Research methods

(a) Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of Sociology.

(b) Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.

(c) Sociology and common sense

2. Sociology as Science:

(a) Science, scientific method, and critique.

(b) Major theoretical strands of research methodology.

(c) Positivism and its critique.

(d) Fact value and objectivity.

(e) Non-positivist methodologies.

3. Research Methods and Analysis:

(a) Qualitative and quantitative methods

(b) Techniques of data collection.

(c) Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability, and validity

(a) Karl Marx – Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.

(b) Emile Durkhteim – Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion, and society.

(c) Max Weber – Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. (d) Talcolt Parsons – Social system, pattern variables.

(e) Robert K. Merton – Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.

(f) Mead – Self and identity.

(a) Concepts – equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, and deprivation.

(b) Theories of social stratification – Structural func tionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.

(c) Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity, and race.

(d) Social mobility – open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility

(a) Social organization of work in different types of society – slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society.

(b) Formal and informal organization of work.

(c) Labour and society.

(a) Sociological theories of power.

(b) Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties.

(c) Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.

(d) Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.

(a) Sociological theories of religion.

(b) Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

(c) Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.

(a) Family, household, marriage.

(b) Types and forms of family

(c) Lineage and descent.

(d) Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.

(e) Contemporary trends.

(a) Sociological theories of social change.

(b) Development and dependency.

(c) Agents of social change.

(d) Education and social change.

(e) Science, technology, and social change.

(i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society:

(a) Indology (G.S. Ghure).

(i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society:

(b) Structural Functionalism (M N Srinivas)

(i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society:

(c) Marxist sociology (A R Desai) & a)

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society:

(a) Social background of Indian nationalism.

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society:

(b) Modernization of Indian tradition

(c)  Protests and movements during the colonial period.

(d) Social reforms

(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:

(a) The idea of Indian village and village studies.

(b) Agrarian social structure— evolution of land tenure system, land reforms

(ii) Caste System:

(a) Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.

(b) Features of caste system.

(ii) Caste System:

(c) Untouchability – forms and perspectives

(iii) Tribal communities in India:

(a) Definitional problems.

(b) Geographical spread

(iii) Tribal communities in India:

(c) Colonial policies and tribes

(d) Issues of integration and autonomy.

(iv) Social Classes in India:

(a) Agrarian class structure.

(b) Industrial class structure.

(c) Middle classes in India.

(v) Systems of Kinship in India:

(a) Lineage and descent in India.

(b) Types of kinship systems.

(c) Family and marriage in India.

(d) Household dimensions of the family.

(e) Patriarchy, entitlements, and sexual division oflabour

(vi) Religion and Society:

(a) Religious communities in India.

(b) Problems of religious minorities.

(i) Visions of Social Change in India:

(a) Idea of development planning and mixed economy.

(b) Constitution, law, and social change.

(c) Education and social change.

(ii) Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:

(a)Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.

(b) Green revolution and social change.

(ii) Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:

(c) Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.

(d) Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.

(iii) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:

(a) Evolution of modern industry in India.

(b) Growth of urban settlements in India.

(c) Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.

(d) Informal sector, child labour.

(e) Slums and deprivation in urban areas.

(iv) Politics and Society:

(a) Nation, democracy, and citizenship.

(b) Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.

(c) Regionalism and decentralization of power.

(d) Secularization.

(v) Social Movements in Modern India:

(a) Peasants and farmers movements.

(b) Women’s movement.

(v) Social Movements in Modern India:

(c) Backward classes & Dalit movements.

(d) Environmental movements.

(e) Ethnicity and Identity movements.

(vi) Population Dynamics:

(a) Population size, growth, composition, and distribution. (b) Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.

(c) Population Policy and family planning.

(d) Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.

(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:

(a) Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems, and sustainability.

(b) Poverty, deprivation, and inequalities.

(c) Violence against women.

(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:

(d) Caste conflicts.

(e) Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.

(f) Illiteracy and disparities in education.