Syllabus of Sociology Optional

UPSC CSE Mains Sociology Syllabus

Paper - I: Sociology Syllabus
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY

1. Sociology - The Discipline:

(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.

4. Sociological Thinkers:

(a) Karl Marx- Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class

struggle.

(b) Emile Durkheim- 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.

5. Stratification and Mobility:

(a) Concepts- equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and

deprivation.

(b) Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist 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.

6. Works and Economic Life:

(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.

7. Politics 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.

8. Religion and Society:

(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.

9. Systems of Kinship:

(a) Family, household, marriage.

(b) Types and forms of family.

(c) Lineage and descent.

(d) Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.

(e) Contemporary trends.

10. Social Change in Modern Society:

(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.

Paper - II: Sociology Syllabus

INDIAN SOCIETY: STRUCTURE AND CHANGE
A. Introducing Indian Society:

(i) Perspectives on the study of Indian society:

(a) Indology (GS. Ghurye).

(b) Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).

(c) Marxist sociology (A R Desai).

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society:

(a) Social background of Indian nationalism.

(b) Modernization of Indian tradition.

(c) Protests and movements during the colonial period.

(d) Social reforms.

B. Social Structure:

(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: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas,

Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.

(b) Features of caste system.

(c) Untouchability - forms and perspectives.

(iii) Tribal communities in India:

(a) Definitional problems.

(b) Geographical spread.

(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 of labour.

(vi) Religion and Society:

(a) Religious communities in India.

(b) Problems of religious minorities.

C. Social Changes in India:

(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.

(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) Womenʼs movement.

(c) Backward classes & Dalit movement.

(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.

(d) Caste conflicts.

(e) Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.

(f) Illiteracy and disparities in education.

The Way we will Handle the Syllabus
SYLLABUS OF SOCIOLOGY
Two papers - Paper I and Paper II

Paper I - Fundamentals of Sociology (we will also cover overlapping topics of Paper II:
Indian Society - Structure and Change)

Exclusive to Sociology Paper I

Chapter 1 - Sociology the Discipline:

1. Origin of sociology
1. Social changes in the backdrop of Industrialisation, French Revolution and
Scientific Revolution that forced people to find solution to all social evils.
2. In pursuit of this desire emerged sociology.
2. Comparison of Sociology with other social sciences:
1. Sociology vs Economics
2. Sociology vs History
3. Sociology vs Anthropology
4. Sociology vs Psychology
5. Sociology vs Political Science
3. Overlap between sociology and common sense
1. Common sense that is sociology e.g. compulsory domestication of women
is outcome of patriarchy
2. Common sense that is not sociology e.g. urbanisation leading to emergence
of joint family, Bangalore case study

Chapter 2 - Sociology as a Science

1. Science, scientific method and critique

2. Major theoretical strands of research in methodology
3. Positivism and its critique
4. Fact value and objectivity and
5. Non-positivist methodologies

Chapter 4 Sociological Thinkers

1. Most important part of sociology - backbone of first paper.

2. These thinkers’ ideas can be used in paper 2 as well.
3. Each thinker is equal to one chapter.

4. Karl Marx

1. Historical materialism - Factors that bring change in society i.e.

 infrastructure or base bringing change in superstructure.
2. Mode of Production - Different forms of societies that have existed:
Evolutionary perspectives of society i.e. from Primitive communism to
Capitalist society to advanced communism that is yet to come.
3. Class struggle - Struggle between haves and have nots
5. Emile Durkheim

1. Theory of suicide
2. Theory of religion and society
3. Division of Labour and
4. Concept of Social Facts
6. Max Weber

1. Concept of social action

2. Concept of authority based on social action
3. Concept of ideal types
4. Protestant Ethics and Spirit of Capitalism i.e. Religion and Society
7. Talcolt Parsons

1. Concept of social systems

2. Concept of Pattern Variables
8. Robert Merton

1. Latent and manifest functions

2. Conformity and Deviance in society and different types of deviance
3. Reference group
9. Mead - Social Psychology

1. Concept of Self and Identity

Overlapping with Paper II

Beauty of the section that it enhances your answer writing to a great level not in
just sociology but also GS and Essay.

Chapter 5 - Stratification and Mobility

1. Concept of social inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation

2. Theories of social stratification - 3 sets of theories
1. Structural-functional theories
2. Marxist theories and
3. Weber’s Trinitarian Model
3. Dimensions of Social Stratification
1. Class - economic dimension
 2. Gender
3. Ethnicity
4. Status based e.g. Caste
5. Biological characteristics based e.g. race
4. Social mobility

It is linked directly with:

B2 - Caste System - A form of status based social stratification system

1. Perspectives of prominent Indian and western sociologists e.g.

1. GS Ghurye
2. MN Srinivas
3. Andre Beteille
4. Louis Dumont
2. Features of Indian Caste System and
3. Untouchability as a part of caste system

B4 - Social Classes in India

1. Agrarian classes
2. Industrial classes
3. Middle class in India

Chapter 6 - Work and Economic Life

1. Organisation of work in different societies e.g. capitalist society, slave society,

feudal society etc.
2. Formal and informal organisations
3. Labour and society

It is linked directly with:

C3: Industrialisation and urbanisation in India

1. Evolution of modern industry in India

2. Growth or urban settlements in India
3. India’s working class and its issues
4. Informal sector and child labour
5. Slums and deprivation in urban areas
Chapter 7: Politics and Society

1. Sociological theories of power

2. Power elite theory, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties.
3. National, State, citizenship, democracy, civil society and ideology
4. Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action and revolution

It is linked directly with:

C4 - Politics and Society

1. Nation, democracy and citizenship

2. Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elites
3. Regionalism and decentralisation of power
4. Secularisation

C5 - Social movements in Modern India

1. Peasants and farmers movements

2. Women movement
3. Backward class movement and Dalit movements
4. Environmental Movements
5. Ethnicity and Identity Movements

Chapter 8: Religion and Society

1. Theories of religion
2. Types of religious practices e.g. animism, monism, pluralism, sects and cults
3. Religion in modern society
1. Religion vs science
2. Secularisation
3. Religious revivalism and
4. Fundamentalism

It is linked with:

B6 - Religion and Indian Society

1. Religious communities in India

2. Problems of religious minorities
Chapter 9: Systems of Kinship

1. Family, household and marriage

2. Types and forms of family
3. Lineage and descent
4. Patriarchy and sexual division of labour
5. Contemporary trends

It is linked Directly with:

B5 - System of Kinship in India

1. Lineage and descent in India

2. Types of Kinship Systems
3. Family and marriage in India
4. Household dimension of family
5. Patriarchy, elements and sexual division of labour

Chapter 10: Social Change in Modern Society

1. Sociological theories of Social Change

2. Development and dependency
3. Agents of social change
4. Education and social change
5. Science, technology and social change

It is directly linked with:

C1: Visions of Social Change in India

1. Idea of development planning and mixed economy

2. Constitution, law and social change
3. Education and Social Change

C2: Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India

1. Programmes of rural development e.g.

1. Community development programme
2. Cooperatives
3. Poverty alleviation schemes
2. Green Revolution and its impact on society
3. Changing modes of production of Indian society
 4. Problem of rural labour, bondage and migration

C7: Challenges of Social Transformation

1. Crisis of development and issues:

1. Displacement
2. Environmental issues and sustainability
2. Poverty, deprivation and inequalities
3. Violence against women
4. Caste conflicts
5. Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism
6. Illiteracy and Disparities in Education

Paper II: Indian Society - Structure and Change

There are three units - A, B and C

Unit A deals with Introduction to Indian society i.e. perspectives of thinkers on Indian
Society and impact of colonial rule
Unit B deals with Social Structure of Indian Society
Unit C deals with Social Change in Indian Society

Unit A - Introduction to Indian Society

It consists of two sections:

1. Perspectives on the study of Indian Society:

1. Indological perspective of GS Ghurye
2. Structural functionalism of MN Srinivas
3. Marxist sociology of AR Desai
2. Impact of Colonial rule on Indian society
1. Social background of Indian Nationalism
2. Modernisation of Indian Tradition
3. Protest Movements during colonial periods
4. Social reforms

Unit B - Social Structure:

It consists of following left sub-units

Sub-unit B1 - Rural and Agrarian Social Structure that consists of:

1. The idea of Indian village and village studies

2. Agrarian and social structure - evolution of land tenure system and land reforms
Sub-unit B3 - Tribal communities in India

1. Definition problems
2. Geographical spread
3. Colonial policies and tribes
4. Issues of integration and autonomy of tribes

Unit C - Social Changes in India

It consists of following left sub-units:

Sub-Unit C6 - Population Dynamics

1. Population size, growth, composition and distribution

2. Components of population growth - birth, death and migration
3. Population policy and family planning
4. Emerging issues:
1. Increasing ageing population
2. Unfavourable sex ratio
3. High child and infant mortality ratio
4. Reproductive health deterioration among females

In paper 1 chapter 3 is a disjunct chapter that can be covered at any point of time and is
not of any relation with any other chapter.

Chapter 3 - Research methods - A disjunct topic (Shall be covered towards the end
of Paper I)

1. Qualitative methods which are used to build non positivist theories of sociology
2. Quantitative methods which are used to build positivist theories of sociology
3. Various techniques of data collection e.g. surveys, interviews, group discussions
etc.
4. Different types of variables and sampling.