Visakhapatnam: Renowned sociologist and former faculty from University of Hyderabad Prof Sujata Patel advocated for a transformative approach to social science that breaks free from centuries-old Western intellectual dominance. She called for academic knowledge to become more reflective of everyday human experiences.Delivering a lecture at GITAM Deemed to be University, prof Patel explained how British colonial rule forced a distorted view of modern life onto Indian society. “The colonial rulers divided society into two artificial parts: an economic and political public world, and a private world driven by caste, religion, and family tradition. By doing this, colonial authorities portrayed India as a backward society stuck in old traditions, completely ignoring how ordinary citizens were actively facing and adapting to industrial growth, modern jobs, and global economic changes. This artificial divide made Indian society appear incapable of achieving its own genuine progress,” she said.Organised by the GITAM department of humanities and social sciences as part of their ongoing Samvad lecture series, the event highlighted prof Patel’s landmark framework known as anti-colonial social Theory, which directly challenges the belief that theories created in Europe and North America can explain the reality of every country across the globe.“To overcome this long-standing intellectual dependence, students, researchers and citizens should embrace the peripheral gaze. This mindset means looking at the world through the real-life struggles, achievements, and experiences of developing nations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America rather than relying strictly on Western standards. True intellectual freedom comes from understanding local history and culture on its own terms rather than trying to match European models,” added prof Patel.