Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology

Established in 2008, the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology has been providing unique opportunities to the students, the majority of which are from Adivasi communities, to explore and understand the life and culture of societies of their own as well as others from the perspectives of Sociology and Social Anthropology.

Since its inception, the Department has been offering B.A. (Honors), M.A., and Ph.D. courses in Sociology.  The Department has introduced Industrial Sociology, Rural Sociology, Ethnographic studies of Indian Tribes, Sociology of Education, and Tribal Development, keeping the scope of the subject and thrust of the institution. The Department aims to provide field-based experiences to the students in order to understand the life and culture of the tribes and other rural communities, especially in and around Amarkantak and other tribal areas of the country. 

Dissertation at both B.A. and M.A. levels has been introduced to enhance the skill level and produce the practical output (along with certain contextual policy recommendations on several socio-economic problems. The syllabus has specifically focused on the topics of NET/JRF/GATE and important facets of NEP-2020. The  Department has established a computer lab and departmental library for the first-hand training of basic computer skills and support of learning materials to the students. 

According to the objective of the University, much emphasis is given on tribal ethnography, culture, customs, economic activities, beliefs, traditional knowledge, and resource management in the course content. Continuity, relevance, and change of tribal society are the focusing domains of the department imparted to both U.G. and P.G. students. The empirical exploration of several contemporary issues and problems of tribal/rural communities (along with their documentation) through rigorous field work is the salient feature of the department.