Antinomies of Society - Essays on Ideologies & Institutions

Author: Andre BeteillePublisher: Oxford University PressYear: 2000Language: EnglishPages: 307ISBN/UPC (if available): 0195653890 DescriptionThis volume brings together the author’s recent essays on institutions, civil society, and democracy written from a comparative perspective but with India at the centre of attention. The essays are devoted to changing norms and values and emphasize their inherent tensions, oppositions, and contradictions. In exploring the stresses and strains of Indian democracy, Beteille exposes the disjunction between political ideals and social constrains. He connects seemingly disparate elements of public life, examining the agenda India set itself at independence and the obstacles that hinder its achievement. Beteille discusses Marxism, nationalism, and secularism, along with the university, the civil service and other major institutions. This book is for those interested in contemporary society and public affairs, students and teachers of sociology, social an