice
• Restrictions on marriage
LohithShetty

19. Causes for changes in Caste System:
1. Uniform Legal System
2. Impact of Modern Education and westernization
3. Industrialization, Urbanization, Westernization
4. Influence of modern transport and
communication system
5. Raise of Non Brahmin Movement: Jyothirao
Pooley 1873.
6. Various social legislations
7. Increase in organizational power of castes
8. Protection of SC and OBC
9. Freedom struggle and democracy
10.Liberty and equality LohithShetty

20. The Estate System:
Social Class
• Ogburn and Nimkoff: A So ial Class is the
aggregate of persons having essentially the
sa e so ial status i a gi e so iet .
• MacIver and Page: A SC is a portio of the
community marked off from the rest by social
status .
• Lapire: A SC is ulturall defi ed group that is
accorded a particular position of status within
the populatio as a hole .
LohithShetty

21. Nature and Characteristics:
a) Class is a status group
b) Achieved status and not ascribed status
c) It is universal
d) Mode of feeling and pride or inferiority
e) Element of prestige
f) Element of sterility
g) Mode of living
h) Social class an open group
i) Social class an economic group
j) Class consciousnessLohithShetty

22. Caste Class
1. Particular Universal
2. Ascribed status Achieved status
3. Closed System Open System
4. Devine Origin Secular
5. Purity and Impurity Feeling of Disparity
6. Regulation of Relations Limits Relations
7. Greater Social Distance Less Social Distance
8. Conservative Progressive
9. Endogamous Group Not Endogamous
10. Complexity Simplicity
11. Caste Conscious Class ConsciousLohithShetty

23. SOCIAL DISORGANISATION:
• Robert Eolofairs: So ial Disorga izatio is a
disturbance in the patterns with mechanism
of hu a relatio s .
• Ogburn and Nimkoff: Whe the har o ious
relationship between the various parts of
culture is disturbed, social disorganization
e sures .
• Emile Durkheim: So ial Disorga izatio is a
state of disequilibrium and a lack of social
solidarity or consensus among the members
of a so iet . LohithShetty

24. Types of Disorganization: Elliot and
Merrill
• Personal or Individual disorganization like
crime, insanity or mental derangement,
juvenile delinquency, alcoholism, prostitution,
drug addiction, gambling, suicide etc.
• Family disorganization like divorce, desertion,
separation, broken home, unwedded
mothers, domestic violence and venereal
disease etc.
• Community disorganization like poverty,
beggary, unemployment, overpopulation,
lawlessness, political corruption etc.LohithShetty

25. Characteristics of Social Disorganization:
1. Conflict of Mores and of Institutions
2. Transfer of functions from one group to
another
3. Individualization
4. Inconsistency between expectations and
achievements
5. Inconsistency between status and role
LohithShetty

26. Causes of Social Disorganization:
1. Psychological Factors: a) Communication
b) Problem of attitude
2. Cultural Lag
3. Physical or Geographic factors
4. Biological factors
5. Economic factors
6. Social Problems leading to Social Disorganization
7. Degeneration of values
8. Disintegration and confusion of roles
9. Political subordination
10.Decline of social control
11.Disruptive social changeLohithShetty

27. Social Problems:
1. Unemployment and underemployment
2. Poverty
3. Beggary
4. Over population
5. Illitaracy
6. Dowry system
7. Castism, untouchability & communal riots
8. Rape & crime against women & children
...Cont...
LohithShetty

28. Social Problems: And Causes
1. Youth unrest
2. Problems of aged
3. Unemployment and underemployment
4. Problems of Under Privileged
5. Corruption and Black money
6. Domestic Violence
7. Health & communicable illness
8. Terrorism
LohithShetty