Courses Details

STPGT Sociology Syllabus

Unit I: Foundations of Sociology

1. Development of Sociology

   • Evolution of Sociology as an academic discipline

   • Major sociological perspectives

   • Scientific nature, scope, and significance of Sociology

2. Core Sociological Concepts

   • Key terms: Society, Community, Association, Institution, Organization

   • Social constructs: Status and Role, Culture, Norms, and Values

   • Socialization processes; Conformity and Deviance

   • Ethnicity, Race, Sex, and Gender

3. Social Control

   • Meaning, types, and agencies

   • Importance in maintaining social order

4. Social Change

   • Concept, forms, and influencing factors

   • Key theories of social change

   • Role of liberalization and globalization

5. Social Stratification and Mobility

   • Concepts and theoretical perspectives

   • Forms of stratification: caste, class, and gender

   • Patterns and dimensions of social mobility

6. Sociology of Religion

   • Sociological perspectives on religion and its role in society

7. Social Groups

   • Definition, classification, and significance in social life

Unit II: Classical Sociological Thought

1. Auguste Comte

   • Law of three stages

   • Positivism

   • Concepts of social statics and dynamics

   • Hierarchy of sciences

2. Herbert Spencer

   • Theory of organic analogy

   • Social evolution

3. Émile Durkheim

   • Concept of social facts

   • Division of labour

   • Study of suicide

   • Religion and social cohesion

4. Karl Marx

   • Dialectical and historical materialism

   • Base-superstructure model

   • Class struggle, alienation, and revolution

5. Max Weber

   • Methodological individualism

   • Social action theory

   • Authority and bureaucracy

   • Protestant ethic and capitalism

6. Vilfredo Pareto

   • Theory of residues and derivations

   • Concept of elite circulation

Unit III: Sociological Theories

1. Nature and Role of Sociological Theory

   • Differences between macro and micro approaches

2. Functionalist Perspective

   • Basic assumptions

   • Contributions of Talcott Parsons and Robert K. Merton

3. Conflict Theory

   • Core principles

   • Ideas of Ralf Dahrendorf and Lewis A. Coser

4. Interactionist Perspective

   • Key propositions

   • Symbolic interactionism by G. H. Mead and H. Blumer

Unit IV: Research Methodology in Sociology

1. Social Research and Survey

   • Definitions, characteristics, and types

   • Relevance and stages of research formulation and reporting

2. Hypothesis Formulation

   • Concept and role in research

3. Research Design

   • Meaning, purpose, and stages

   • Distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research design

4. Sampling Methods

   • Types and procedures

5. Data Collection Techniques

   • Tools and methods used in sociological studies

Unit V: Indian Society and Culture

1. Historical Background

   • Society in pre-British India

   • Effects of British rule on Indian society

2. Emergence of Indian Sociology

   • Perspectives: Indological, Historical-Dialectical, Subaltern

3. Indian Social Institutions

   • Family: Structure, functions, and transitions

   • Marriage: Forms, roles, and changes

   • Kinship: Definitions, types, descent rules, customs

4. Processes of Social Change in India

   • Sanskritization, Westernization, Modernization, Secularization

   • Introduction of local self-governance and land reforms

5. Caste and Tribe

   • Definitions, features, and evolving perspectives

6. Rural and Urban Dynamics

   • Characteristics and emerging challenges of Indian rural and urban societies

7. Social Problems in India

   • Demographic and Economic Issues: Population explosion, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment

   • Political and Security Issues: Communalism, regionalism, terrorism, insurgency

   • Administrative and Environmental Issues: Corruption, pollution, environmental degradation

   • Issues of Weaker Sections: SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, children

   • Gender Justice: Women's rights and related concerns