SERICUL TURE AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE - Institute for ...

dislocations. In his opmlOn, the process of modernisation need not
necessarily mean an abrupt breach into tradition. For him, it is rather a
process of social change in which the traditional institutions become
peacefully modified to usher in a new life of hope for the villages. Thus,
the process of change and continuity emerges as a characteristic feature
of the rural social change in India.
Significance of the Present Study
As evident from· the various studies, discussed in the previous
section, there has been multi-dimensional factors, operating in the rural
scenario, transforming the life of the rural masses. However, these have
not ensured a better standard of living for all sections of the rural
society. Not all planned efforts to improve the quality of rural life have
achieved the intended results. This is because, the development
strategies in the early decades of planning, have responded mainly to the
economic concerns alone, without giving much attention to the sociocultural
basis of the rural people. There has been a growing awareness in
recent decades, that the development strategies would hardly benefit the
rural masses unless such strategies reflect the socio-cultural concerns of
the people and respond to the ground realities of rural life. To evolve the
planning strategies in the right direction and for identifying the right
targets, a proper and better understanding of the process of rural social
change is necessary. Thus, a socio-cultural study of the rural society and
of its changing process, especially in the context of a development
strategy becomes crucial and assumes significance.
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