| |
The institute
feels that the philosophy of social sciences as
is commonly practices in India specifically in
the context of policy framing and implementation
needs a reappraisal. At present social science
has developed a language that is neither
communicable nor coherent to the group of
communities for whom it was originally conceived
and designed. It was originally conceived and
designed. It has developed and created a
language meant for a select few fro discussion
and deliberation at high profile centers. We
feel that the institute will be able to do
social science in the “language” and “concepts”
as developed by various communities so that the
knowledge thus generated can be understood by
then and used for “praxis”.
It is also felt that technological
transformations and proliferations of market
languages is going to affect the very foundation
of those institutions which have helped in
retaining the spirit of this ancient
civilization and also supported the flow of its
culture, notwithstanding certain intermissions
caused by cataclysmic and traumatic challenges.
This causes more apprehension when we rove into
the recent history of our country. Indian
society has not passed through those
transformative moments the west has. Some social
scientists have come to realize it and are
attempting to erect a new edifice from which we
shall be learning but that does not complete our
task. Indian society unlike many societies is
highly heterogeneous and pluralistic in nature
and is not amenable to understanding through
mono-cultural paradigms.
The institute envisions playing a critical role
in developing a database on human and social
resources for Uttar Pradesh. Such data generated
through research would be used for designing
new, and modifying the existing intervention
programmes, targeting particularly the most
vulnerable and marginalized sections of the
society.
The institute is of the view that there is a
need to engage in continuous and meticulous
reexamination of myths, which are created by
social scientists themselves through data and
discourse. The institute has adopted a
multidisciplinary focus. However this needs to
be further strenthened. There is an urgent need
to mesh macro level approaches with micro level
so that social policies can be transformed into
action.
The institute also hopes to focus on the
consequences of emerging technologies for social
structures. We need to investigate how new
technological developments would translate into
in to different value systems and social
structures that may not be concomitant with the
cultures, and the problems that may get caused
on account of this. |
|
