DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

West Jaintia Hills District is one of the 11 Districts of Meghalaya with the bifurcation of the erstwhile. Jaintia Hills District into East and West Jaintia Hills District came into existence on 31st July 2012 with its Head Quarter at Jowai. The total area of the District is 1693sq.km. the district comprises of one Civil Sub-Division i.e., Amlarem Civil Sub-Division and Community and Rural Development Blocks viz., Amlarem, Laskein and Thadlaskein.

West Jaintia Hills belongs to the Khasi Ethnic Group. They live in isolated and scattered hill top villages throughout Sylhet division in the areas that border India. The people living in the southern parts of the West Jaintia Hills District in the border areas stretching along the international border with Bangladesh prefer to called themselves as War Jaintia or simply as War.

Most of the people engage themselves in agriculture and the area is famous in the production of betel nuts and betel leaves and different kinds of seasonal fruits. In this regard people are also engaged themselves in marketing of the agricultural produces in their local market, viz., Dawki and Jowai.

The War Jaintia Border area constituted with a total number of 96 villages which falls under Amlarem Civil Sub Division and Nongtalang Village is one of the biggest village in the area, located about 32 kms away from the District Head Quarter with a literacy rate of 72.22%

Nongtalang is the only College located in War Jaintia Region, it was established on the 09th April 1988 as a Private College by the Village Durbar of Nongtalang to cater to the needs of the poor and the needy students who could not afford higher studies in cities and towns like Shillong and Jowai. In 1999 the College was Affiliated with North Eastern Hills University (Permanent Affiliation for Pass Course and Provisional Affiliation for Honours Course). It was permanently recognized by UGC as per UGC Act (12(B)/2(f)) and was Accredited Grade-B by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) on the 9th June 2017. In the month of September 2021 the College was selected under the new Scheme,” People’s College” initiated by the Government of Meghalaya.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

Sociology Department, Nongtalang college was started in the year 1999 with a total strength of 21 (Twenty-one) students. The Department had a humble beginning with only two teachers i.e. Ms. Seeta Merry Lyngdoh (HOD till date) and Ms.Thailinda Nongtdu.

In the year 2000, NEHU permitted with temporary Affiliation for opening the Honours Course. Later on the Department get permanent Affiliation in the year 2005.

In the year 2000, July Ms. Lucy Memory Rapthap joined the Department and resigned subsequently. Mr. Allwin Lyngdoh was appointed on the 1st August 2002 in place of Ms. Lucy Memory Rapthap, and is still serving in the college till date. After several years, Ms. Vinica Pohsnem joined the Department on the 16th September, 2010 followed by Ms. Mayqueen Lamin Gassah on the 1st August 2015. Both of them are still in active service in the Department.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS:

ACTIVITIES:

The Department of Sociology has conducted a One Day Workshop on “Gender Equality “on the 31st March 2017.

It has also conducted a One-Day workshop on “Vermi Composing” on the 16th of December 2020. The Resource Person were Shri. Steve Kurbah,Trainer Agriculture and Shri. Firster Syiem, Field Assistant, Agriculture.

The Department encourage to undertake extra-curricular activities like Project Work, Field Work for 6th Semester students on topics relating to various social problems and issues in the local communities.

At present, due to the ongoing Pandemic situation, other programmes and activities has so far come to a standstill.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

• The Syllabus itself is designed to help learner to reflect on what they hear and see in the course of everyday life.


• To enable a constructive attitude towards Society in change.


• To equip a learner with concept and theoretical skills for the purpose.


• To enable the learner to understand dynamic of human behavior in all its complexities and manifestation.


• In the process of understand the Real Social World, the learner of today need answers and explanation to satisfy the questions that arise in their mind. In this regards familiarity with the society in which the learner like (family, kinship, class, caste, tribe, religion and region) and the study of society in sociology brings a double edged experience for the students.


• The interrogative and critical character of sociology also makes it possible to understand both other cultures as well as relearns about one’s own culture. The syllabus provides ample opportunity to make students familiar with the excitement of field works, survey as well as its theoretical significance for the very discipline of Sociology.


• Its field work tradition also entails large scale survey method as well as rich ethnographic traditions.


• The Syllabus makes it possible to connect the reality of the students with social structures and social processes that sociology studies.


• The Syllabus itself enables learner to relate classroom teaching to their outside environment.


• The subject itself as the scientific study of the society and its basic concept enable the students to observe and interpret social life.


• It helps the students to be aware of the complexities of social processes


• To appreciate diversity in society in India and the World at large.


• To build the capacity of students to understand and analyze the change in contemporary Indian Sociological Concept.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

Course Outcome

• The Syllabus itself is designed to help learners to reflect on what they hear and see in the course of everyday life.


• To enable a constructive attitude towards Society in change.


• To equip a learner with concepts and theoretical skills for the purpose.


• To enable the learner to understand dynamic of human behaviour in all its complexities and manifestations.


• In the process of understanding the Real Social World, the learners of today need answers and explanation to satisfy the questions that arise in their mind. In this regards familiarity with the society in which the learners like (like family, kinship, class, caste, tribe religion and region) and the study of society in sociology brings a double edged experience for the students.


• The interrogative and critical character of sociology also makes it possible to understand both other cultures as well as relearns about one’s own culture. The Syllabus provides ample opportunity to make students familiar with excitement of field works, survey of sociology as well as its theoretical significance for the very discipline of Sociology.


• Its field work tradition also entails large scale survey method as well as rich ethnographic traditions.


• The Syllabus makes it possible to connect the Reality of the students with social structures and social processes that sociology studies.


• The Syllabus itself enables learners to relate classroom teaching to their outside environment.


• The subject itself as the scientific study of the Society and its basic concept enable the students to observe and interpret social life.


• It helps the students to be aware of the complexities of social process.


• To appreciate diversity in society in India and the World at large.


• To build the capacity of students to understand and analyse the changes in contemporary Indian Sociological Concepts.

FACULTY PROFILE: