The correct option is Robert Redfield.
Explanation
The concepts of "Great Tradition" and "Little Tradition" are sociological frameworks used to analyze the cultural interactions within civilizations, particularly the relationship between the elite, formal culture and the folk, peasant culture.Detailed Analysis
- Robert Redfield: An American anthropologist, Redfield coined the terms "Great Tradition" and "Little Tradition" in his work Peasant Society and Culture (1956). He used these terms to describe the cultural dynamics of peasant societies.
- Great Tradition: Refers to the culture of the reflective few (elites, priests, philosophers), which is cultivated in schools and temples. It is typically literary, codified, and spans a wide geography (e.g., Sanskritic Hinduism, Vedas).
- Little Tradition: Refers to the culture of the unreflective many (peasants, village folk). It is largely oral, localized, and sustained through village communities (e.g., local folk deities, festivals).
- Application in India: While Redfield coined the terms, sociologists like Milton Singer and McKim Marriott applied them extensively to the Indian context to study the interaction between Sanskritic Hinduism and local folk religions (concepts of Universalization and Parochialization).
- M.N. Srinivas: He is a prominent Indian sociologist known for concepts like Sanskritization, Westernization, and Dominant Caste, but he did not coin the terms "Great" and "Little" traditions.
- Louis Dumont: He is best known for his work Homo Hierarchicus, which analyzes the caste system based on the ideology of purity and pollution.
- Max Weber: A German sociologist known for his work on the Protestant Ethic and the Sociology of Religion, including studies on Hinduism and Buddhism, but not this specific terminology.
Key Takeaway: Robert Redfield coined the terms "Great" and "Little" traditions to describe the continuous interaction between the elite, text-based culture and the local, folk-based culture in peasant societies.