An eminent social scientist and 2008 Padma Bhushan recipient, Oommen is Professor Emeritus at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was Visiting Professor to several universities and institutes including the University of California; the Australian National University; the Institute of Advanced Studies, Hungary; and the Scandinavian Institute of Advanced Studies, Sweden. He has been actively engaged with studies examining social movements, rural development, political sociology and the sociology of religion. The only scholar from Asia and Africa to have served as President of the International Sociological Association, Oommen was also President, Indian Sociological Society, and the Ford Foundation Chair on non-traditional security. Currently, in his capacity as Chair, Schumacher Centre, Delhi, he is involved with rural development, employment generation and livelihood projects.