Department of Sociology

The Department of Sociology is committed to a productive and responsible understanding of contemporary society. Keeping abreast of global and local shifts in social life, in our economic, political, cultural, and everyday lives, we train our students to critically engage with their environment with a robust sociological grounding and interdisciplinary sensitivity. With a focus on emerging planetary concerns of health, security, poverty, sustainability, technology, law, and governance, our research and teaching programs are equally grounded in classical and contemporary approaches to themes like family and kinship, religion and ritual, difference and hierarchy, rural and urban, art and aesthetics,  and sound and sensorium. The pedagogic routine at the department adheres to benchmarks of social science excellence in rigorous methodology and theoretical debates.

As a department, we focus on a profile that can sustain and enable research within the Indian sub-continent and encourage connections and conversations -- analytical, ethnographic, and archival -- with locations around the region and globally. Our faculty are engaged in active research and writing on science and technology studies; sonic and visual cultures; religion and identity, mind and body; climate change and social ecologies; law and governance, and life and biophilosophies. Our faculty's engagement in ongoing discussions and debates speaks of our emerging leadership in the discipline.

Our major ‘Society, Culture, Technology’ as part of the IHS program offers a unique curriculum that critically examines how technology shapes society. Students will gain insights into the impact of scientific and technological innovations on cultures and social life, as well as how social forces influence these developments. This interdisciplinary major encourages students to explore key questions, such as the role of science in shaping our world and whether technologies exacerbate or address social issues. Through a curated set of courses, students will understand the interplay between science, technology, and social contexts, analyzing the challenges and potential of technological advancements. This major prepares students for further pursuing disciplinary training in sociology or social anthropology as well as entering in professional fields like development, media, journalism, bureaucracy, and writing, among many other emerging careers.

Our sought-after, fully funded Ph.D. program involves a specially designed year of disciplinary and multi-perspective training on theory and method. Our competitive students come from various social sciences and other disciplinary backgrounds. After their first-year of rigorous coursework training, they enter a minimum of one year field or archival research, followed by three years of writing. In addition, they also work as Teaching Assistants, which prepares them for a teaching career as well. Our students  have opportunities and support for participating and presenting in national and international conferences and workshops, and publishing in top journals in the field. Along with innovative forms of ethnographic writing, our students' works show engagement with emerging fields of visual anthropology and other creative modes of expression.