Sylvia Raha

Dr. Sylvia Raha

Asst. Professor


Dr. Sylvia Raha is an Assistant Professor at Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences’ Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences. She formerly spent 9 years as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at St. Xavier’s College in North Bengal, West Bengal. She also served as an Academic Counsellor at IGNOU Study Centre 45015 for 7 years. She was the convenor of NBSXC’s Social Service Cell. 

She has been awarded a doctoral degree (PhD) from the Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal, West Bengal, India. Her PhD thesis was based on investigations comparing the lives of corporate branded jewellers with local hereditary jewellers. Her research interest includes Economic Sociology (Sociology of work and Organization), Cultural Studies, and Social change and development. She received her Master degree in Sociology specializing in globalization and society from University of North Bengal. She received a University Gold Medal from the University of North Bengal and a Thakur Panchanan Burma Memorial Medal from the Panchanan Smarak Samiti. 

She is a Life member of Indian Sociological Society and All Indian Association for Christian Higher Education

Qualifications

  • Ph.D.

    Awarded in Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal, West Bengal

  • Ph.D. Course Work

    Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal, West Bengal

  • Master of Arts (Sociology)

    Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal, West Bengal Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal

  • Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)

    Siliguri College, University of North Bengal, West Bengal

Experience

  • Presently working in Department of Sociology, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, as Assistant Professor from September 2021
  • 9 year’s experience in teaching as Assistant Professor in Department of Sociology at North Bengal St. Xavier’s College, Rajganj, Jalpaiguri (2012 ‑2021)
  • 7 years as Academic Counsellor in IGNOU, study centre number 45015

Interest: Economic Sociology, Culture Studies, Development and Social Change, Gender and Sexuality, Medical Sociology

Expertise: Consumer Studies, Media Studies, Community Studies, Work-Occupation and Organisation, Sociological Theories

Ph.D. Dissertation: National Conference Papers: Raha, Sylvia and Subrata Roy. 2020. The Pandemic and its Social Impact: In Context to Bengali Literature”, Two-Days National Conference on Language and Literature, Hyderabad, 28th & 29th May 2020, pp362

National Conference Papers: 

E‑Conference Proceedings:

  • Raha, S and S Roy. 2020. The Pandemic and its Social Impact: In Context to Bengali Literature”, Two-Days National Conference on Language and Literature, Hyderabad, 28th & 29th May 2020, pp362

Research articles:

  • Raha, Sylvia. 2012. Primitive Accumulation in India: From Colonial Period to Present Period’, Philosophica, Vol. 2, (Sep), pp. 151 – 167
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2012. Indian Women and Chipko Movement’, Philosophica, Vol. 3, (Sep), pp. 185 – 187 
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2013. Migration In Siliguri: A Case Study in Samarnagar Village’, Journal of Social Science and Humanity Research(Bi-Annual) An interdisciplinary and International referred Journal, Vol. 1, Jan-Jun, pp. 147 – 152
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2016. Body Image: Women in Jewellery Advertisement’, Social Trends, Vol.3, No.1, (March), pp. 117 – 129
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2017. The Everyday Life of Jewellery Karigars in Siliguri: A Case Study’, Social Trends, Vol.4 (March), pp. 146 – 156
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2020. Body and Ornament: A Reflection on Ghurye’s Perspective’, Social Trends, Vol.7(March), pp 225 – 231
  • Raha, S and S Roy. 2020. The Pandemic and its Social Impact: In Context to Bengali Literature”, Two-Days National Conference on Language and Literature, Hyderabad, 28th & 29th May 2020,pp362
  • Raha, Sylvia. 2022. Sasanka kobirajer stree” in edited book ” Banglar chotogolpo: Vishay o bishlane”. West Bengal: Bangiya Sathiya Sangshod. (Bengali language)
  • Raha, S. 2022, May 10. Buying belief: In India’s Gold Jewellery Market, Faith and Commerce are Linked [Online]. The Sociological Review Magazine. https://​doi​.org/​1​0​.​5​1​4​2​8​/​t​s​r​.​m​j​l​i5873


Seminar/​Conference/​Workshop

  1. Paper on Women Trafficking: An overview from Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling District’ in UGC (SAP) National Seminar on Issues of Gender Concern in the 21st Century (9−10th March 2011, Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal.
  2. Paper on Traditional and Corporate Jewellers: Intricacies in the Social Organisation of Bussiness Enterprise’ in 5th Annual Conference of the Sociological Association of West Bengal sponsored by ICSSR (12th-13th March 2013), Department of Sociology of University of North Bengal and North Bengal St. Xavier’s College.
  3. Paper on Challenges Faced by the Traditional Swarnakars in the name of Development: A study in Siliguri’ in SAP (DRS II) National Seminar on Social Dimension of Development in North Bengal and Sikkim”, (10−11th March 2016) organised by Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal. 
  4. Paper on ‘ An Insight into the Everyday Working Life of Karigars of Siliguri: A Case Study’ in the Research Commitee Sociology of Everyday Life of 42nd All India Sociological conference on “ Rethinking Sociological Traditions in India” organised by Department of Sociology, Tezpur University from 27th ‑30th Dec 2016. 
  5. Paper on Situating a Marginalized Group: Focusing on the Goldsmith of Siliguri’ in UGC SAP (DRS II) National Seminar on Marginalised Communities of North Bengal and Sikkim”, (16th February 2017) organised by Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal. 
  6. Paper on Ornaments: Ghurye and Beyond’ in Workshop on Indian Sociological Traditions, (28−29th March 2017) organised by Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal. 
  7. Paper on Fetishising Jewellery: A Ploy to Promote Consumer Culture ’ in the Research Committee Sociology of Everyday Life of 43nd All India Sociological Conference on Neo-Liberalism, Consumption and Culture” organised by Department of Sociology, University of Lucknow from 9th ‑12th Nov 2017. 
  8. Paper on Forest Villagers along the proposed Sevoke-Rangpo railway Project Preliminary Field Work’ in Workshop on Sevoke-Rangpo Railway and the Forest Village Dwellers: Concerns for Environment, Development and Livelihood in the Eastern Himalayas” organised jointly by Centre for Himalayan Studies and Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal on 29th May 2018. 
  9. Paper on Marginalisation of Traditional Swarnakar’ in the Research Committee Sociology of Everyday Life of 44nd All India Sociological Conference on Reconstructing Sociological Discourse in India: Perspective from Margin ” organised by Department of Sociology, St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru, Karnataka from 27th Dec – 29th Dec 2018.
  10. Paper on Continuity and Change in Social Value of Gold Jewellery: Perspective from Consumers and Jewellers In Siliguri’ in National Seminar on Understanding society, Polity and Culture of North Bengal and Sikkim” organised by Department of Sociology, University of North Bengal on 27th February 2020. 
  11. Paper on The Pandemic and its Social Impact: In context to Bengali Literature’ with my co-author Mr. Subrata Roy, in Two-days National E‑Conference on Language and Literature” organised by Sarojini Naidu Vanita Maha Vidyalaya, Hyderabad on 28th ‑29th May 2020.
  12. Paper on Rethinking Equality: A perspective from B R Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste” in two-days national workshop on Constitution of India: Transcription, Transformation and Legitimacy organised by Department of Studies and Research in Political Sciences, Tumkur University, School of Social Sciences, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences and ST Aloysius (Autonomous) College, Bangalore held on 25 – 26 November 2021. 
  13. Paper on Symbolism of Emotions in Jewellery Consumption and Social Relations’ in the Research Committee 28- Sociology of Everyday Life of 46th All India Sociological Conference on Constitution, Citizenship and Minorities: Mapping Seventy Years of Indian Republic” organised University of Mumbai, from 8th-10th Dec 2021.


Conferences (Invited):

  1. Presented paper on An Insight into the Everyday Working Life of Karigars of Siliguri: A Case Study’ in the Research Commitee Sociology of Everyday Life of 42nd All India Sociological conference on “ Rethinking Sociological Traditions in India” organised by Department of Sociology, Tezpur University from 27th ‑30th Dec 2016.
  2. Presented paper on Fetishising Jewellery: A Ploy to Promote Consumer Culture ’ in the Research Committee Sociology of Everyday Life of 43nd All India Sociological Conference on Neo-Liberalism, Consumption and Culture” organised by Department of Sociology, University of Lucknow from 9th ‑12th Nov 2017.
  3. Presented paper on Marginalisation of Traditional Swarnakar’ in the Research Committee Sociology of Everyday Life of 44nd All India Sociological Conference on Reconstructing Sociological Discourse in India: Perspective from Margin ” organised by Department of Sociology, St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru, Karnataka from 27th Dec – 29th Dec 2018.

  • University Gold Medal Awarded (First Class First with Distinction marks and Grade A+)
  • Awarded Thakur Panchanan Burma Memorial Medal donated by Panchanan Smarak Samiti for securing First Class First in M.A in Sociology
  • Honorary received from One Billion Rising, Darjeeling Mary Ward Social Centre in 2019
  • University Examiner of Part I, Part II, Part III (Annual System) BA in Sociology under University of North Bengal from the year 2013 – 2021
  • University Examiner of Semester I — Semester VI (CBCS system) under University of North Bengal from the year 2019 – 2021.
  • University Moderator of CBCS system Examination in 2020
  • Honorary received for YUVA Coordinator of NBSXC, Young India Siliguri, Confederation of Indian Industry in 2020
  • Convener of Social Service Cell, North Bengal St. Xavier’s College in 2014, 2016 – 2018, 2020