Sociology - IAS Mains Syllabus and Study Materials

Anu Kumari - 2017 All India Rank 2 explains how to prepare for Sociology

Mainly in Hindi

She did a lot of reading. She is from science background. But did well in Sociology.
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Sociology – Main Syllabus
Paper – I
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY



1. Sociology - The Discipline

Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of sociology.
Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
Sociology and common sense.


2. Sociology as Science:

Science, scientific method and critique.
Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
Positivism and its critique.
Fact value and objectivity.
Non- positivist methodologies.


Research Methods and Analysis:
Qualitative and quantitative methods.
Techniques of data collection.
Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.


4. Sociological Thinkers:

Karl Marx- Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.
Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
Talcolt Parsons- Social system, pattern variables.
Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
Mead - Self and identity.


5. Stratification and Mobility:
Concepts- equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.
Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.
Social mobility- open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.


6. Works and Economic Life:
Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial /capitalist society.
Formal and informal organization of work.
Labour and society.


7. Politics and Society:
Sociological theories of power.
Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.


8. Religion and Society:
Sociological theories of religion.
Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.



9. Systems of Kinship:
Family, household, marriage.
Types and forms of family.
Lineage and descent.
Patriarchy and sexual division oflabour.
Contemporary trends.


10. Social Change in Modern Society:
Sociological theories of social change.
Development and dependency.
Agents of social change.
Education and social change.
Science, technology and social change.


Paper - II: Sociology Syllabus


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

(i) Perspectives on the study of Indian society:
Indology (GS. Ghurye).
Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).
Marxist sociology (A R Desai).


(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :
Social background of Indian nationalism.
Modernization of Indian tradition.
Protests and movements during the colonial period.
Social reforms.

B. Social Structure:

(i) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:
The idea of Indian village and village studies.
Agrarian social structure - evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.

(ii) Caste System:
Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
Features of caste system.
Untouchability - forms and perspectives.

(iii) Tribal communities in India:
Definitional problems.
Geographical spread.
Colonial policies and tribes.
Issues of integration and autonomy.


(iv) Social Classes in India:
Agrarian class structure.
Industrial class structure.
Middle classes in India.


(v) Systems of Kinship in India:
Lineage and descent in India.
Types of kinship systems.
Family and marriage in India.
Household dimensions of the family.
.
(vi) Religion and Society:
Religious communities in India.
Problems of religious minorities.
Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour


https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sociology/notes/index.html


https://www.examrace.com/IAS/IAS-Free-Study-Material/Sociology/

Akshat Kaushal - Paper 1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nnnrQNaMFyIeXnhUW7M8nX9rvtNR3UoA/view

Links to Sociology Notes for IAS
https://reliableandvalid.com/2018/09/08/handmade-notes-of-upsc-sociology-toppers/