சங்கத் தொகை நூல்களில் சமூக விழுமியங்கள் - ஒரு சமூகவியல் மற்றும் இலக்கியப் பகுப்பாய்வு: Social Values in Sangam Anthology Works – A Sociological and Literary Analysis

Abstract

Culture is an integrated system encompassing the norms and values prevailing within a society. The Sangam literary works, known as the Thogai Noolgal (Anthologies), serve as a temporal mirror reflecting the sublime values of ancient Tamil life. True Culture explains what people practice in reality within a society, while Ideal Culture proclaims how people should behave and the types of ideals they should follow. Sociologists believe that any culture can be explained only through its fundamental values. The Sangam era was a golden age that excelled in education, valor, philanthropy, and love. This study extensively analyzes the internal (Akam) and external (Puram) social values found in the anthologies within the framework of modern sociological theories. Specifically, this article highlights the unique features of the ancient Tamil social structure by comparing the value definitions of scholars such as Melvin DeFleur, Theodore Caplow, and David Dressler with evidence from Sangam literature.

Keywords

• Value
• Ethics (Values)
• Righteousness
• Valor
• Chastity
• Hero Stone
• Internal life (Akam)
• External life (Puram)
• Domesticity
• Hospitality