Department of Sociology

History

Year of Establishment : 1975, fucntional-1976

History of the department : The Department of Sociology at University of Calcutta was set-up in 1975 and functional in 1976 and currently running M.A., M.Phil. & Ph.D coursework. It will complete forty two years in 2018.  With semester system of teaching and examination the department offers a 900 marks Master degree having compulsory components of Fieldwork and Term paper writing and a choice from six optional papers of 200 marks.

Incidentally, Sociology was being taught as a subsidiary in M.A. Economics since 1909 and also as a special paper in Political Science. It was in 1975 that the University Grants Commission approved the Department of Sociology at the University of Calcutta with BelaDuttGupta, then Reader in the Department of Political Science, as Head of Sociology. Subsequently, Prof. BelaDuttGupta, a nationally acclaimed Sociologist became Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chair Professor at Calcutta and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement by Indian Sociological Society in October 2009. Other faculties were Professor Debkumar Banerjee, Prof. Swapan Kr. Bhattacharyya, Prof. Swapan Kr. Pramanik, Prof. Bholanath Banerjee, Dr. Krishna Chakraborty, Prof. Bula Bhadra, Prof. Basabi Sur and Prof. Gayatri Bhattacharyya all of whom have retired.

Departmental faculties are in regular interface with larger society in new sub areas like Sociology of Health and Illness, Sociology of Ageing, Sociology of Culture and Gender in Literature, Cinema, and Theater etc. The faculties of this Department regularly contribute in generating academic knowledge and its application through interventions with other organizations in the new areas as mentioned in their capacity as experts and advisors to different local and national bodies.

The Department started publishing its own journal from 1980 that was re-launched as a refereed journal from 2007; the last issue of 2016 is on racks and issue of 2017 is forthcoming.

At present, the Department has eleven posts with four full time teachers and fifteen guest teachers.

• Dr. Sudeshna Basu Mukherjee
  • An Alumnus, Professor.
• Dr. Mallarika Sarkar (Das)
  • An Assistant Professor.
• Dr. Susmita Bhattacharyya
  • An Alumnus, Assistant  Professor
• Ms. Clare LizamitSamling
  • An Assistant Professor.

There were four UPE-UGC major collaborative projects with Applied Psychology, Linguistics, History and Library & Information Science departments under UPE-1. Currently there is an interdisciplinary ICSSR Major with the departments of Economics and Business Management.
Most faculty members of the Department contribute to different non-governmental organizations and to both print and electronic media as experts very often. Most faculty members are involved in outreach activities

The Department has already produced a handsome number of students who are employed in different national and international Institutes of repute. 15 Alumni are named here.

• Annually held Prof. BelaDutt Gupta Memorial Lecture
  • 1st “Selective Appropriation of Gender Ideology: The MahilaAghadi of the Farmers’ Movement in Maharastra, 1996-2004” - by Prof. D.N. Dhanagare, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla;
  • 2nd“Gender Representation in Higher Education: Going Beyond Numbers” , by Prof. Karuna Chanana, (Rtd), Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
  • 3rd “Revisiting Indian Sociology in 21st Century”, was delivered by Prof. K.L. Sharma(Retd), Pro-Chancellor, Jaipur National University, on 27th March 2017.

Academic

Faculty members:

Name	Designation	Area of specialization	Email	Phone number
Dr. Sudeshna Basu Mukherjee [Profile]	Professor	Research Methodology, Social Gerontology, Sociology of Organization, Sociology of Medicine and Illness	sudeshnabasumukerjee@gmail.com	9830021103
Dr. Mallarika Sarkar (Das) [Profile]	Assistant professors	Social Gerontology	mallarika_s@yahoo.com	9007828531
Ms. Clare Lizamit Samling [Profile]	Assistant professors	Soc. of Religion; Gender; Information Society	liza.samling@gmail.com	9163112925
Dr. Susmita Bhattacharyy [Profile]	Assistant professors	Sociology of Culture	mithu_susmita@yahoo.com	9830108659

Visiting faculty members :

Courses

Research

Research scholars :

Project

Thrust areas in teaching and research of the academic department/ centre :

TEACHING :

• INDIAN SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS
• WESTERN SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS
• WESTERN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY,POST-COLONIAL THEORY  &MARXIST
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY& SOCIAL STATISTICS
• INDIAN SOCIETY
• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL & SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
• SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT
• SOCIOLOGY OF ORGANIZATION
• SOCIOLOGY OF INDUSTRY & LABOUR
• SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME, DEVIANCE, and HARM
• SOCIOLOGY OF AGEING
• SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE

Currently Interdisciplinary researches are undertaken :

• Sociology of Ageing, Gender, Culture and Empowerment, Economy, Social Movement, Sociology and Literature.
• Changing spheres of life in the context of rise of an information and networked society, families and individuals and the weaker sections.
• Sociology of education, sports, gendered realm of medical and legal professions,
• Sociology and fashion in everyday social life, contemporary youth friendship.
• Sociology of illness, Medicine and society
• Technology-Society Interface and its Challenges and Prospects,
• Gender, Empowerment and Diaspora in the Rural community

Teaching support :

• e- learning is encouraged and resources are provided for better reference.

Research support:

Major activities :

• Students were placed in Webcon Consulting India limited: 2016
• Students were placed in Irvine Infocom Private Limited: 2017- As content analysts

International and National Lectures

• Why do the Nation States of Europe Need Protection in Legislation? The example of Swedish language policy and legislation since 2000; Sally Boyd Professor of General Linguistics Dept of Philosophy, Linguistics & Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg , Sweden, 8th December 2010. Funded By CU.
• “Female Body Image: Traditions, Social Construction and Commodification in the Global Marriage market’ Dr.AditiMitra of Colorado University, 11th of January 2011. Funded by CU.
• 'Health, Environment and Gender Intersections’ Prof. Laura Corradi, University of Calabria, South- Italy, February 28, 2011; Funded by CU – BI
• Collapse of Aryan Invasion/Immigration Theory and the Establishment of Indigenism; Prof. Nicholas Kazanas; Director, IMILOS Meleton Cultural Institute, Greece, 2011 Funded by CU.
• Human Rights from a Sociological Perspective; Prof. Bandana Purkayastha, University of Connecticut; 24 April 2012. Funded by Department.
• Reinterpreting Vivekananda; By Prof. TapanRaychaudhuri; on the occasion of 150 years of Swamiji; 6th March 2013.
• Indian Calendar Art: origins and Recent Developments; Prof. Bradley Hartel, Virginia Tech University; 26th March 2013. Funded by CU.
• “ IMAGINING THE RACIAL OTHER DURINGTHE BRISTISH COLONIAL PERIOD” By Dr. ASHOK MALHOTRA, British Academy Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Collaborative Research in the Humanities, Queens University, Belfast, 3rd September 2015. Funded by CU – BI
• 'Re-imagining Indian Sociology. Challenges confronting the Discipline'.Prof. Sujata Patel Hyderabad Central University and First Women President of the Indian Sociological Society, 22nd January, 2016 Funded by CU – BI
• .Variations in Portrayal of Durga on Bengali Greetings Card Traditional-Modern-Contemporary and Calendars; Prof. BradelyHertel; Tech University; 2017; Funded by CU – BI.
• Immigrants and the USA-Moving the Clock Back, ShaliniChoudhury,  Faculty, Arkansas University USA., 6th August 2018.

National and International Seminars :

• University of Calcutta,ICSSR and UNDP sponsored Post-Centenary Golden Jubilee International seminar on “Globalization: Potentialities and Predicaments” January 2007.
• Workshop on HIV/Aids was conducted by West Bengal State Aids Prevention & Control Society and Trustee AMITIE TRUST, Half-Day Workshop, April 7, 2011.
• “International Seminar on Childhood and Ageing: Contemporary Scenario”,  Sponsored by I C S S R, New Delhi, University of Calcutta and Save The Children, BalRaksha, Bharat, Participation by  luminaries from Australia, Prof. Michael Fine, University of Macquarie,  an eminent scholar in the field of Aged Care and internationally acclaimed scholars from in and around India. 3rd-4th February 2011,
• “Locating Social, Political and Gender Issues in the Works of Rabindranath Tagore”   26th of September 2011.
• In the INTERNATIONAL YOUTH, year (2010-2011) ORGANIZED; “Meeting Youth Needs in the 21st Century CANADA and INDIA: Youth work, Young people and Youth policy.” Sponsored by Shastri-Indo-Canadian Institute, New Delhi & University of Calcutta, 28th & 29th November 2011.
• Louis Dumont: A Tribute, National Seminar, Funded by CU – BI , 28 March 2012

Additional information :

• Departmental faculties are in regular interface with larger society and regularly contribute in generating academic knowledge and its application through interventions with other organizations in the new areas as mentioned in their capacity as experts and advisors to different local and national bodies.
• Faculty is members of Board of studies of West Bengal State University, CMIG Kolkata.
• Faculty is members of ETHICAL COMMITTEE of Indian Institute of Health and Hygiene.
• Faculties are executive membersand research committee conveners, of national and international Sociological association.
• Faculty are associated with outreach activities in areas of women, child, elderly, and marginalized groups and the impact of new technology.

Contact

Campus : Alipore

Address for communication : 1, Reformatory Street.Kolkata 700027.