Jaipur • New Delhi • Bengaluru • Guwahati • Kolkata
Development, being endogenous and self-reliant, should emerge from
the core of each society. It gains its true significance only when it is
anchored at the local level and embedded in the practices of each community. No
development model can be universal, as the richness of development lies in the
diversity of its patterns. This requires sociological knowledge to expand the
scope of development studies and move beyond narrow economic and administrative
assumptions.
Grounding Development: Epistemological Reversal and the Idea of
Locality offers a sociological and social anthropological analysis of rural
development policies in postcolonial India. By critically examining major rural
development policies, the book raises a key question: Do policymakers’ views on
rural development align with those of sociologists? It explores the
interconnections between community participation and rural development,
advocating for a participatory approach that integrates diverse perspectives.
This book proposes a conceptual framework for mobilizing collective initiatives
in rural India, aiming to empower communities and promote comprehensive
development.
Introduction
Development and Social Change: Theoretical Discourse
Planning and Development: A Sociological
Analysis
Grounding Development: The Idea of
Participatory Development
Conclusion
Shibsankar Jena is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Sociology and Social Work at Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central
University), Sagar (Madhya Pradesh). He specializes in Modernity, Agrarian
Studies, and Poverty Studies. With over 13 years of teaching and research
experience, Jena has published more than 15 research articles, including
articles in reputed journals like Society and Culture in South Asia and
Sociological Bulletin. His published works include Agrarian Modernity and
Development in India: Postcolonial Rurality (Cambridge Scholar Publishing) and
Cultivating Cardamom: Culture, Economy and Social Structure of Sikkim (Lambert
Publications). He has participated in numerous conferences, including an
international conference in Melbourne, Australia. He was awarded the Junior
Research Fellowship in the New Areas of Sociology of Culture by the Ministry of
Culture, Government of India.
