What isthe significance of village studies in the history of Indiansociology? What role did M.N. Srinivas play in promoting villagestudies?

The studyof Indian villages has always been important in the history of Indiansociology because of the following reasons:

(i) Itprovided with an opportunity to emphasise the importance ofethnographic research methods.

(ii) Itprovided examples of rapid social change that took place in thecountry after independence and implementation of planned development.

(iii) Thevillage studies provided sociology with a new role in the context ofindependent nation as it enabled urban Indians and policy makers toform their opinions about developments in the villages of India.

M.N.Srinivas played a very important role in promoting village studies byconcentrating his research on village areas. He conducted field workin villages and coordinated efforts at producing detailedethnographic accounts of villages. His writings featured ethnographicaccounts and historical and conceptual discussions about villages. Hewas critical of the arguments presented by the Britishanthropologists. He concluded that the village was as important asany other social institution. He also presented the links of thevillage community to the economy of the outside world.