Abstract
Dichotomous constructions of human societies or their specific dimensions are deeply entrenched in the tradition of social science. There are two sources of this vigorous and persisting tendency: Western epistemological dualism and the displacement syndrome it entails, and the inadequate apprehension of the processual dimension of social reality. This paper suggests that: (a) Western thought itself blocks an adequate appreciation of the nature of Western social reality; and (b) the indiscriminate application of Western concepts to non-Western societies distorts the very nature of social reality in these societies. The argument is pursued by explicating the processual linkages between movements and institutions and by applying these concepts to the Indian situation.
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