Social Values and Development: Asian Perspectives

The theme of this book is the role of psychology in dealing with problems of national development. Questions examined include: which attitudes and values, if any, are universally associated with socio-economic development; to what extent do such values conflict with traditional beliefs and attitudes; how can knowledge from psychological research be most effectively used for modernization and development without disrupting traditional values cherished by the culture.

Durganand Sinha (Born: 23 September 1922; Died: 23 March 1998) did his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy (with specialization in Psychology) from Patna University. Subsequently, he went to Cambridge University where he was awarded the M.Sc. degree. On his return to India in 1949, Professor Sinha joined as the faculty of Psychology at Patna University. His research article ‘Behavior in a catastrophic situation: A psychological study of reports and rumors’ published in the British Journal of Psychology showed his scientific creativity and responsiveness to the problems of his immediate surroundings. He left Patna in 1958 and joined the newly established Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Professor Sinha came to Allahabad University in 1961 as a professor to chair the newly created Department of Psychology. In the mid-1980s, he also served as the Director of the A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna. The present status of the Department of Psychology at Allahabad as a Centre of Advanced Study owes much to his vision and dedication.

In a career spanning half a century, Professor Sinha made significant contributions as a researcher in diverse areas. It encompassed the role of socio-cultural factors in perception and cognition; changes in the Indian family and the implications for the socialization process; larger applied social psychological issues such as motivation and rural development, deprivation and poverty; and social change. His books (listed in the section ‘Complete Works of Durganand Sinha’ in this volume) have left his name permanently in the field of psychology of social sciences. In India, he was a central figure of the psychological profession. He served as the President of the Indian Psychological Association, the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology and Psychology Section of the Indian Science Congress.