ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Institute had Sociology as one of its important disciplines. Under the wings of Kannada Research Institute and the able leadership of Sociologists like Dr. Victor D’ Souza considerable research work was done with the main focus on North Karnataka. One of the important publications of those years is the “Navayats of North Kanara”.

            However, it was in the year 1957 that Sociology came into its own and attained independent status as a fully fledged Post-Graduate Department. Under the able leadership of scholarly stalwarts like Dr. K. Chandrasekharaiah, a Frankfurt trained Sociologist and Dr. K. Ishwaran, a Cambridge trained Social Anthropologist, the Department forged ahead in teaching, research and extension work. The Department attained the reputation of being one of the most popular departments in Social Sciences under the dynamic leadership of Dr. K. Chandrasekharaiah who headed the Department for 31 years until his superannuation in the year 1986. Students from all over Karnataka and neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa and also from abroad Kenya thronged the Department to pursue Masters Courses and to do research leading to Ph.D degree.

            In so far as teaching and research is concerned, the Department has kept up the high tradition established by the pioneers in the Department like Late Dr. A.E. Punit, Late Dr. B.H. Amati, Late Dr. S.G. Hiremath, Dr. K.M. Goudar, Dr. A.G. Mudbidri, and Dr. U.A Attar, Prof. S.A. Patil, Prof. N.B. Kashappagoudar, Shri S. S. Marji, Prof. C.A. Somashekharappa. At present the Department is manned by a staff, which is a happy combination of the young and the experienced teachers. The Department has a number of publications to its credit especially in the field of Urban Sociology, Industrial Sociology, Women’s Studies, Sociology of Education, Sociology of Health, Sociology of Development and Sociology of Ageing, Marginalized communities and Rural Sociology.

            When the Karnatak University started the Post-Graduate Centres at Belagavi(After 2010 it was a separate department in Rani Channamma University), Haveri, Kumta, Honnavar and Gadag, Sociology Department was one of the Departments started there.

            The Department has had the excellent students who have made their names in the area of Sociology at international level. To name few here, Dr. Dan Chekki, who is a retired Professor of Sociology at Winnepeg in Manitoba, Canada is a first Ph.D awardee from the Department. Subsequently the students like late Dr. C. Palakshappa, Dr. A.E. Punit and others brought name and fame to the Department through their contributions to the field of Sociology. Many students of this department have occupied important positions in the Governmental organizations and industries. The Department has helped many students to take up various assignments in the Universities abroad