Synopsis This collection of essays deals with the nature of sociocultural change in India and its relevance for the scientific study of childhood, family environments and the process of human development. Today`s growing Indian middle class appears to be in the process of creating a new sense of `Indian-ness` a sort of `transitional identity` wich is still trying to balance the stress of tradition with the strain of modernity. A unique book which is long overdue, this volume brings to the fore topical debates in the area of social and human sciences.