SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL

SYLLABUS MICROLISTING
BASIC INTRODUCTION TO  The Economic Aspects of the French society
Intellectual Developments in France
SOCIOLOGY 
 Sociological Analysis of French Revolution
 Significance of learning sociology
Industrial Revolution
1. SOCIOLOGY THE DISCIPLINE  Salient Features of Industrial Revolution
 Historical Precursor of Sociology  Sociological Analysis of Industrial Revolution
 Philosophy Early Sociological Thinkers
 Proto Sociology  Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
 Modernity and social changes in Europe and  Contributions of Comte to the Development of
Emergence of sociology Sociology as a Science
 Intellectual Development
 Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
Influence of Enlightenment (1685-1815)  Contributions
 Salient features of Enlightenment  Karl Marx (1818-1883)
 Impact on society structure  Contributions
 Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Conservative Reaction/ Counter-
 Contributions
Revolutionary Philosophy
 Max Weber (1864-1920)
 Salient features of counter-revolutionary
 Contributions
philosophy
 Scope of the Subject
 Impact on society structure
Specialist or Formal School
Scientific Revolution
 Criticism
 Salient features of Scientific Revolution
 Sociological Analysis Synthetic School
 Criticism
Post-Renaissance Developments
 Experimental Method in Physics & Sociology vs other sciences
Mathematics  Sociology and Economics
 Biology and Evolution  Interrelations between the disciplines
Philosophy of History  Sociology and Political Science
The biological theory of evolution  Interrelations between the disciplines
 Sociology and History
Surveys of Social Conditions
 Interrelations between the disciplines
 Material Development  Sociology And Psychology
Commercial Revolution (1450-1800)  Interrelations between the disciplines
 Historical Context Sociology And Philosophy
 Salient features of Commercial Revolution
 Interrelations between the disciplines
French Revolution
Sociology and Social Anthropology
 French Society at the time of revolution
 Interrelations between the disciplines
 Causes of emergence
 Prevailing social conditions in French Society Sociology and Common Sense
 The Political Aspects of the French society  Features of Common Sense

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SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL

Comparison Sociology vs Common Sense Symbolic Interactionism

 Importance of Common Sense in sociology Ethnomethodology
 Criticism for Non- positivism
2. SOCIOLOGY AS SCIENCE0
 Science, scientific method and critique 3. RESEARCH METHODS &
 Characteristic features of Science ANALYSIS
 Sociology as a Science Research Methods And Analysis
 Delimitations of Sociology as a science
 Research Method
Scientific method  Significance of Research Methodologies
 Scientific method includes the following steps  Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
 Advantages and Limitations of Quantitative
Characteristics of Scientific research methods
 Criticism  Difference between Quantitative and
 Major theoretical strands of research Qualitative methods
methodology  Obtaining Objectivity
Positivism and its critique  Techniques of data collection
 Questionnaire
 Features
Guidelines for framing questionnaire
Positivist Methods
 Advantages of questionnaires
 Empiricism
 Limitations of questionnaires
 Inductive method
 Interviews
 Correlation and Causation
 Advantages of interviews
 Multivariate analysis
 Limitations of interviews
 Criticism of Positivism
 Participant Observation
 Concepts
 Advantages of Participant Observation
 Ontology
 Limitations of Participant Observation
 Epistemology
 Hermeneutics Social Surveys
 Methodology  Advantages and Limitations of Surveys
 Critique  Case Study
Fact value and objectivity  Advantages and Limitations of case study
 Facts Focus Group Discussions
 Values  Advantages and Limitations of Focus Group
 Objectivity Discussions
 Value-free sociology/ value neutrality/  Life Documents
Objectivity  Advantages and Limitations of Life Documents
 Value freedom can be achieved through
 Value relevance/ Problem of objectivity
Content Analysis
 Weber’s Value Relevance Advantages and Limitations of content
 Non - positivist methodologies analysis
Phenomenology  Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and
validity

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SYLLABUS MICROLISTING
 Variables  Criticism of Class struggle theory
 Significance of variables
Max Weber
 Sampling
 Substantive Sociology
 Type of sampling
 Weber’s Methodology
The methods of probability sampling are  Social Action
 Hypothesis  Ideal types of social action
 Conditions for a Valid Hypothesis  Significance of social action
 Significance of Hypothesis  Criticism
 Types of methods for sociological analysis
Critical Social Research Methodology
 Verstehen
 Characteristics of Critical Social Research
 Steps involved in Verstehen method
Methodology
 Significance
 Criticism of Critical Social Research
 Criticism
Methodology
 Causal Pluralist Method
 Feminist Methodology
 Ideal types
 Emergence of feminist methodology
 Characteristics of Ideal Types
 Features
 Varieties of Ideal Type
 Criticism
 Significance of Ideal Types
Limitations
4. SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS 
 Value Relevance
Karl Marx (1818- 1883)  Power and Authority
 Hegel’s Dialectic Philosophy  Ideal Type for Authority
 Marx as a critique of Hegel  Traditional Authority
 Historical Materialism  Charismatic Authority
 Aspects of Historical Materialism  Rational-Legal Authority
 Significance of Historical Materialism  Criticism of Weber’s theory of Authority
 Criticism of Historical Materialism  Bureaucracy
 Mode of Production  Characteristics of Bureaucracy (Ideal type of
 Primitive-Communal Bureaucracy)
 Ancient Mode Of Production  Advantages and Criticism of Bureaucracy
 Feudal Mode Of Production  Protestant Ethics and Spirit of capitalism
 Capitalist Mode of Production  Reasons for rise of capitalism in 16th and 17th
century
 Socialist Mode of Production
 Ideal types of Calvinism
 Advanced Communism
 Criticism
 Criticism of Mode of Production
 Alienation Emile Durkheim
 Components of alienation Durkheim’s contribution to sociology
 Causes of alienation Subject Matter of Sociology
 Criticism of Alienation theory  Characteristics of social facts
 v. Fetishism of commodities  Types of social facts
 wClass Struggle/ Class Conflict/ Class  Significance of social facts
Antagonism  Criticism
 Causes of revolution

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SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL

 Division of Labour  Social Action – Categories

 Mechanical and Organic solidarity  Motives
 Functions of Division of Labour  Actions
 Pathological Division of Labour  Social Structure
 Criticism of Division of Labour theory  Social System
 Suicide  Functional pre-requisites of a social system
 Types of Suicide according to Parsons
 Egoistic Suicide  AGIL scheme of Parsons
 Altruistic suicide  Society as a social system
 Anomic suicide  Actors and the Social System
 Fatalistic suicide  Cultural System
 Significance of the study of suicide  Personality System
 Criticism
 Behavioral Organism
 Religion
 Social Control Mechanisms
 Elementary Forms of Religious Life
 Parsons’s theory of Social Change
 Significance of religion in society
 Factors causing social change
George Herbert Mead  Rationalisation
Symbolic Interactionism  Traditionalisation
 Role taking  Moving Equilibrium
 The Self  Criticism of Parsons grand theory of social
 I and M system
 Game Stage and Play Stage  Cybernatic Hierarchy of control
 Criticism of symbolic interactionism  Ascription vs Achievement
 Affectivity vs Affective-Neutrality
Robert K Merton
 Particularism vs Universalism
 C Middle-Range Theorie
 Diffuseness vs Specificity
 Advantages of Middle range theories
 Self Orientation vs Collective Orientation
 Significance of Manifest and Latent Functions
 Difference between Pattern variable A and B
 Unanticipated consequences
 Significance of Pattern Variables
 Merton’s strain theory or Conformity and
Deviance or ‘social structure and Anomie’
 Significance of Strain Theory INTER-RELATIONS bETWEEN
 Criticism of strain theory VARIOUS THINKERS
 Reference Group Inter-relations between various thinkers
 Characteristics of reference group
 Marx vs Weber
 Anticipatory socialization
 theory of social change
 Significance of Anticipatory socialization
 Marx vs Durkheim
 Significance of reference groups
 Division of Labour
 Criticism of reference groups
 Alienation vs Anomie
Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)  Durkheim vs Weber
 Parsons’s Methodology  Theory of Anomie by Durkheim and Robert
 Social Order Merton
 Social action  Weber vs Parsons theory of Social Action

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SYLLABUS MICROLISTING
5. STRATIFICATION & MOBILITY Gender bias in contemporary societies
 In labour force
 Definition
 Within families
 Characteristics of stratification system
 Gender biasness in culture
 Concepts - equality, inequality, hierarchy,
 Ethnicity
exclusion, poverty and deprivation
 Features of ethnicity
 Difference between Hierarchy and
 Different perspectives on Ethnicity
Stratification
 Integrative role of ethnicity
 Exclusion
 Disintegrative role of ethnicity
 Characteristics of social exclusion
 Race
 Difference between Poverty and Social
 Instances of Racism across societies
Exclusion
 Various Perspectives on Racism
 Poverty
 Racism in contemporary societies
 Marxian Perspective on Poverty
 Open and Closed systems
 Weberian Perspective on Poverty
 Functionalist Perspective on Poverty Types of mobility
 Significance of Poverty  Horizontal and Vertical mobility
 Deprivation  Intra-generational and Inter-generational
 Absolute Deprivation and Relative Deprivation mobility
 Relation with Poverty and Social Exclusion  Sources and causes of mobility
 Significance of deprivation
 Functionalist views SOCIAL MOBILITY
 Features of stratification by Parsons  Some other causes
 Various Perspectives on Social Mobility
THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION  Significance of social mobility
 Davis and Moore’s Theory on Stratification
 Criticism of Davis and Moore’s theory 6. WORK AND ECONOMIC LIFE
 Marxist Theory on Stratification  Importance of work in modern societies
 Criticism of Marxian Theory  Social organization of work in different types
 Weber’s Trinitarian View of Stratification of society
 Criticism of Weber’s Theory of stratification  Slave society
 Perspective of some other thinkers  Features of slave society
 Feudal society
DIMENSIONS - CLASS, STATUS GROUPS,
 Features of feudal society
GENDER, ETHNICITY AND RACE
 Industrial Capitalist Society
 Characteristics of class system  Social Determinants of Economic Development
 Significance of class system  Formal and informal organization of work
 Class within caste and caste within class  Formal Organizations
 Status Groups
 Characteristics of formal organizations are
 Gender
 Advantages of formal organisations
Perspectives of gender stratification  Limitations
 Functionalist views  Informal Organization of Work
 Marxist and feminism  Characteristics of informal organizations

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SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL

 Advantages of informal organisations  Difference between Pressure Groups and

 Limitations Political parties
 Self Help Groups (SHG) as informal  Political Participation
organization  Reasons for variation in degree of
 Features of informal organizations in SHGs participation
Formal- Informal Continuum

 Voting Behavior
 Elton Mayo’s study of Human Relations
 Determinants of voting behavior
 Informalisation of Labor
 Nation
 Reasons for Informalisation
 State
 Capitalism
 Feminization of workforce  Elements of state
 Globalisation  Difference between Nation and State
 aLabor and Society  Deterritorialization by globalization
 Citizenship
7. POLITICS AND SOCIETY  Citizenship in India
 Sociological theories of power  Democracy
 Various Perspectives on Power  Types of Democracy
 Weberian Perspective  Features of democracy
 Criticism of Parsons’s theory of power  Civil Society
 Marxian perspective  Role of civil society in a democracy
 Measurement of Power  Ideology
 Elite Theory  Significance of ideology
 Classical Elite Theory  Collective Actions
 Limitations of Pareto’s Elite theory  Dimensions of collective action
 Mosca’s Elite theory  Protests
 Elite Theory of C. Wright Mills  Agitation
 Historical Distribution of Power  Difference between Protest and Agitation
 Mills criticism of elite system  Social Movements
 Difference between classical elite theories  Characteristics of social movements
and Mills’s theory of power  Theories of social movements
 Criticism of Mills’s theory  Relative Deprivation Theory
 Pluralist perspective of Power/ Elite  Types of social movements
Pluralism  Functions of Social Movements
 Criticism of pluralism  Role of leadership in social movements
 Bureaucracy  Role of ideology
 Pressure Groups or Interest Groups  Revolution
 Role of pressure groups in multi-party
system 8. RELIGION AND SOCIETY35
 Limitations of Pressure Groups  Sociological Theories of Religion
 Political Parties  Evolutionary theories of religion
 Pluralists view on political parties  Criticism of theories of origin of religion

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SYLLABUS MICROLISTING
 Functionalist theories of religion 9. SYSTEM OF KINSHIP 49
 Durkheim’s theory on Religion  Family, household, marriage
 Criticism  Functionalist perspective on family
 Malinowski’s Emotional Stress theory of  George Peter Murdock
religion
 Criticism of Murdock’s view
 Parsons theory of religion
 Talcott Parsons
 Criticism of Functionalist theories
 Criticism of Parsons‘s theory
 Marxian theory on religion
 Dysfunctions of family
 Criticism of Marxian theory of religion
 Marxian Perspective on family
 Weberian theory of religion  Feminist perspective on family
 Difference between Durkheim and Weber’s  Criticism
theory of religion
 Is family a universal institution?
 Types of religious practices- animism, monism,
 Family and Industrialisation
pluralism, sects, cults
 Role of family in contemporary society
 Animism
 Different types of families
 Monism
 Factors responsible for different forms of
 Pluralism
families
 Reasons for origin of sects
 Household
 Cults
 Difference between household and family
 Difference between sects and cults
 Marriage
 Denominations
 Functions of marriage
 Characteristics of denominations
 Types of Marriages
 Church  Contemporary trends in marriages
 Religion in modern societies-religion and  Significance of descent and lineage
science, secularization, religious revivalism,
 Patriarchy and sexual division of labour
fundamentalism
 Instances of patriarchy
 Religion and science
 Commonalities between religion and science LINEAGE AND DESCENT
 Differences between religion and science
 Sexual Division of Labour
 Secularization
 Biological explanation for sexual division of
 Indian secularism
labour
 Problems associated with Indian secularism
 Cultural explanation for sexual division of
 Religious revivalism
labour
 Incidences of religious revivalism
 Patriarchy and Religion
 Fundamentalism
 Contemporary trends
 Features of fundamentalism
 Factors responsible for emergence of [Link] CHANGE IN MODERN
fundamentalism SOCIETIES
 Fundamentalism and Communalism
 Theories of social change
 Similarities between fundamentalism and
 Evolutionary/ Linear Theories of Social Change
Communalism
 Auguste Comte
 Functions of religion in modern societies
 Herbert Spencer
 Dysfunctions of religion
 Edward Tylor

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SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL

 Durkheim  Talcott Parsons

 L H Morgan  Criticism
 Ferdinand Tonnies  Cultural Lag theory of Social Change
 Criticism of evolutionary theories of social  Examples
change  Development and Dependency
 Conflict theories or Dialectic theories of social  Dependency Theories
change
 Central Propositions of dependency theories
 Hegel
 Criticism of dependency theories
 Marx
 Agents of Social Change
 Raymond Aron
 Education and Social Change
 Criticism
 Cyclic Theories  Science, Technology and Social Change
 Vilfredo Pareto  Scientific Social Responsibility
 Pitirim Sorokin  Development and Dependency
 Criticism  Dependency Theories
 Structural Functionalist theories of social  Central Propositions of dependency theories
change  Criticism of dependency theories

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