SAMBANDH 2018-19

September 2018 saw the successful completion of yet another year of Sambandh. While the overarching meaning of the fest revolves around the word ‘Sambandh’ meaning relationships, this year focused on the concept of ‘Identity’. The events began on the 14th of September and was concluded with the valedictory and cultural events on the 19th of September.

Connect the dots was the first event which was on the 14th of September. In this event participants were given two words which had to be linked in a meaningful way and presented in front of the judge after a given period of time. There were many interesting responses connecting the words through movies, songs and common uses. The words ‘Origami’ and ‘World War’ was connected with the fact that both ‘Origami’ and ‘World War’ requires precision and careful execution of steps. Even a small mistake can cost a lot in how the final picture turns out to be. This event signifies the ability to tap into meaningful relationships between seemingly random words.

Diss the Myth was also conducted on the 14th of September. In this event participants were given common stereotypes which they had to break by performing an act. This was a team event. Participants tried to portray the stereotypes of gender through unique and interesting acts. This event signifies the ability to think about our current social issues of nuance and be able to break away from certain age old practices.

Treasure Hunt was conducted on the 15th of September. This is a fun-filled event which saw the participants crack the clues and get the prize. The event was filled with enthusiasm and teamwork was key in connecting the dots and finding the location. It saw the participants start from Block 1, go to kiosk and then find their way through a series of clues to Just Bake where the final prize awaited them. Mobile Photography was an event that was conducted online and the participants had to submit their photographs on the web and the theme was Identity.

Switch was the next event which was conducted on the 17th of September. In this event, participants were given a theme for a story and for a poem and a team of two had to work on each of those topics. After a certain amount of time, they would switch their work with their partner and attempt to complete their partner’s work. The prompt for poetry was - “a treasure chest of possibilities” and the prompt for the story was - “It was the last working day of college when I realised …”. The main theme was Identity. This event saw participants explore their creativity in constructing beautiful stories and poems.

Clothes to Canvas was the event that was also conducted on the 17th of September. The participants were encouraged to explore their imagination and creativity to bring to life pictures that symbolise Identity. This marked the end of all the competitive event of this year’s Sambandh.

The valedictory ceremony along with the cultural programmes were conducted on the 19th of September. The programme started off with the invocation song which was followed by the Sociology Association President’s address about the overall event. The chief guest - Imminent professor and former guest lecturer at the Institute of Social and Economic Change gave his address about the application of subjects in real life and he shared his expertise in understanding various societies like communism. There were poetry presentations by students on the topic of Identity. This was followed by the cultural programmes of song, dance and cosplay which was a treat for the audience. The programme was concluded with the prize distribution for the various events conducted. The class with the most points for participation and performance - III PSECO - won this year’s Sambandh. All the awards were presented to the smiling faces by the Head of the Department of the Department of Sociology and Social Work Dr.Victor Paul.

WINNERS

Connect the Dots

First Place - Anthony from 5PSECO

Second Place - Aditya from 5PSECO and Ronit from 3EPS

Third Place - Gautham from 5PSECO and Tania from 5EPS

Diss the Myth

First Place - Suryaprasad and Sharanya from 1EPS

Second Place - Sheetal and Bharath from 1EPS

Switch

First Place - Payal Porwal and Yagnya Kodaru from 5PSEco

Second Place - Swastika Bhattacharya and Rida Shafeek from 1PSEng

Third Place - Jaspal Kang and Sheenam Samrat from 1PSEng

Clothes to Canvas

First Place - Shuba Subramaniam from 5 PSEco

Second Place - Shristi Sampat from 5 PSEco

Treasure Hunt

First Place - Iswar Chatterjee and team from 1PSECO

Second Place - Malvika Anand and team from 1PSECO

Knowing the culture of Tibet

The Department of Sociology and Social Work organised an interactive session with the representatives of Students for a Free Tibet-India (SFT-India) on Thursday 16 August 2018 during 3-4 pm. The venue was Panel Room. It was an opportunity for PSEco students to be exposed to the culture of people in Tibet. 

Tenzin Tselha is a second generation Tibetan born and raised in India. She has completed her higher education from Pune University in English Literature. She has been actively involved as a student activist with Students for a Free Tibet - India for many years. Tenzin Dakpa was born in Tibet and came to exile when he was only six years old. He has spent the past 17 years as a refugee in India and has not seen his family since he left Tibet. He has completed his Bachelors from Garden City College in Bangalore in Psychology and Journalism.

The session began with a movie screening. The film ‘Tibet’s Cry for Freedom’ was shot between 2007 and 2008 during the run up to the Beijing Olympics that were held in the summer of that year, much to the dismay of those fighting for freedom in Tibet. It interviews most of the main players on the Tibetan side who have been growing more divided about what form the struggle should take, and what it should be seeking as its end goal. The increasing frustration with Beijing’s refusal to grant any sort of genuine autonomy to the region on the one hand, and its continuing exploitation both of the human and natural resources in the area on the other, have created a sharp divide within the community in exile.

It was followed by an interactive session where the discussion was revolved around the life and culture of people in Tibet.

UG SOCIOLOGY RURAL EXPOSURE CAMP 2019

The two-day rural exposure camp at Kolar undertaken by the final year UG students of Sociology department as a part of the elective course ‘Study of Social Movements’ was an extremely enlightening experience and a great opportunity for reciprocal learning. Spread over 1^st and 2^nd of February, it was organised by Department of Sociology in collaboration with the CSA at CHRIST (deemed to be University). The students engaged in several activities and undertook surveys and made interesting observations about the varied aspects of the lives of people in Kolar district. The project leaders at the CSA camp in Srinivasapura, Kolar welcomed us with energizing ice breaker games that really shook us all out of our drowsiness. Following some fun and games we got down to business, starting with an address by the project leader Mr. Anjan and Mr. Nagaraja. We were divided into three groups that visited three separate areas within Srinivasapura with two main objectives: (1) to conduct activities on personal safety and hygiene (2) to go on house visits so we get a feel of how the families are doing in the area.

One group had the opportunity of exploring Muthukapalli. Mrs. Aruna, the leader of the self-help group working in this area showed us  the hospital, panchayat, activity center, schools and PU college in the area. The schools and hospitals were extremely well maintained. Most families were sending their children to school, had functional toilets and did not experience any conflicts with their neighbours. Following the house visits, the volunteers engaged with the students of the activity centre, where we were addressing around 60 enthusiastic children about personal safety and hygiene.

The second team visited a village called Yamunanur. Our experience at the village began with the village transact, where in the project coordinator took the students on a short tour of the village. He also introduced them to the local crops and plants growing in the vicinity of the village. After the village tour, house visits were conducted. Topics discussed included child marriage, education, and water supply issues. Surprisingly enough, the people did not seem to support the idea of child marriage and wanted their daughters to get educated before getting married. Talking about water supply, they mentioned that each day, they had to walk to another village which was several kilometres away to fetch water. This gave us an insight into the hardships faced by the villagers on a day-to-day basis. It was saddening to observe that many houses didn’t pay attention to sanitation.

The third group visited a village called Gandhinagar. The interaction with the villagers were generally based on areas like health, sanitation, occupation and Self-Help Groups. The activity center was carried in one of the houses nearby. The students gathered every evening and were assisted by some guides who helped them in their academic and other activities. The activities planned for senior students were dream tree, self-defense, moral values and personal hygiene.

Our interactions reminded us of the realities of people’s lives other than ourselves. It has reminded us to be grateful for the resources we have. It has enabled us to take our classroom learning onto the field and realize that women’s empowerment, community-based development and so on are real phenomena out there that people are engaging in and benefiting from. Srinivasapura is also testament to the fact that the community can be united on the lines of children’s education, sanitation and health by keeping aside political and caste based differences. 

THE DISCOVER HOLLAND QUIZ

31^st July, 2018 – was a fateful day for the 72 teams that participated in the Discover Holland Quiz. The teams competed for the exciting opportunity to visit Holland and further their career opportunities. The quiz saw participation from esteemed institutions like National Law School, St Joseph’s College, Jain University, RV College of Engineering, PES University, IIM Bengaluru and Symbiosis Institute of Business Studies from Bangalore and Ashoka University (Sonepat), National Institute of Technology (Goa), TKM College of Engineering (Kollam), IIT Dharwad and Osmania Medical College (Hyderabad) from other parts of India.

The quiz was conducted in two stages; the preliminary round resulted in 6 finalists who then proceeded to compete for the ultimate prize. The preliminary round consisted of questions relating to the landmarks and general trivia regarding Holland. In the final round, the teams had to be quick on their feet as it was a buzzer round. There were several rounds which gave the finalists a fair shot at the prize. The air was filled with excitement as the participants answered with enthusiasm.

Syed Murtuza Hashmi and Syed Mustafa Hashmi came out on top as thee winners with their unmatched performance. Nagendra Kumar and Abhilash Namboodri from RV College of Engineering secured the second place. The winners were presented with merchandise and a letter to approve their trip to Holland. The runners-up were presented with merchandise and pendrives. The winner of the online quiz was felicitated too. The event concluded with the finalists being awarded with certificates.

One Day Visit to a Village in Kolar Organised by the Department of Sociology and Social work in coordination with the Centre for Social Action

As part of their course, MA Applied Sociology students were taken for a field trip to Kolar on 20^th and 21^st July, 2018. The trip was organized by the department of Sociology and Social Work in collaboration with the Centre for Social Action (CSA) at CHRIST (deemed to be University). The intention behind organizing the trip was to provide the students with a firsthand experience of village life. Most of the students took part in the programme which resulted in great levels of interaction between the students and the villagers on the one hand and the students and the CSA activists working in the village.

Dr. Rajeev Kumaramkandath and Dr. Sudipta Garai from the department of Sociology accompanied the students. The prime initiative for the programme came from the head of the department Dr. Victor Paul who consistently pushed the idea from the beginning of this academic year. The accommodation for the group was arranged at the CSA camp office at Srinivasapura taluk in Kolar district and the team visited two villages during the trip. One group visited the Kondenahalli village and the other visited Bollepalli; both villages were located remotely at about a distance of 15-20 kilometers from the CSA office, which in itself was distant from the main highways that connected with the cities.

The students were given a detailed orientation to the activities of CSA by the officers present there that included Mr. Anjan and Mr. Nagaraja. During the village visit the teams had very elaborate interactions with the villagers – both men and women as well as their children – and the activists who worked in the villages. The primary activity of CSA was through the Self Help Groups that it had established around 10 years back and through which it consistently worked towards the welfare of the whole village and particularly for the empowerment of the women. CSA also has serious investments in the children’s welfare and special programmes for the education in general and for girls in particular.

The trip was one space that our students literally watched with all excitement. They all felt equally enriched both intellectually and emotionally as village life has its own promises, problems as well as challenges.

The group spent the night at the CSA office and started their journey back the next day early morning. Below after this report is a narrative from our students about the trip.

Dr. Rajeev Kumaramkandath

Students' Perspective

We, the Students of 1st and 2nd year Masters in Applied Sociology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) went on an overnight trip to the Centre for Social Action office at Srinivasapura Taluk in Kolar in Karnataka on 20 August 2018. We started our Journey from Christ University at 8:00 AM and reached Kolar at around 12:00 PM. We were accompanied by two of our professors, Mr Rajeev Kumaramkandath and Ms Sudipta Garai. In Kolar our accommodation was arranged in 2 Rural Camps. It was a serene and beautiful area with vast landscapes and long tracts of arable land. On our arrival at the CSA office, the office staff gave us a warm welcome and after getting fresh we were served lunch. The lunch was a different experience for us all as it was so simple and delicious. The whole group took a stroll through the vast and beautiful landscapes to observe the surroundings and to make sense of the place. We found that the villagers are so hardworking that in a district like Kolar, which is one of the driest places in the state, one could see vegetables and fruits (primarily Mango) being actively cultivated. Tomato, Mango and different kinds of gourds were being grown with an intention of distributing in the local market. The village was, nevertheless, in an economically unsound condition and with not less amount of infrastructure. 

The village was famous for mangoes. As we walked through the village the we could see how those hardworking people have grown different varieties of vegetables and fruits in their lands. Farming was done so scientifically at the same time as following some of the traditional methods. There was paddy and maize as well in some disparate sections that remained remote from we were. The houses in the immediate vicinity were more pakka and more or less well built with concrete and some with flat terraces. As we walked we were also discussing about the socio-economic sides of village agriculture and changing cultures. One of the officers from CSA came to us and said we have to return as the activities are about to begin.

Once in CSA office, the officers there started the orientation programme. It started with some ice breaking sessions which was very interesting and all students took part with so much of excitement. During the orientation a caretaker of the local anganwadi pointed out the benefits of the self help groups initiated by CSA among the villagers. She discussed how some women started bank accounts and operated those accounts on their own. They were trained to use these accounts for emergency and personal uses. Women in Self Help Groups were provided with trainings in activities like weaving, knitting and other related tasks. During the orientation we were told about the experiences of the CSA activists in the village ever since they started operating in the place 10 years back. The village so remotely located and distinct from the reach of state interventions was in a very poor state. However CSA’s interventions could make a big difference in the not only the women’s and children’s lives in the village but also in bringing the government’s attention to this place. This is one important factor why the village is decently connected to the nearby cities and has an average level of infrastructure.

However this was not the case in several other places in Kolar. This we realized as went to field trips to the remote villages where CSA was actively engaging with the villagers.  In the afternoon, post orientation, we were split into two groups and were taken to two different villages to see and understand the village life in its entirety including their forms of occupation, dynamics of collectivities, problems with economy and infrastructure etc. Each group was guided by a CSA member. We also made sure that the Kannada speaking members in our groups were equally divided so that we have sufficient translators. The first group went to Bollepalli village which was mostly populated by the Hindus. As we explored the village we had some serious interactions with the villagers. The CSA officer gathered the children in the village in the nearby village where we conducted some activities for their infotainment.  We visited some houses and interacted with the family members.

The second group went to Kondenahalli village which was primarily a Muslim area. There was some serious interactions with the people who were part of the Self Help Groups. Some of the people we interviewed pointed out that there were total 18 members in Self Help Groups. The duty of these Self Help Groups was to pool money and sanction loans. The wage labourers in the village worked on an average from 9:00 am till 5:30 pm. They were paid a very less amount of salary (300 Rs). A sharp distinction between the upper and the lower castes was visible in both these villages. The Head of the panchayat was also the member of an upper caste. We also interviewed somemembers of these Self Help Groups. One Woman member who have been associating with the group for the last 10 years told that being part of the SHG she now feels far empowered while dealing with big landlords and other male folk in the village. The SHGs also help its members to generate loans for agricultural purposes .The woman and her family had 5-6 acres of Land. Hers was a large family consisting of 18 members. of these 6 were landlords and the others worked as daily wage labourers. The SHG would conduct meetings twice in a month in order to decide whom should be given the loans and how to repay the loans.

We found in another family that we interacted in Kondenahally, that there were 3 members who were leaders of the Sangh, that is the SHG; this included the President, Treasurer and Secretary. This family sells Mangoes at around 20 Rs per Kg which was very less comparing to the prices that mangoes fetch in the nearby cities. They said that sometimes farmers had to sell mangoes for as cheap a price as less than Rs 5 per kilo. We also interviewed another person who was a lecturer in P.U College (Girls College) and was also doing his P. H. D from Bangalore University.

This one day field visit was a new experience for the students as we all live in urban areas where we are given all the facilities but this is another reality of India that we have never experienced. The Department of Sociology and Social Work (CHRIST - DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY) along with Centre of Social Action had given the students an opportunity to spend one day in Rural area and analyze the problems that they had to face everyday. Though there was no proper electricity, but they were very happy with their life. One very important thing the trip has done for us as students of sociology was that it allowed us to witness firsthand what the dynamics – internal and external – of village life is. The challenges they faced – including questions of education, economy and inter caste and inter religious relations, the possibilities of community life etc., - and the opportunities they presented in understanding a different form of communal existence was very immense.

Both the PG classes of Sociology would like to thank Dr. Victor Paul (Head of the department of sociology and social work) and also the organizing committee for organizing this rural trip that had enhanced our learning skills. It was a very good experience at looking at the true face of rural India while living within it.

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY National Young Sociologist Competition 2018-19

The Department of Sociology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, organises an annual National Young Sociologist Competition for undergraduate students having Sociology as one of their subject. It aims to encourage the young generation to carry out small research projects on socially relevant subjects and issues to enhance their critical and analytical thinking. The competition seeks to fulfil this aim by inviting the participants to write original papers on topics prescribed below to participate in the paper presentation competition which will be held on 07 December 2018.

Theme and Topics

The theme for the National Young Sociologist Competition 2018-19 is 'Social Mobility and Identity'. Social Mobility is a phenomenon which occurs over time and involves movement from one social group to the other. This is characterised by change in social positions which arises out of social interaction. The process of social interaction aids the formation, initiation or change in identity of a social group thus making identity a historical and social construct. Additionally, identity of a social group or individual reinforces social mobility through interaction between groups. Hence the interrelation between the phenomena of social mobility and identity can be stated as being co-dependent variables that aid the formation of one another. The purpose of this competition is to explore the interrelation between social mobility and identity among the different social groups and its dynamics under the various sub themes. Contributions beyond the subthemes are also invited which further add to the overall theme of the competition.

Sub Themes

a.)    Caste and Identity

Considering that caste is still pertinent in the contemporary world, this theme aims to find   out how caste contributes to the formation of identity or vice versa.

b.)    Class and Identity

Our identity gets influenced by many factors in society. This theme explores how class plays a factor in forming our identity.

c.)    Role of media & Identity

Media has a considerable impact on identity, how it is constructed and perceived.  This theme tries to enquire into the role of media and identity.

d.)   Gender, Sexuality & Identity

Sexuality and gender plays a role in forming identity. This theme aims to look at the association between the three.

e.)    Human Movements/Migration and Identity
Migration/Human movements is one of most studied and relevant phenomena of the contemporary age. This theme aims to understand how identities are developed on the basis of human movement and cross-cultural interaction.

f.)     Occupation and Identity
An individual's labor is an integral part of what defines her or his identity as it an activity that allows one to express one's own subjectivity. This theme aims to understand the relevance of labor and livelihood practices in process if identity creation in contemporary society.

g.)    Diaspora Communities and Identity
With the extensively accounted narratives of impermanence and identity crises among diaspora communities in contemporary society, the relation between the same and identity become important in social research. This theme aims the bring out such narratives and complexities of self identification in such communities. 

Eligibility

The competition is open to all regular undergraduate students studying Sociology or Anthropology as one of their subjects in any of the institutions in India.

Submission Guidelines

1.      As a first step to participate in this competition all participants need to send a 250 word abstract of their paper by August 15, 2018 to the following e mail:

Email: ysc@soc.christuniversity.in

or

send a hard copy to

National Young Sociologist Competition 2018-19

C/o Dr Sudhansubala Sahu, Department of Sociology

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

Hosur Road, Bangalore–560029

Email: ysc@soc.christuniversity.in

Tel: 91-80-4012 9735

2.      An abstract is a short summary in 250 words about the research project that the student has done/is planning to undertake. It should mention the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s), the methodology, major findings/trends/scope of the research.

3.      The abstracts should be accompanied by the contact details of participants including name, college/institution details, postal address, email address, and phone number.

4.      Participants need to enclose a bonafide certificate from the Head of their Institution and a copy of their college/university identity card along with the abstract.

5.      The academic papers can be conceptual or empirical. The length of the paper need to be around 2500-4000 words. The references should be given in the APA format (the style prescribed by the Publication Manual of American Psychological Association-6^th edition).

6.      A conceptual paper should develop arguments or theoretical perspectives on issues related to 'Social Mobility and Identity' using evidences from prior research. It should present a comprehensive and focused review of the relevant literature to support the argument.

7.      Empirical paper should have a brief and focused literature review to justify the need of the study. It should mention objectives of research, explain methodology, present the data and their analysis, arrive at logical conclusion and discuss the theoretical/practical implications of the research, the limitations as well as the scope of research.

8.      There is no limit to the number of entries from a single institution.

9.      All entries should be original works of the participant with appropriate references. Plagiarized entries will be disqualified. Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else's verbatim or paraphrased text in one's own written work without immediate reference. Verbatim text must be in quotes or indented if it is longer than four lines.

A citation must follow right after borrowed material (usually the author's name and year – eg (Stephen, 2000)) and the full details of the reference must be incorporated at the end of your full paper.

10.  Co-authored papers will not be considered.

11.  Submitted abstracts will be screened and the authors of shortlisted abstracts will be notified by August 25, 2018.

12.  Authors of shortlisted abstracts have to submit two hard copies and the soft copy of their full-length paper in word format to the above-mentioned e mail or addresses by November 1, 2018.

13.  Participants whose papers have been selected for the final presentation at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore will be notified by November 15, 2018.

14.  Travel will be reimbursed (second class sleeper) for outstation paper presenters.

15.  Accommodation will be provided for outstation paper presenters.

  

Evaluation Process and Rewards

1        The entries will be evaluated by an eminent panel of judges and the authors of the ten best entries will be invited to CHRIST (Deemed to be University) to make a presentation and to defend their ideas in the presence of students of Humanities and Social Sciences.

2        Awards are given to the prize winners. The first prize carries Rs 15,000/-, the second Rs 10,000/-, and the third Rs 7,000/-. The conveyance expenditure of the finalists would be reimbursed as per CHRIST (Deemed to be University) guidelines and the finalists would receive hospitality from CHRIST (Deemed to be University) community.

 Important Dates

August 20,  2018	Last date for submission of abstract
August 25, 2018	Notification of shortlisted abstracts
November 1, 2018	Submission of full-length paper
November 15, 2018	Announcement of finalists for paper presentation
December 07, 2018	Final paper presentation at CHRIST (Deemed to be University)