Profile

The School of Social Sciences (SSS) was established in 1989 as an interdisciplinary department in accordance with the directives of the University Grants Commission to facilitate teaching and research beyond the conventional disciplinary boundaries. The interdisciplinary structure, composition and academic practices of SSS have succeeded in securing even international recognition.1 In a recent appraisal of the social science research capacity in South Asia the unique academic position and potential of SSS have been cited in appreciation.2 The School’s areas of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research are Social History, Political Economy, Social Theory, Economic Anthropology, Socio-Linguistic Philosophy, Ethnography, Human Geography and Human Ecology.

Academic Programmes

· M.A Programme in Economics, History & Anthropology
· Interdisciplinary M.Phil Programme in Economics, History, Sociology, Anthropology & Human Ecology
· Applied Interdisciplinary M.Phil Programme in Social Transformation & Empowerment
· Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Areas of Social Science Faculty

Areas of Research

· Diachronic as Well as Synchronic Studies in Frontier Areas and Interfaces of Social Sciences
· Philosophical Foundation and Interdependence of Social Sciences
· Social Processes, Political Socialisation, Culture Shift, Modernisation, Identity Formation, Subjectification
· Political Economy, Human Geography and Human Ecology
· Social Theory

Publications:

a) Social Records Series (Duarte Barbosa’s Accounts on Malabar and three Compilations of medieval palm leave records.

b) Lateral Studies Series numbering fourteen mainly consisting of the occasional research papers by the faculty.

c) Ten mimeographs (Making of Modern Kerala, Sabarimala Enclave Management, Socio-economic Profile of the Fringe Area of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Socio-economic Impact of the Eco Development Project, Financial Sustainability, Process Documentation Research, Participatory Forest Management in Kerala, Neyyar/Peppara Chinnar and Parambikkulam Sanctuary Eco Development, and Process Documentation Tool-kit.)

National & International Recognition

· Ford Foundation Assessment of Social Science Research Capability in South Asia Recognised the Interdisciplinary   Structure & Function of SSS Unique in the Country (EPW, xxxvii. No.35)

· The French Journal L’ Homes cited the School’s Interdisciplinary Efforts as innovative

·  Kerala State Planning Board Recognised the School’s Social Dissemination Efforts & Sanctioned Special
   Development Grant of Rs. 2.7 Crore against the Master Plan Outlay of 13.9 Crore.

Collaboration/Interaction with Foreign Universities & Intitutes

· Inter-University Collaboration with CIRAD, Montpellier, France (SSS) for Postgraduate Education in Social Water   Management (Partnership Signed in April 2003)

· Visiting Professorship at EHESS, Paris

· Collaborative Project with the French Institute, Pondicherry on Landscape Ecotypes and the Socio-economics of    Forest Fringe Area People in Kerala

· Interaction with the Social Science & Culture Studies Departments of Humboldt University, Toronto University,    EHESS, Paris, Oxford University, University of Lapaz & Norman University of Shanghai

· International Conferences hosted in collaboration with Institute of Social Science (New Delhi, French Embassy, Asia   Links, EU), besides several national and regional Seminars and Workshops funded by UGC, ICSSR, and ICHR and   in collaboration with MIDS, Chennai, IIT Kanpur and French Institute, Pondicherry.

Extension Researches

· Sustainable Village Development Action Project

· Community Empowerment & Institution Building Projects under India Eco Development

· Social Transformation Projects under Participatory Forest Management Initiatives

· Socio-economic Impact of the Eco Development Project (Ongoing)

· Landscape Ecotypes and Fringe Area People (Ongoing)

Social Water Management Studies on South Asia (Asia Links Project, European Union) in collaboration with   Edinburgh University (UK), Erlangen-Nuernberg University (Germany), Centre National d’ Etudes Agronomiques,   CIRAD & EHESS (France), and Ruhuna & Colombo Universities (Sri Lanka).

Historical Atlas of South India (Historical Geography Project, Ford Foundation) in collaboration with French Institute,    Pondicherry

Awards, Fellowships and Honours

· One Nehru Fellowship (Research Student in Cultural Anthropology)

· One Fulbright Award (Research Student in Culture Studies)

· Charles Wallace Fellowship (Faculty)

· Queen Elizabeth House South Asia Fellowship

· Visiting Professorship (EHESS, Paris)

· One UGC Career Award (Faculty)

Academic Achievements During the Last Five Years:

1. Finished three major research projects in Village Ecodevelopment and Social Transformation

2. Recognition as World Bank Consultant in People Centred and Empowerment Oriented Development Studies, Process Documentation Research, Human Ecological Impact Research, and Participatory Forest Management

Faculty Achievements:

· Two Fellowships of Centre for studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta

· Nomination to Editorial Board, Journal of Development & Change

· Position of Executive Councillor, International Association of Semiotics, Vienna

· Nomination to the Academic Senate of MAHE

· Nomination to the Syndicate of SSSU

· Nomination to the Faculty and Academic Council of CU

· Invited Professorship of Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sciences Sociale, Paris

· Deanship in Humanities, Kannur University

· Joint Secretaryship of Indian History Congress

· Nomination to the Experts Panel of Indian Academy of Science

· Nomination to the Advisory Board of LIC of India

Research Areas of the Faculty

Rajan Gurukkal,P.M, Professor & Director, M.A, M.Phil, Ph.D (JNU, New Delhi)

Research & Teaching Areas:

Early South Indian Socio-economics
Historical Human Geography & Human Ecology
Social Theory
Anthropological Theory

Research Grants:

Invited Professor at Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociale, Paris
Asia Links International Research Grant (European Union)
Ford Foundation Grant for Historical Geography Studies (USA)

Collaborative Projects:

1) Landscape Ecosystem of Western Ghats and Human Ecological Impacts (Government of Kerala) in collaboration with French Institute, Pondicherry

2) Social Water Management Studies on South Asia (Asialinks, European Union) in collaboration with Edinburgh University (UK), Erlangen-Nuernberg University (Germany), Centre National d’ Etudes Agronomiques, CIRAD & EHESS (France), and Ruhuna & Colombo Universities (Sri Lanka).

3) Historical Atlas of South India (Historical Geography Project, Ford Foundation) in collaboration with French Institute, Pondicherry

Publications (Selected) :

· “The Semiotics of Drum Orchestration and Social Hierarchy,” Proceedings of the International conference of Semioticians, Shanghai, 1997. pp. 67ff

· “Hypotactic Body Signs and Social Hierarchy,” European Journal For Semiotic Studies, Vienna, vol.II(1-3) 1999. pp. 189ff.

· “In Search of Muziris,” Journal of Roman Archaeology, 14. (2001) pp. 334 ff. Jointly with Dick Whittaker

· “Antecedents of the State Formation in South India,” in Champakalakshmi et.al eds. State and Society in Pre-modern South India, Trissur, 2002. pp. 39 ff.

· “Tribes, Forests and Early Social Formation in South India,” in B.B. Chaudhuri & A. Bandopadhyay eds. Tribes, Forest and Social Formation in Indian History, Manohar, 2004

· Cultural History of Kerala, vol.I. Department of Cultural Publications, Thiruvananthapuram, 1999.

K.T. Ram Mohan, Reader (Political Economy) M.Com, Ph.D (Calicut University)

Post Doctoral Research:

Oxford University, UK
Centre for Studies in Social Science, Calcutta

Teachoing & Research Areas:

1. Political Economy of Development in Kerala

2. History of Development and Social Consequences in Kerala

3. Development and Tribal Issues in Kerala

4. Political Economy and Socio-cultural Dynamics

Research Grant:

1. Oxford University

2. Post Doctoral Research Centre for Studies in Social Science, Calcutta

Collaborating Institutions:

1. Centre for Studies in Social Science, Calcutta

2. Oxford University

3. Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram

Research Publications (Selected)

(Now on Deputation Fellow at the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Publication Details will be forwarded shortly)

Girishkumar, Reader (Analytical Philosophy) M.A, M.Phil, Ph.D (NEHU)

Research & Teaching Areas

1. Western Analytical & Political Philosophy

2. Indian Culture, Religion, and National Integration through the Principle of Unity through Indian Philosophical Tradition

3. Philosophy of Social Sciences

4. Social Theory

5. Logic and Method

Collaborating Institutions:

1. Indian Council of Philosophical Research, New Delhi

2. Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari

3. Bharatiya Vicara Kendram, Thiruvananthapuram

Research Publications (Selected)

1. “The Religion that Divided India,” Journal of Australian Rationalist Association, NSW, Vol.32. no.4. August, 2001. p.4

2. “Battered Women & Breaking Families in Europe,” Journal of Australian Rationalist Association, NSW, Vol.32. no.2. April, 1998. p.3

3. “Concept of God in Indian Religions,” Journal of Australian Rationalist Association, NSW, Vol.31. no.2. April, 1997. p.10

4. “Atheism in Hinduism,” Journal of Australian Rationalist Association, NSW, Vol.31. no.1. January, 1997. p.18

5. “David Hume: His Luggage of Philosophy,” Journal of Australian Rationalist Association, NSW, Vol.30. no.1. January, 2001. p.11

Raju, S, Lecturer (Economic Anthropology) M.A, M.Phi, Ph.D (JNU)

Post Doctoral Research:

1. Department of Futures Studies, Kerala University, Thiruvananthapuram

Research & Teaching Areas:

Economics of Film Industry

History of State

Anthropology of Development and Tribal Issues

Human Ecology

Mathematical Economics

Social Theory

Research Grant:

1. Post Doctoral Research Award, University Grants Commission

Collaborating Institutions:

Department of Futures Studies, Kerala University, Thiruvananthapuram
Institute of Labour Research, Noida

Research Publications (Selected)

1. “The Concept of Subjectivity in Labour Studies,” in Labour and Development, vol.6. No. 1&2, 2000

2. “From Reversible Time to Irreversible Time: Science & History,” Rational Discourse, Vol. 1 & 2, 2000

3. “Dynamics of Labour Market in Kerala ,” NLI Research Studies Series, No.002/2000, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, New Delhi

4. “Excursus on South India and State in Historiography,” in Champakalakshmi, R et.al eds. State and Society in Pre-modern South India, Cosmobooks, 2002

5. “Developmental Modernity: Man and Nature in the Discourse of Wealth and Labour,” Contemporary India: Journal of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, vol.2, No. 1, 2003

Sanal Mohan, Lecturer (Ethnography) M.A MPhil (Calicut University)

Doctoral Research:

1. School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University

Research Areas:

Ethnic Identity

New Cultural History

Development Problems of Marginal Communities

Subaltern Studies

Research Grant:

1 Charles Wallace India Fellow, SOAS, University of London

2 Fellow in History. Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta

3 Honorary Research Associate, Social Anthropology Programme, Massey University, New Zealand

Collaborated Institutions:

1. Centre for Studies in Social Science, Calcutta

2. SOAS University of London

3. Social Anthropology Programme University of Delhi

Research Publications (Selected)

1. ‘Religion, Social Space and Identity: Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha and the Making of Cultural Boundaries in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Kerala’, South Asia (Vol 28 No.1 April 2005)

2. ‘Theorising History in the Context of Social Movements: Challenges to the Reigning Paradigms of History?’ in Felix Wilfred and Jose D. Maliekkal (eds) Historiography Today (Madras University, Chennai, 2002)

3. ‘Dalit Discourse and the Evolving New Self: Contest and Strategies’, Review of Development and Change. Vol. IV. No.1 January-June 1999 1-24 Madras Institute of Development Studies.

P. Radhika, Lecturer (Historical Sociology) M.A, Calicut University

Doctoral Research:

1. School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam

Research Areas:

Social History of Kerala

New Cultural History in India

History of New Religious Movements in Kerala

Development and Women Issues

Historiography and Social Theory

Collaborating Institutions:

1. India Centre for Social Change

2. Life Insurance Corporation of India

P.K. Michael Tharakan, Visiting Professor (Development History) M.A (History, Kerala University, M.Phil (Applied Economics, JNU), Ph.D (History, MGU)

Teachoing & Research Areas:

1) Political Development in Kerala

2) History of Development in Kerala

3) History of Land Reforms in Kerala

4) History of Education in Kerala

5) Modern Political and Economic History of India

Awards/Honours:

1. St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, Governing Council elected as Honorary Associate Member for a Term

2. Chair on Development Experiences of Small Societies, at Institute of Management and Development Studies,University of Antwerp, Belgium

3. Chair of the Session on Kerala in the European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies at the Amsterdam Session

Collaborating Institutions:

Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram (Former Faculty) Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies (Visiting Faculty)
Kerala Institute of Local Administration (Former Director)

Research Publications (Selected)

1.“Historical Studies in the Course of the People’s Planning Campaign in Kerala, India,” in John Harris et.al eds. Politicising Democracy: The New Local Politics of Democratisation, Palgrave, Mac Millan, London, 2004

2.“Ernakulam Revisited: A Study of Literacy in the first totally literate district in India,” in Malavika Karlekar ed. Paradigms of Learning: The Total Literacy Campaign in India, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2004

3.“Socio-religious Reform Movements: The Process of Democratisation and Human Development: The Case of Kerala, South India”, in Lars Rudebeck et.al. eds. Democratisation in the Third World: Concrete Cases in Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives, Mac Millan, London, 1998

4.“Socio-economic Factors in Educational Development: Case of Nineteenth Century Travancore,” Economic and Political Weekly, vol.14 (2 issues) Nos. 45 & 46, 1984

5.With K.N. Raj, “Agrarian Reform in Kerala and Its Impact on the Rural Economy: A Preliminary Assessment,” in Ajit Kumar Ghose ed. Agrarian Reform in Contemporary Developing Countries, Croom Helm and St,. Martin Press, London and Canberra, 1983.

K.V. Kunhikrishnan, Visiting Professor (Ecological History) M.A, Ph.D (CU)

Teachoing & Research Areas:

1. Ecological History of Modern Kerala

2. History of Modern India

3. Historiography of Modern India

Research Grant:

Collaborating Institutions:

Research Publications (Selected)

K.V.Cybil, Supervising Faculty (M.A) Political Science (M.Phil, PhD) Sociology, JNU.

Teaching &Research Areas:

Social Theory

Social Anthropology

Anthropology of Politics - Sacrificial Rituals and the Politics of Nationalism in Contemporary India

Collaborating Institutions:

Centre for the Study of Social Sciences, Calcutta.

Research Grant

Social Science Research Council Fellow (Ford Foundation) 2005.

K.P.Shajan, Visiting Faculty Ph.D Quaternary Geology, CUSAT. Post Graduate Diploma in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, New Delhi,

Teaching& Research Areas

Palaeo-geography & Palaeo- ecology

Archaeology

Research Grant

CSIR JRF, 1993-1998
JSPS Post Doctoral Fellow, Japan 2000 - 2002.
Nehru Trust and Charles Wallace Trust Visiting Fellowship, UK, 2005

Collaborating Institutions

1. Cochin University of Science & Technology, Cochin
2. School of Oriental and African Studies, UK.
3. National Institute of Oceanography, Goa

Research Publications (Selected Five)

1. Shajan. K. P & P. Seralathan, 1998. “Holocene sea level changes inferred from geo-archaeological studies in Kodungallur area, south west coast of India”, in Saito, Y; Ikehara, K and Katayama, H. eds., Proceedings of the International workshop on sediment transport and storage in coastal sea – ocean system. Tsukuba, Japan, pp-315 - 317.

2. Shajan. K. P. 1999. “Quaternary sediments and sea level changes on the Kerala coast, in Chapter 1. Environment, in Gurukkal. R and Varier M. R. R (eds). Cultural history of Kerala. Vol 1. Department of cultural publications, Government of Kerala, India. pp 31-41.

3. Shajan K. P. 2001. “Geochemistry of bottom sediments from a river – estuary – shelf mixing zone on the tropical south west coast of India,” Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Japan. 52 (8) pp 371- 382.

4. Shajan, K.P., R. Tomber, V. Selvakumar and P. J. Cherian. (2004). Locating the Ancient Port

of Muziris: Fresh Findings from Pattanam. Journal of Roman Archaeology 17: 312-320.

5. . Shajan, K.P., R. Tomber, V. Selvakumar and P. J. Cherian. (2004). Archaeological Invstigations at the Early Historic Urban Settlement of Pattanam, Malabar coast, India, New Evidence for the Location of Ancient Muziris.(Paper presented Conference of the European Association of South Asian archaeologists, The institute of archaeology, University of London and the British Museum, London, 4 - 8 July 2005.)