Question

Who has called Sanskritization as anticipatory Socialization ?

• A. Yogendra Singh
• B. S. C. Dube
• C. K. Davis
• D. C. H. Cooley

Hint:

This question tests your ability to connect concepts from different theorists. Remember the chain: Sanskritization (Srinivas) is an example of Reference Group Behaviour (Merton), which is a form of Anticipatory Socialization (Merton). Yogendra Singh is credited with making this analytical link in the Indian context.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concepts:
- Sanskritization: A concept by M.N. Srinivas describing the process where a lower caste adopts the cultural patterns (rituals, lifestyle) of a higher caste to achieve upward social mobility.
- Anticipatory Socialization: A concept by Robert K. Merton where a person or group adopts the values and behaviors of a group they aspire to join in the future (a reference group).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
There is a clear conceptual link between the two ideas. In Sanskritization, the higher caste acts as a 'reference group' for the lower caste, which adopts its norms in 'anticipation' of being accepted into a higher social position.
Several sociologists have discussed this link. However, the Indian sociologist Yogendra Singh, in his critical analyses of social change in India, particularly in works like "Modernization of Indian Tradition," explicitly interpreted and analyzed Sanskritization as a form of anticipatory socialization. He connected Srinivas's empirical observation with Merton's theoretical framework.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Yogendra Singh is the sociologist known for explicitly linking and describing Sanskritization as a process of anticipatory socialization.