Department of Sociology

About the Department:

The Department of Sociology is one among the five Departments that started with the inception of the Central University of Orissa in the year 2009. Initially it started with the M.A. programme and at presently the Department offers Master Degree Programme, Research (M. Phil & Ph.D.) Programme in Sociology. The courses are oriented towards the study of Society, Culture, and Social Structure, Sociological Theories, Research Methodology, Urban Sociology, Social Demography, Gender and Society, Sociology of Health, Sociology of Environment, Sociology of Gender, Sociology of NGOs, Sociology of Development, Sociology of Crime and Deviance, Study of Social Movements in India.

The Department of Sociology course in Central University of Orissa gives an opportunity to study the ways that our world is changing today. Understanding the structure and functioning of the contemporary society, it explores the various forms of power and inequality in the world today and how they affect the lives of all of us. By joining together the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of social life, sociology also gives a platform one need to understand the key events of our time and how they are linked to the main forces and institutions that shape the modern world.

Courses offered at the Department are interdisciplinary and are drawn from other Social Science Subjects like Anthropology, Psychology, Economics, Politics, and History. Courses at this level are concerned with the problems relating to Cultural Analysis, Globalization, Social Change and Development, Modern Indian Sociological Thinker and their engagement with Social Stratification, Caste, Marriage, Family life and Kinship, Polity, Economy, Religion, Urban life and Social Change.

Programme of Study:

Department of Sociology offers both Master Degree and Research Programmes leading to award of M. Phil and Ph. D Degree. There are about 60 Master Degree students and about 15 Research Scholars enrolled in the Department.

M.A. Programme in Sociology:

The courses are oriented towards the study of Society, Culture, and Social Sturcture, Sociological Theories, Research Methodology, Sociology of Health, Sociology of Environment, Sociology of Gender, Urban Sociology, Social Demography, Sociology of Tribal Society, Sociology of NGOs, Sociology of Development, Globalization and Society, Sociology of Crime and Deviance, Study of Social Movements in India.

Research Programme (M. Phil & Ph.D.):

Courses offered at the Department are interdisciplinary and are drawn from other Social Science Subjects, like Anthropology, Psychology, Economics, Education, Politics, and History. Courses at this level are concerned with the problems relation to Research Methodology, Advance Sociological theories, Cultural Analysis, Globalization, Industrial Sociology, Modern Indian Sociological Thinker and their engagement with Social Stratification, Caste, Marriage, Family life and Kinship, Polity, Economy, Religion, Urban life, Marginalized Communities, Tribal Society, Social Change and Development.

Vision of the Department :

Promote scientific temperament among the students, scholars and faculty members in understanding human society and foster the composite culture of India and inculcate holistic study of human society and its reflection in polity, economy, technology, and culture.

Mission of the Department :

  • Promote in the students and teachers an awareness and understanding of the social needs of the country and prepare them for fulfilling such needs. Endeavours to emerge as potential centre for Sociological learning by bridging the gap between local and global sociological perspectives through continues engagement with teachers, scholars, and Alumni.
  • To generate new knowledge by engaging in advanced interdisciplinary and collaborative research to promote academic growth and facilitate sustainable interaction with academia, civil society and industry

Goal:

  • Take special measures to facilitate students and teachers from all over India to join the University and participate in its academic programmes.
  • Upgrade the curriculum regularly by incorporating new and frontier areas of sociological topics.
  • Provide opportunity for dissemination of knowledge through learning, sharing and development of discipline including its stakeholders (students, alumni, faculty and staff).
  • Emerge as a leader in the field of promotion and preservation of the cultural heritage of the region and the nation as a whole.
  • Engage its scholars and teachers in community/ social services and endeavours for the empowerment of the marginalised section through meaningful interventions.

Present Practices of the Department:

  • The Centre regularly engages itself in academic debates and dialogues through organizing seminars/conferences/workshops.
  • The faculty members of the Centre deeply engage themselves in conducting community level studies through various projects and case studies.
  • The Centre focuses some of the key areas of sociology like Sociological theories, methods of social research, sociology of development, sociology of health, sociology of environment, sociology of NGOs, Sociology of Tribal Society, Social inclusion, gender and society, social movements in India, Sociology of crime and deviance, regional/KBK specific socio-economic issues.
Faculty of Department of Sociology

Name: Dr. Kapila Khemundu
Designation:
Assistant Professor & Head (I/c) 
Qualification: M.A., M. Phil, Ph.D., UGC-NET/RGNF
Research Area: Sociological Theories and Methodologies, Social Change and Development, Tribal/Indegenous Studies, Social Movements, and Sociology of Crime and Deviance
E-mail Id:
kapilacuo@gmail.com

Name: Dr. Aditya Keshari Mishra
Designation:
Lecturer on Contract
Qualification: M.A., M.Phil, Ph.D., UGC-NET
Research Area:
Sociological Theories, Development Studies, Sociology of Health, Sociology of NGOs, and Sociology of Tribal Society
E-mail Id:
adityakesharimishra@gmail.com


Visiting Professors of Department of Sociology
PROFESSOR P. DURGAPRASAD
VISITING PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF SOCIOLOGY

Prof. P. Durgaprasad joined the Central University of Odisha as a Visiting Professor of Sociology on 20 January 2020. He worked with premier academic institutions like the IIM, Ahmedabad, IRMA, Anand, NIRD, Hyderabad, NCRI, Hyderabad, Central University of Mizoram and Civil Services University of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. As a Teacher, Researcher and Consultant, he visited USA, UK, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, SriLanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Ethiopia.

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PROFESSOR B. C. BARIK
(Former Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University, Odisha)
VISITING PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF SOCIOLOGY

Prof. Barik has joined Central University of Odisha, Koraput on invitation, as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Sociology, since January 2020.
Dr. Bishnu Charan Barik (born1955) retired as a senior Professor of Sociology (former Director) in the School of Social Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded (Maharashtra State) on dt.30/04/2017.He had privilege to hold the office of Vice-Chancellor, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Sambalpur, Odisha from 10th November 2011 to 9th November 2014. Prof. Barik also worked as Acting Vice-Chancellor of his own University for three times for a brief period each time. Prof. Barik during the tenure as the Director of the School (1997 to 2010) worked as a Co-ordinator of SAP-DRS-II of Sociology Department, Director of Women Study Centre and instrumental in introducing PG programme in Human Rights and Duties Education and Economics. He has completed his Master’s, degree in Anthropology and Sociology, M.Phil and Ph.D in Sociology. His areas of research interest are Agrarian Studies, Migration, Weaker Sections, Dams and Displacement and Water Management. Besides he has attended three short term courses on Irrigation and Water Management in the Universities of Utah and Colorado State of U.S.A. in the year 1988. Prof. Barik has more than three decades of teaching, research and administrative experiences working in the various organisations and institutions of the state of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Odisha.

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