Department of Sociology

Jamia Millia Islamia

New Delhi-110025

M.A. (Sociology) Academic Session 2019-2021

Total Number of Credits: 80
Syllabus

Semester-I

S. Paper
No.
1. Classical Sociological Theory
2. Methodological Orientations and
Methods in Research
3. Ethnicity, Minorities and
Multiculturalism
4. Ecology and Society
5. Sociology of Tribes and Indigenous CBCS Elective
People

Semester-II

1. Indian Society: Structure and Processes

2. Contemporary Sociological Theory I
3. Introduction to Social Anthropology
4. Social Thinkers in India / City and Society (1 out of 2)
5. Quantitative Research Methods CBCS Skill

Semester-III

1. Contemporary Sociological Theory II

2. Reading, Writing & Reflexivity
(Dissertation I)
3. Sociology of Development and (2 out of 3)
Globalization / Islam and Muslims in
South Asia /Sociology of Agrarian Society
4. Critical Thinking CBCS Ability

Semester-IV

1. Sociology of Gender
2. Sociology of Economic Life
3. Contemporary Political Sociology
4. Dissertation II
5. Social Movements CBCS Elective
 Classical Sociological Theory
M.A Sociology, Semester I
Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:
Sociological theories try to understand the social world and its history. Classical Sociological theory
introduces some of the ‘classical’theoretical traditions and how they have shaped and currently
permeates the discipline of sociology. The aim is to provide you with the ability to identify and make
use of the concepts and theoretical perspectives of 19thand early 20th century. Unit I focusseson the
pioneering responses to the Age of Enlightenment and the Revolutions in the place of its origin in
Europe. Unit II focusses on the intellectual equipment deployed in Europe to grasp the new social
order. Unit III deals with the responsesto capitalism and rationality in places having diverse
philosophical and historical trajectories.

Learning Outcomes:
• explain the role of Enlightenment and the Industrial and French Revolutions in the
emergence of Sociology as a discipline.
• Discuss the theories of classical thinkers – Comte, Spencer, Durkheim, Marx, Weber
and Simmel.

Unit I: The Dawn of Reason

• The Enlightenment
• The Revolutions
• Early sociological thought: Ibn Khaldun, Saint-Simon and Auguste Comte

Unit II: Division of Labour and the New Social Order

• Social Darwinism: Herbert Spencer
• Division of Labour: Emile Durkheim
• Mode of Production: Karl Marx

Unit III: Capitalism and Rationality

• Historical Materialism and Alienation: Karl Marx
• Religion and Capitalism: Max Weber
• Modernity and Sociation: Georg Simmel

Essential Readings for Unit I:

1. Benton, Ted. Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies (chapters-5, 7, & 8).
1977. Routledge & Keagan Paul, London.
2. Comte, Auguste, The Positive Philosophy, (selected pages).
3. Goldman, Lucien. Enlightenment. 1968. Routledge. London.
 4. Hobsbawm, Eric J. 1962. The Age of Revolution (1789-1848). Weidenfeld and Sphere
Books Ltd (chapters 2, 3 and 6).
5. Horkheimer, Max,and Adorno, Theodor. Dialectic of Enlightenment. 1979. Verso.
London.
6. Kant, I. 1784. “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” (Essay)
7. Nisbet, R.A. 1967. The Sociological Tradition. “The Unit Ideas of Sociology.” Pp. 3-
20, and “The Two Revolutions.” Pp. 21-44. Heinemann: London.
8. Zeitlin, Irving. M. 1968. Ideology and the Development of Sociological Theory.
Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Chaps. 1, 6, 7.

Essential Readings for Unit II:

1. Durkheim, Emile,The Division of Labor in Society. Free Press: New York. 1984.
2. Lukes, Steven, ed. 1982. Durkheim: His Life and Work,
3. Michael, Taylor, 2007, The Philosophy of Herbert Spencer, Continuum: London
(selected pages).
4. Spencer, Herbert, 1873, The Study of Sociology, University of Michigan Press: Ann
Arbor, 1969.
5. Marx, Karl and Engels, F. 1969, Selected Works, Vol. I, Moscow, Progress
Publishers.

Essential Readings for Unit III:

1. Gerth, H.H. and Mills C.W.(ed.), 1991,From Max Weber: Essays in

Sociology.Routledge: London.
2. Marx, Karl, 1977, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Progress
Publishers: Moscow (pages 66-80).
3. Marx, Karl. 1954. Capital. Vol. I. Progress Publishers: Moscow. Chaps 1,7, 23
4. Weber, Max. 1976. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Allen and
Unwin: London.
5. Simmel, 1903/1971, ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’ in D. Levine (ed.) Georg
Simmel, University of Chicago Press: pgs. 324-339.
6. Simmel, 1971, ‘On Individuality and Social Forms’ in D. Levine (ed.) Georg Simmel,
University of Chicago Press.

Suggested Readings:

1. Ritzer, George and Goodman, D.J., 2008, Classical Sociological Theory, McGraw
Hill: New York.
2. Calhoun, Craig, et.al. (ed.), 2007, Classical Sociological Theory, Blackwell.
3. Parkin, Frank, 2007, Max Weber, Routledge: New Delhi.
 Methodological Orientations and Methods in Research

M.A SOCIOLOGY, Semester I

Credit: 4
Course Objective:

The main objective of this course is to orient M.A. students with research methodologies,
various tools and techniques of social sciences. The ontological and epistemological debates
on formation and construction of knowledge and facts in social science will be deliberated.

The course will prepare students to have basic framework of research processes and build up
confidence for taking up research in the future. It and equip them with the necessary skill for
writing their M.A. Dissertation. The course will also help students to appreciate the scholarly
writing and evaluate its quality.

I. Philosophical Orientations in Research

• Paradigm Shift
• Rationalism and Empiricism
• Deconstruction and Decolonisation

II. Methodological Perspectives

• Positivism and Interpretivism
• Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology
• Dialectics, Semiotics, Feminist

III. Methods
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Mixed Methods
Unit 1. Prescribed Readings
1. Cohen, Morris R., 1932, “Hegel's Rationalism”, The Philosophical Review, Vol. 41,
No. 3 (May, 1932), pp. 283-301.
2. Darrida, Jacques, 1998, Of Grammatology, Translation. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak,
Maryland, The Johns Hopkins University Press.
3. Foucault, Michel, 1969, The Archaeology of Knowledge, Trans. A. M. Sheridan
Smith, London, Routledge.
4. Fuchs, S and Ward, S., 1994 “What is Deconstruction, and Where and When Does it
Take Place? Making Facts in Science, Building Cases in Law”, American
Sociological Review, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Aug., 1994), pp. 481-500, Published by:
American Sociological Association
5. Orman, T. Firinci “Paradigm as a Central Concept in Thomas Kuhn’s Thought”
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 6, No. 10; October 2016.
6. Quine, W.V.O, 1951, ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism,’ The Philosophical Review, 60:
20-43.
 7. Ritzer, George, 1981, “Paradigm Analysis in Sociology: Clarifying the Issues”,
American Sociological Review, Vol. 46, No. 2 , pp. 245-248
8. Smith, L. Tuhiwai, 2012, “Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous
Peoples”, published by Zed Books Ltd, UK.
9. Wilson, Edwin B., 1926 “Empiricism and Rationalism” Science, New Series, Vol.
64, No. 1646 Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Suggested Readings

Benn, IS and Mortimer G.W, (eds.), 1976, Rationality and the Social Sciences, London,
Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Doyal, L, and R. Harris, 1986, Empiricism, Explanation, and Rationality, London, Routledge
Kegan and Paul.
Eckberg, Douglas Lee & Hill, Lester and Jr, 1979, “The Paradigm Concept and Sociology: A
Critical Review”, American Sociological Review, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 925-937
Feyerabend, Paul, 1987, Farewell to Reason, London, Verso.
Feyerband, Paul, 1975, Against Methods: Outline of an Anarchist Theory of Knowledge.
London,
Gellner, Ernest, 1992, Reason and Culture: The Historic Role of Rationality and Rationalism,
Oxford, Basil Blackwell.
Hicks, Stephen, 2004, “Explaining Postmodernism”, Scholargy Publishing, Tempe, Arizona,
New Berlin/Wisconsin, USA
Hundert E. J, Van Haltoon and David R Olson, (ed.), 1987, ‘Enlightenment and the Decay of
Common Sense.’ in Frits Van Holthoon. Common Sense the Foundations of Social Science,
New York, University of American Press.
Khun, Thomas, 1962, Structure of Scientific Revolution, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press.
Popper, Karl, 1996, The Structure of Scientific Revolution, Chicago, University of Chicago
Press.
Popper, Karl, 2002, Conjectures and Refutations, New York, Routledge.
Verso. Hume, David, 1999, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, New York,
Oxford University Press.

Unit 2. Prescribed Readings

1. ANANDHI, S., VELAYUDHAN, MEERA, 2010, “Rethinking Feminist
Methodologies”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 45, No. 44/45.
2. Barthes, R. 1977, “Elements of Semiology”, New York, Hill and Wang.
3. Halfpenny, Peter, 1982, Positivism and Sociology, London, Allen & Unwin.
4. Harding, Sandra, G. (ed.), 1987, Feminism and Methodology, USA, Indiana
University Press.
5. Ilyenkov, E. Vasilyevich, 2014 “Dialectical Logic”, publisher Lulu.com.
6. Luckman, Thomas, 1978, Phenomenology and Sociology, New York, Penguin Books.
7. Max Weber, 1978, Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretative Sociology,
Berkeley, California University Press.
8. Oakley, Ann, 1998, “Gender, Methodology and People’s Ways of Knowing: Some
Problems with Feminism and the Paradigm Debate in Social Science”: Sociology,
Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 707-731
9. Wilson, Thomas P. and Zimmerman, Don H., 1980, “ETHNOMETHODOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY AND THEORY”, Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, Vol. 7, No. 1
pp. 52-88, Published by: Department of Sociology, Humboldt State University.
 10. Weber, Max. Edward Shils, 1949, The Methodology of the Social Sciences, New
York, Free Press. Chapters 1 & 2.

Suggested Readings

Berger, Peter L and Thomas Luckmann, 1976, The Social Construction of Reality, U. S. A,
Penguin Books.
Blumer, Martin, (ed.), 2003, Sociological Research Methods. USA, The Macmillan Press Ltd
and Transaction.
Gouldner, Alwin, W., 1972, Coming Crisis of Western Sociology, London, Heinemann.
Hammersley, Martyn, 1992, “On Feminist Methodology” Sociology, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 187-
206, Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd.
Nagel, Ernest, 1979, The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific
Explanation, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing.

Unit 3. Prescribed Readings

1. Bell, David C. 1979, “Theories, Orientations, and Paradigms: Pluralism in
Sociology”, The Pacific Sociological Review, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 309-331
2. Bryman, Alan, 1984 “The Debate about Quantitative and Qualitative Research: A
Question of Method or Epistemology? Source: The British Journal of Sociology, Vol.
35, No. 1, pp. 75-92 Published by: Wiley on behalf of The London School of
Economics and Political Science.
3. Bryman, Alan, 2006, “Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how is it
done?”, Sage Journal Publication.
4. Wilson, P, Thomas, 1986, “QUALITATIVE "VERSUS" QUANTITATIVE
METHODS IN SOCIAL RESEARCH”, Bulletin of Sociological Methodology No. 10
(April, 1986), pp. 25-51.

Suggested Readings
Bourdieu, Pierre, 1990, The Logic of Practice, Cambridge, Polity Press.
Giddens, Anthony, 1993, New Rules of Sociological Methods, Stanford, Stanford University
Press.
 Ethnicity, Minorities and Multiculturalism

M. A. (Sociology)

Semester- I

Credits: 4

Course Description:

Sociology is broadly concerned with examining the forces which bring people in groups (societies)
together, draw them apart, and generate change in the social world. In studying race, religion, and
ethnicity, sociologists examine the various systems, structures, organizations, processes,
interactions, and meanings present in minority-majority relationships. Modern society is unique in
its diversity, comprising of many racial religious, linguistic and cultural groups, whose social histories
and distinct subcultures have contributed to their multicultural nature. The main purpose of this
course is to broaden our understanding of interaction of ethnic and minority groups and how they
interact with and challenge each other at the national as well as global level. The course will begin
with basic concepts and perspectives, specifically on ethnicity and minority relations within our
social institutions. The course will draw upon information from multiple perspectives to study the
social traits of different ethnic groups.

Contemporary liberal democracies are characterized by important forms of diversity, including racial,
religious, cultural, and linguistic diversity. The politics of multiculturalism has become one of the
most visible responses to increasing levels of diversity, and important components of it have been
adopted by many countries. This course examines the theoretical and practical implications of
diversity, focusing on the core principles of politics of multiculturalism as well as the main criticisms
levied against it.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course the student should be able to:

➢ Students will be able to define ethnic and minority groups and their social significance.
➢ Describe the basic sociological concepts and theories applicable to intergroup, minority-
majority relationships.
➢ Students will be able to understand diversity of social life and how it relates to inter-group
contestations and conflict.
➢ Identify and describe the social structural components necessary to maintain differential
power relationships between minority and majority group members.
➢ Critically engage a broad range of policy issues and making policy recommendations
impacting ethnic minority communities.
UNIT- I

Understanding Ethnicity: Concept and Perspectives

• Ethnicity and Diversity: Religion, Race, Tribe and Language

• Ethnic Groups and Conflict in South Asia
• From Ethnicity to Minority: Understanding Ethno-Enclaves

UNIT- II

Pluralism and Multiculturalism: Minorities

• Contextualizing Minorities
• Minority Rights and Policies: A Global Perspective
• From Minority to Marginality

UNIT- III

Beyond Pluralism and Multiculturalism

• Diversity, Difference and Violence

• Global Right Movement: Heterogeneity to Homogeneity
• Reconciling Differences and Promoting Tolerance: Beyond Pluralism and Multiculturalism

Essential Readings:

Allport, Gordon W. 1958. The Nature of Prejudice. New York, NY: Doubleday Anchor.

Bajpai, Rochana. 2011. Debating Differences: Group Rights and Liberal Democracy in India. Delhi:
Oxford University Press.

Barry, Brian. 2001. Culture and Equality: An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.

Barth, F. 1969. “Introduction,” in F. Barth (ed.) Ethnic Groups and Boundaries. Oslo: Oslo University
Press.

Dunn, Ruth. Minority Studies: A Brief Sociological Text, available at

http://cnx.org/content/col11183/1.13/

Francis, E. K. 1976. Interethnic Relations: An Essay in Sociological Theory. New York: Elsevier.

Glazer, Nathan and Moynihan, Daniel P. 1964. Beyond the Melting Pot. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Huntington, Samuel P. 1993. “The Clash of Civilizations?”, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 72, No. 3, pp. 22-49.

Jayal, N. 2006. Representing India: Ethnic Diversity and the Governance of Public Institutions. UK:
Palgrave Macmillan.

Joseph F. Healey. 2012. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class. Los Angeles: Sage.
Kennedy, P. John Joseph. 2017. Minority Discourses in India - Narrating Centers and Peripheries. New
Delhi: Viva Books Private Limited.

Mahajan, Gurpreet. 2002. The Multicultural Path: Issues of Diversity and Discrimination in
Democracy. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Modood, Tariq. 2007. Multiculturalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Phadnis, U. and Rajat Ganguly. 2001. Ethnicity and Nation-building in South Asia. New Delhi: sage
Publications.

Platt, Lucinda. 2014. “Is there Assimilation in Minority Groups’ National, Ethnic and Religious
Identity?”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 46-70.

Richard T. Schaefer. 2012. Racial and Ethnic Groups. Boston: Pearson.

Rydgren, Jens. 2007. “The Sociology of the Radical Right”, Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 33, pp.
241-262.

Schermerhorn, R. A. 1978. Ethnic Plurality in India. Arizona: Tuscon University Press.

Smith, Anthony D. 1998. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities: Background, Analysis and
Observations, MRG, London, 1993.

Wimmer, A. 200.) “The Making and Unmaking of Ethnic Boundaries: A Multilevel Process Theory,”
American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 113, No. 4, pp. 970-1022.

Suggested Readings UNIT-I

Barth, Fredrick : “Introduction.” In Fredrick Barth (ed.), Ethnic Groups and Bound- aries: The
Social Organization of Cultural Difference. 1969. London: Allen and Unwin.

Berghe, Pierre L. van den Berghe: ‘Race and Ethnicity: A Sociological Look,’ Ethnic and Racial Studies,
Vol. 1, No. 4. (1978).

Chacko, Elizabeth : The Formation of a Contemporary Ethnic Enclave: The Case of “Little Ethiopia”
in Los Angeles, available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293207337.

Cutler, David M. and Edward L. Glaeser (1997). “Are Ghettos Good or Bad?” The Quarterly Journal of
Economics, 112(3): 827‐872.

Ganguly & Macduff : Ethnic Conflict & Secessionism in South & East Asia. 2003, Sage (Chap.1, 2,
3).

Kim, Jinwon : “Manhattan’s Koreatown as a Transclave: The Emergence of a New Ethnic Enclave in
a Global City”, City & Community, 17, 1, (276-295), (2018).

Peach, Ceri. 2009. “Slippery Segregation: Discovering or Manufacturing Ghettos?” Journal of Ethnic
and Migration Studies 35:1381‐1395.
Qadeer, M.A. Ethnic segregation in a multicultural city. In Desegregating the City; Varady, D.P., Ed.;
State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, USA, 2005; pp. 49–61.

Richard T. Schaefer. (2012). Racial and Ethnic Groups. 13th edition. Boston: Pearson.

Schermerhorn, R. A. : Ethnic Plurality in India, 1978, Tuscon University Press. Arizona.

Sharkey, Patrick and Jacob Faber. 2014. “Where, when, why and for whom do residential contexts
matter? Moving away from the dichotomous understanding of neighborhood effects.” Annual
Review of Sociology. 40: 559‐579.

Smith, Anthony D.: The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Basil Blackwell (1998) nationalism and
Modernism; A Critical Survey of Recent Theories of Nations and Nationalism.
(1986) London: Routledge.

Suggested Readings UNIT-II

Benjamin, Joseph, 2006, Minorities in Indian Social System, (Vol.-1&2) New Delhi: Gyan Publishing
House.

Gupta, Dipankar : ‘Secularization and Minoritization: The Limits of Heroic Thought’, in D.L. Sheth
and G. Mahajan (eds), Minority Identities and the Nation-State. (1999)
New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Gurr, Ted Robert : Minorities at Risk: A Global View of Ethnopolitical Conflict. (1994).
Washington D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press.

Hannum, Hurst. “The concept and definition of minorities”, in M. Weller (ed.), Universal Minority
Rights. A Commentary on the Jurisprudence of International Courts and
Treaty Bodies, Oxford University Press, 2011: 49-66.

Harvey, Colin and Schwartz, Alan (eds.) Rights in Divided Societies (especially Introduction and
Chapter 1), London, Hart publishing.

Jehangir, Jawaid and Shankar Bose, eds., Minorities of India, Problems and Prospects, Manak
Publications, New Delhi, 2007.

May Stephen et al : Ethnicity, Nationalism and Minority Rights 2004, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. Pp. 121-143.

Naber, Nadine. 2012. “From Model Minority to Problem Minority.” Arab America New York, NY: NYU
Press. 25-61.

Robinson, R. (2007). Indian Muslims: The Varied Dimensions of Marginality. Economic and Political
Weekly , 839 - 843.

S.K.Mitra and Dietmer Rothermund, (eds.), Legitimacy and Conflict in South Asia, Delhi, Manohar,
1998.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities: Background, Analysis and
Observations, MRG, London, 1993.

Thrupkaew, Noy. 2014. “The Myth of the Model Minority” in P. Rothenberg & K. Mayhew (eds),
Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (pp. 25-39).

Weisskopf, Thomas E., Affirmative Action in the United States and India: A Comparative Perspective,
New York: Routledge, 2004.

Suggested Readings UNIT-III

Ahmad, Aijaz : “Right-Wing Politics, and the Cultures of Cruelty”, Social Scientist, Vol. 26, No.
9/10 (Sep. - Oct., 1998), pp. 3-25.

Ansari, M.T and Achar, Deeptha, eds. (2010). Discourse, Democracy and Difference:
Perspectives on Community, Politics and Culture, Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.

Bajpai, Rochana. (2011) Debating Differences: Group Rights and Liberal Democracy in India. Delhi:
Oxford University Press.

Barber, Benjamin, “Democracy versus Diversity”, Speech by Benjamin Barber in Local-Global:

Identity, Security, Community.

Benhabib, Seyla : The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global Era.

Béteille, André : The Institutions of Democracy, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 46, No. 29 (JULY
16-22, 2011), pp. 75, 77-84.

Blee, Kathleen M. and Kimberly A. Creasap: “Conservative and Right-Wing Movements”, Annual
Review of Sociology, Vol. 36 (2010), pp. 269-286.

Brettschneider, Corey : When the State Speaks, What Should It Say? The Dilemmas of Freedom of
Expression and Democratic Persuasion, Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 8, No. 4 (December 2010), pp.
1005-1019.

Caiani, Manuela: Radical right-wing movements: Who, when, how and why? sociopaedia.isa, 2017.

Chatterjee, Partha.(1998) ‘Secularism and Toleration’ in Rajeev Bhargava (ed.) Secularism and its
Critics. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Ganeri, Jonardon : Intellectual India: Reason, Identity, Dissent, New Literary History, Vol. 40, No.
2, India and the West (SPRING 2009), pp. 247- 263.

J.Q. Adams & Pearlie Strother-Adams (2008). Dealing with Diversity: The Anthology, 2nd edition.
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Kaul, Nitasha : Rise of the Political Right in India: Hindutva-Development Mix, Modi Myth, and
Dualities, Journal of Labor and Society, Volume 20, December 2017, pp.
523–548.
Kremnitzer, Mordechai and Shiri Krebs: From Illiberal Legislation to Intolerant Democracy, Israel
Studies Review, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Summer 2011), pp. 4-11.

Kymlicka, Will. 2010. “The rise and fall of multiculturalism? New debates on inclusion and
accommodation in diverse societies.” International Social Science Journal, 61 (199):97-112.

Mahajan, Gurpreet : The Multicultural Path: Issues of Diversity and Discrimination in Democracy,
2002, New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Merkel, Wolfgang & Weiffen, Brigitte. “Does Heterogeneity Hinder Democracy?”, Comparative
Sociology 11 (2012): 387-421.

Parekh, Bhikhu : Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory. 2000.
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Rydgren, Jens : “The Sociology of the Radical Right”, Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 33 (2007),
pp. 241-262.

Scanlon, Thomas : A Theory of Freedom of Expression, Philosophy & Public Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 2
(Winter, 1972), pp. 204-226.

Sen, Amartya. (2006): Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny, London: Penguin.

Sorabjee, Soli J. : “Indian Democracy: reality or myth?”, India International Centre Quarterly, Vol.
33, No. 2 (AUTUMN 2006), pp. 83-96.

Vertovec, Steven. 2010. “Towards post-multiculturalism? Changing communities, conditions and

contexts of diversity.” International Social Science Journal. 61 (199):83-95.

Wright, Matthew : “Diversity and the Imagined Community: Immigrant Diversity and Conceptions
of National Identity”, Political Psychology, Vol. 32, No. 5 (October 2011), pp.
837-862.
 Ecology and Society
M.A. Sociology, Semester-I

Total Credits: 04

Course objectives:
This course aims to examine the relationship between ecology and society, the
diversity of life and the various social and cultural processes that link these. The
environmental concerns which are affecting very aspects of life will be
discussed in both historical and contemporary scenario using both the
sociological as well as anthropological perspectives. Apart from this ecological
movement, environmentalism and conservation will be discussed with empirical
studies.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will be able to understand the basic theories and concepts related
to ecology and society discourse.
2. They will be able to analyse the impact of human pressure on the natural
environment, sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.
3. They will be familiarising with the current environment crisis such as
climate change and pollution etc.
4. They will be able to critically analyse various social and cultural
processes that have a negative impact on environment.

Unit-I
Ecosystems and Streams of Ecological Thought
1) Industrial revolution, Domination over nature
2) Mutual Aid, Indigenous perspectives
3) Eco- Feminism

Unit-II
Ecology, Environment and Praxis
1) The Environmental-Ecological Crisis
2) Marxist approach to ecology
3) Culture and Ecological systems, Cultural Ecology

Unit-III
Ecological Democracy
1) Ecological movements, rights to nature and Livelihoods
2) Environmentalism: Climate change, consumption and lifestyles
3) Conservation, Development and ecological sustainability
Essential Readings:

1. Clack. Brett and Richard York, Carbon Metabolism: Global Capitalism, Climate
Change, and the Biospheric Rift in Theory and Society, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Aug.,
2005), pp. 391-428
2. Del Mar, David Peterson.2006.Environmentalism.London and New York. Pearson
Longman (Chap-1,2
3. Engles, Frederick, (1883) 1939. Dialectics of Nature
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1883/don/index.htm
4. Grim, John A, 2001. Indigenous Traditions and Ecology-The Interbeing of
Cosmology and Community, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
5. Hannigan, John.1995. Environmental Sociology. London and NewYork.
Routledge
6. Haydock, Karen.2017.A Marxist approach to understanding
ecology.EPW.Sept.16.Vol.LII.No.37
7. Kothari, Ashish. 2013. Development and ecological sustainability in India. EPW.
July 27. XLVIII.No.30
8. Kropotkin, Peter. 1902. Mutual Aid-A Factor in Evolution
http://marxists.org/reference/archive/kropotkin-peter/1902/mutual-aid/index.htm

9. Parson, Howard L, 1977. (Ed and complied) Marx and Engels on Ecology,
Greenwood Press, London.
10. Pattberg, Philipp.2007.Conquest, domination and control: Europe’s mastery over
nature in historical perspective. Journal of political ecology.Vol.14
11. Prasad, Archana 2003. Against Ecological Romanticism-Verrier Elwin and the
Making of an Anti-Modern Tribal Identity, Three Essays Collective, Delhi
12. Rifkin, Jeremy Darwins Vision: A Reflection of the Industrial State of Mind, in
Rifkin, Jeremy 1983. Algeny, The Viking Press, New York
13. Shiva,Vandana.1991.Biotecnology development and conservation of
biodiversity.EPW.Nov.30
14. Shiva, Vandana and Maria Mies.1993.Ecofeminism.New Delhi. Kali for women
15. Singh, Shekhar Some Aspects of the Ecological Crisis in India s Source in Social
Scientist, Vol. 13, No. 7/8 (Jul. - Aug., 1985), pp. 82-89.
16. Subramanian Arvind Nancy Bridsall and Aaditya Mattoo India and Climate
Change: Some International Dimensions in Economic and Political Weekly
Auguat 2009 Vol XLIV No 31
17. Sutton, Mrk. Q and E.N.Anderson.2014.Introduction to cultural ecology. Lanham
and New York. Altamira
18. Warren Karen J. and Jim Cheney Ecological Feminism and Ecosystem Ecology in
: Hypatia, Vol. 6, No. 1, Ecological Feminism (Spring, 1991), pp. 179-197
19. White, Jr Lynn The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis. In Science, New
Series, Vol. 155, No. 3767 (Mar. 10, 1967), pp. 1203-1207

Suggested Readings:
1. Beck, Ulrich.2001.Ecological question in a framework of manufactured
uncertainties, in Steven Seidman and Jeffery.C. Alexandra (eds.) “The new social
theory-Reader: contemporary debates”. London and New York. Routledge
2. Benton, Ted 1993. Natural Relations-Ecology, Animal Rights and Social Justice,
Verso, London
3. Bijoy C R.2006. Kerala’s Plachimada Struggle in Economic and Political Weekly.
October 14
4. Brara,Rita. 2004. Ecology and environment, in Veena Das (ed.) “Oxford
handbook of Indian sociology”. New Delhi.OUP
5. Cittadino, Eugene, 1990. Nature as Laboratory-Darwanian plant ecology in the
German Empire 180-1900, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
6. Guha Ramchandra 1994 ed. Social Ecology, Oxford University Press, Delhi
7. Grove Richard, Vinita Damodaran, Satpal Sangwan 1998 Nature and the Orient-
Environmental History of South and Southeast Asia, Oxford University Press
Delhi
8. Harvey, David, 1996. Justice, Nature and the Geography of Difference, Blackwell,
Oxford
9. Penn, Dustin J The Evolutionary Roots of Our Environmental Problems: Toward a
Darwinian Ecology in: The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Sep.,
2003), pp. 275-301
10. Philip Kavita Nature, Cultural Capital and Empire in Capitalism Nature and
Socialism Vol 18 No 1 (March 2007)
 Sociology of Tribes and Indigenous People
CBCS-Course
M.A. Sociology, Semester-I

Total Credits: 04

Objective:
The indigenous people constitute a significant segment of any society. By and
large, students have a partial and superficial knowledge about them. The
objective of this course is to provide a comprehensive profile of indigenous
people. It takes a sociological approach to critically analyzing the concept of
tribe and the problem of definition. It focuses on ways in which indigenous
peoples have been impacted and continue to respond to forces such as
colonialism, capitalism and development in different regions. Drawing on topics
such conflict over ecology, political autonomy, politics of resistance, modern
development etc, and the course will explore the lived realities of different
cultures. This paper will attempt to understand how Indigeneity, currently being
defined and articulated, both as a theoretical concept and a lived experience. It
will also focus on the tribal situation in contemporary economic and political
context of India. Indigenous communities and tribes, continue to confront a
range of issues that challenge their ability to maintain their cultures, govern
themselves, and decide their futures.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will be able to describe the concepts of tribe and indigenous as well
as relate it with particular historical context.
2. The will be able to engage with the everyday ways of life of tribes and the
changes associated with it.
3. The students will be able to examine various social, cultural, economical
and political processes in different context and related to specific
community.
4. They will be able to develop a critical outlook towards state policies and its
applications and consequences.

Unit-I
Concept and context
1) Tribe and the Problem of Definition
2) Colonial Construction and Anthropological gaze
3) Exploring Indigeneity
Unit-II
Contemporary issues and indigenous peoples
1) Territories and Questions of Political Autonomy
2) Ecology: Conservation and Conflict
3) State and the Politics of Resistance
Unit-III
Tribal situation in India: Emerging Challenges
1) Tribes and Indian society: Antiquity, academic and administrative significance
2) Development and Marginalisation
3) Constitutional safeguards/ provisions

Essentials Reading:
1. Baruah, Sanjib “Durable Disorder-Understand the politics of North-east
India,(Intro,Chap-1,2,5)
2. Baviskar, Amita, 1995, “In the Belly of the River: Tribal Conflict over
development in the Narmada Vally”, Delhi, OUP.
3. Bhangya, Bhukya 2008, The mapping of the Adivasi social: Colonial
Anthropology and Adivasis, EPW, Sept.27
4. Bijoy, C.R, Sankar Gopal Krishnan and Shomana Khanna.2010,India and the
Rights of Indigenous people-Constitutional, Legislative and Administrative
provisions centring Indigenous and tribal people in India and their relations to
international law on indigenous people (Report),Asia Indigenous people pact (A
cast study of Jharkhand and Nagaland
5. Beteille, Andre 1986 “The concept of Tribe with special reference to India”
European journal of Sociology, 27 PP 297-318
6. Beteille, Andre.1998. The idea of indigenous people, Current Anthropology,
Vol.39, No.2, April.
7. Duncan, Mc Durie-RA,2016, “Cosmopolitan Tribals-Frontier migrants in Delhi”
in Nandini Sunder (Ed.) The Scheduled tribe and their India-Politics, Identities,
Policies and work, New Delhi, OUP
8. Goldtooth, Tom B.K. 2004. Stolen resources: Continuing threats to Indigenous
people’s sovereignty and survival, Race, Poverty and
environment,Vol.11,No.1(summer 2004Srivastava, Vinay Kumar “Concept of
'Tribe' in the Draft National Tribal Policy”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.
43, No. 50 (Dec. 13 - 19, 2008)
9. Guha, Ramachandra, 2007, Adivasis, Naxalites and Indian Democracy, Economic
and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 32 (Aug. 11-17)
10. Mender, Jerry and Victoria Tauli Corpuz (Ed.)2006,Paradigm war: Indigenous
people’s resistance to Globalization, San Francisco, Sierra club books
11. Menon, Vineetha (ed.) 2012. Environment and tribes in India: Resource conflicts
and adaptations, Delhi, concept publishing company
12. Nagaruka, Kavazeua Festus 2007, ‘’ Historical distortion and human degradation-
The tribe as a Eurocentric mentality than African reality’, Human Architecture
time: Journal of Sociology of self knowledge.
13. Neetha, N, 2016, “Urban housekeepers from tribal homelands: Adivasi women
migrants and domestic work in Delhi” in Meena Radhakrishna, (Ed.)First citizens-
studies on Adivasis, Tribals, and Indigenous peoples in India, New Delhi, OUP.
14. Nathan, Dev and Virginious Xaxa 2012 “Social exclusion and adverse inclusion-
Development and deprivation of Adivasis in India” Oxford University press
(Intro, Chap-1).
15. Radhakrishna, Meena, Ed.)2016, “First citizens-studies on Adivasis, Tribals and
Indigenous peoples in India, New Delhi, OUP (Intro, chap-1).
16. Srikanth, H. & C.J. Thomas, 2005, Naga Resistance Movement and Peace Process
in North East India, Peace and Democracy in South Asia, Volume 1, Issue 2.
17. Sunder, Nandini (Ed.) 2016, “The Scheduled tribe and their India-Politics,
Identies, Policies and work” New Delhi, OUP (Intro,).
18. Wolf Richard K. and Frank Heidemann, “Indigeneity, Performance, and the State
in South Asia and Beyond”, Asian Ethnology, Vol. 73, No. 1/2, Special Issue.
19. Xaxa, Virginius, 2008, “State, Society and Tribes: Issues in Post-colonial India,
Delhi, Pearson Longman (Intro, Chap-1).

Suggested Readings:
1. Chacko, Pariyaram, M. 2005 “Tribal Communities and Social Change: Themes in
Indian Sociology Vol-V” New Delhi, Sage Publication

2. Ghurye, G.S 1945 “The Aboriginals –so called-and their future”, Bombay,
Popular Prakashan
3. Guha, Ramchandran, 1999 “Savaging the Civilized: Verrier Elwin, His Tribes and
India” New Delhi
4. Mishra,Tilottama and Udayan Mishra,1996 “Movement for Autonomy in India’s
North-East”in T.V.Satyamurthy(Eds.) Region,Religion,Caste,Gender and Culture
in Contemporary India”Vol-3,New Delhi,OUP
5. Nathan, Dev, Govind Kelkar and Pierre Walter (Eds.) 2004 “Globalisation and
Indigenous People in Asia: Changing the Local-Global Interface” New Delhi,
Sage Publication
6. Rath, Govind Chandra (Eds.)2006 “Tribal Development in India: The
Contemporary Debate, New Delhi, Sage Publication(Intro.)
7. Sinha,Surajit.1982 “Tribes and Indina Civilisation: Structure and
Transformation,Varanasi, N. K. Bose Memorial Foundation
8. Stephen Corry, 2011,Tomorrow’s tribe-The world’s tribal peoples in the 21st
century,www.rightlivlihoodaward.org
9. The Oxford India Elwin (selected writings) 2009,New Delhi, OUP (Intro. And
selected chapters)
 Indian Society: Structure and Processes
M.A. Sociology, Semester-II

Credit-4

Course Objectives:

Indian society has always fascinated academics to percept and comprehend it complex inter-
sectionality. It offers a formidable academic challenge to make sense of the co-existing
multiple realities. Sociologists have applied various perspectives to understand this diversity.
Through empirical investigation sociology have made tremendous progress popularly held
believe with the help of theories and methods of sociology. This paper critically examines the
conservative understanding of Indian society and highlights the changes and continuity
witnessed in Indian society. There is a great deal of misinformation and myth surrounding the
Indian society which requires complex analysis facts, figures and empirical investigation.The
complexity of caste, gender and ethnicity in contemporary societies need careful attention. It
explores the complex issues of diversity, identity, inequality and social justice. Each unit in
the paper tries to understand Indian society from a sociological perspective. It attempts to
understand the outcomes of the resistance and alteration in Indian society. Larger objective of
understanding Indian society is to understand the processes of social engineering and nation
building project.

Learning Outcomes:

After Studying the course students will be able to:

• Explain the major approaches to understand Indian society

• Discuss the various dimensions of diversity and inequality prevalent in Indian
society
• Describe important structural elements which influence our day-to-day interaction
and relation.
• Describe the dynamism of resistance and change in Indian society.

Unit I: Understanding Indian Society

• Perspectives: Structural-functional, Indological, Marxist & Subaltern
• Debates on Indian Society
• Diversity and Social Inequality

Unit II: Indian Social Structure

• Caste, Class and Tribe
• Family and Kinship
• Rural and Urban Social Structure
Unit III: Social Interaction and Processes
• Identity: Exclusion and Inclusion
• Dissent and Protest
• Legislation and Social Change

Essential Readings

1. Agnes, Flavia (2011). Family Laws and Constitutional Claims (Vol.1), Oxford
University Press, New Delhi.
2. Aloysius. G (2014). Nationalism without a Nation in India (pp.1-22), Oxford
University Press, New Delhi.
3. Berreman, G. (1972). Social Categories and Social Interaction in Urban India.
American Anthropologist, 74(3), new series, 567-586.
4. Chakrabarty, D. (1995). Modernity and Ethnicity in India: A History for the
Present. EPW,30(52), 3373-3380.
5. Dahiwale, S.M, (ed.). (2005) Understanding Indian Society: The Non-Brahmanic
Perspective (Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5 & 11).
6. Deshpande. A. (2013). Affirmative Action in India, OUP, Delhi.
7. Dhanagare, D.N., (1999). Themes and Perspectives in Indian Sociology, Rawat
Publications.
8. Driver, E. (1962). Caste and Occupational Structure in Central India. Social
Forces, 41(1), 26-31.
9. Dumont. Louis (1970). Homo Hierarchicus, London, Paladin.
10. Dushkin. Lelah, (1961). “The Backward Classes” Economic Weekly.
11. Embree, A. (1972). India—A Plural Society. The High School Journal, 56(1), 45-
53.
12. Friedman, L. (1967). Legal Rules and the Process of Social Change. Stanford Law
Review,19(4), 786-840.
13. Galanter, Marc (1984). Competing Equalities: Law and the backward Classes in
India, OUP, Delhi.
14. Gary S. Becker, (1974). A Theory of Social Interactions, The Journal of Political
Economy, Vol. 82, No. 6 (Nov. – Dec) pp. 1063-1093.
15. Jodhka. S.S. (ed.) (2013). Village Society Orient Black Swan, New Delhi(Ch. 1 &
3).
16. Karve, Iravati. (1994). The Kinship map of India, in Patricia Uberoi(ed.) Family,
kinship and marriage in India. Delhi: OU, pp.50-73.
17. Kolenda, P., (1997). Caste in Contemporary India: Beyond Organic Solidarity,
Rawat Publication, Jaipur
18. Mencher, Joan (1974). “The Caste System Upside down, or the not-so-mysterious
east” Current Anthropology, 15(4), 469-493.
19. Oommen, T. (1994). Religious Nationalism and Democratic Polity: The Indian
Case. Sociology of Religion, 55(4), 455-472.
20. Parekh, B. (1995). Cultural Pluralism and the Limits of Diversity. Alternatives:
Global, Local, Political, 20(4), 431-457.
21. Rao. M.S.A (ed.) (1992). Urban Sociology in India, Orient Longman Ltd.
22. Shah, A. M. (1998).The Family in India: Critical Essays. New Delhi: Orient
Longman, pp.52-63.
23. Shah, A.M. (2010). The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now, Rutledge,
New Delhi.
 24. Sharma, K. (1984). Caste and Class in India: some Conceptual Problems.
Sociological Bulletin,33(1/2), 1-28.
25. Singh, D. (1991). Protest Movements in India. The Indian Journal of Political
Science,52(4), 448-457.
26. Singh. Y.(1986). Modernisation of Indian Tradition, Rawat Publication, Delhi.
27. Srinivas M.N. (1995). Social Change in Modern India, Orient Longman, New
Delhi.
28. Srinivas. M.N. (1980). India: Social Structure, HPC, Delhi.
29. Stroope, S. (2012). Caste, Class, and Urbanization: The Shaping of Religious
Community in Contemporary India. Social Indicators Research,105(3), 499-518.
30. Thomas, G. (2005). Solving India's Diversity Dilemma: Culture, Constitution, &
Nehru. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 6(2), 21-27.
31. Thorat, S., &Attewell, P. (2007). The Legacy of Social Exclusion: A
Correspondence Study of Job Discrimination in India. EPW,42(41), 4141-4145.
32. Thorat. S. & K. S. Newman (ed.) (2010).Blocked by caste: economic discrimination
in modern India, New Delhi, OUP.
33. Xaxa, Virginius. (2008). State, Society, and Tribes: Issues in Post-colonial India,
Person, New Delhi.

Suggested Readings

1. Ball, H., Simpson, G., & Ikeda, K. (1962). Law and Social Change: Sumner
Reconsidered. American Journal of Sociology,67(5), 532-540.
2. Béteille, A. (1967). Race and Descent as Social Categories in India. Daedalus,
96(2), 444-463.
3. Borgatta, E. (1965). The Analysis of Patterns of Social Interaction. Social
Forces, 44(1), 27-34.
4. Bose. N.K. Tribal Life in India, NBT, India
5. Desai. A.R, (2005). Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Popular
Prakashan (Selected Ch.)
6. D'Souza, V. (2006). Individuation in Indian Society: From Collective Identity
to Individual Identity. Sociological Bulletin,55(2), 281-299.
7. Ghurye, G.S. (1950). Caste and Class in India, Bombay, Popular Depot.
8. Gottlob, M. (2007). India's Unity in Diversity as a Question of Historical
Perspective. EPW,42(9), 779-789.
9. Mason Olcott. (1944). The Caste System of India. American Sociological
Review,9(6), 648-657.
10. Mucha, J. (2012). Toward an Interactionist Sociology of Ethnic Relations.
Polish Sociological Review, (177), 19-37.
11. PerumalMurugan, Black Coffee in a Coconut Shell: Caste as Lived
Experience
12. Redfield, R. (1955). The Social Organization of Tradition. The Far Eastern
Quarterly,15(1), 13-21.
13. Redfield, R. (1956). Little Community, Peasant Society and Culture, Chicago.
14. Rosen. George (1966), Democracy and Economic Change in India, Berkeley,
The University of California Press.
15. Singh, Y. (1996). Sociology and the Emerging Challenge of Change.
Sociological Bulletin, 45(1), 1-13.
16. Sinha, S. (1958). Tribal Cultures of Peninsular India as a Dimension of Little
Tradition in the Study of Indian Civilization: A Preliminary Statement. The
Journal of American Folklore,71(281), 504-518.
 Contemporary Sociological Theory I

M. A. Sociology, Semester II

Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:

Contemporary Sociological Theory I is the first of the two contemporary sociological theory courses
required for the graduate students. It focusses on the explanation of the transition from classical to
contemporary theory. The rise of American Sociology with Parsons and Merton and their
contributions to the school of structural-functionalism is analyzed. The works of some of the
contemporary sociologists (Adorno, Horkheimer, Habermas, Althusser, Gramsci, Goffman, Giddens,
Bourdieu) are discussed which address empirical, normative, methodological and theoretical issues
in Sociology. Their works have been innovative and profound and had great effect on how we think
and do sociology today.

Learning Outcomes:
▪ To acquire in-depth knowledge of selected contemporary theories.
▪ To have insight into the use of different sociological theories and the connection between
present sociology and classical sociological theories.
▪ To develop the capacity for critical reflection on micro and macro levels of sociological
analysis.

Unit I: Social Systems and Processes

• Transition from Classical to Contemporary Theory
• Structure, System and Functions: Parsons, Merton
• Systems Theory: Luhmann

Unit II: Culture and Political Economy

• Frankfurt School: Adorno, Horkheimer, Marcuse, Walter Benjamin
• Communicative Action: Habermas
• Neo-Marxism: Althusser, Gramsci

Unit III: Self, Structure and Social Action

• Symbolic Interactionism: Mead, Goffman
• Duality of Structure & Agency: Giddens
• Practice: Bourdieu
Essential Readings for Unit I:

1. Agamben, G. 2009. ‘What is Contemporary?’ in What is an Apparatus? and Other Essays,

Stanford University Press.
2. Goddard, David, ‘Anthropology: The Limits of Functionalism’ in Robin Blackburn (ed), 1977,
Ideology in Social Science, Glasgow, Fontana/Collins, (chap.4).
3. Luhmann, Niklas (1995) Social Systems: Outline of a General Theory, Stanford
University Press: California (Preface).
4. Merton, R.K., (1968), Social Theory and Social Structure, Glencoe: Free Press. (chap. 1)
5. Parsons, Talcott (1951) The Structure of Social System, Free Press, Glencoe (Preface by Bryan
Turner, chaps 1 & 2).
6. Ritzer, George and Goodman, D. J., 2003, Sociological Theory, McGraw Hill, New York,
(Chapter 7 and 9)
7. Turner, Jonathan (2001) The Structure of Sociological Theory, Rawat Publications, Jaipur.
(Chaps. 3, 4 and 5)
8. Zeitlin, Irving M. (2004) Rethinking Sociology: A Critique of Contemporary Theory, Rawat
Publications, Jaipur

Essential Readings for Unit II:

1. Adorno, Theodor (2004) The Culture Industry: Selected Essays on Mass Culture, Routledge:
London (Introduction and chap. 3)
2. Althusser, Louis (2006), Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays (Translated by Ben Brewster),
Aakar Books: New Delhi
3. Bottomore, Tom (2007), The Frankfurt School and its Critics, Routledge, London and New
York.
4. Benjamin, Walter. 1969. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” in
Illuminations edited by Hannah Arendt.New York: Schocken Books.
5. Gramsci, Antonio (2004), Selections from the Prison Notebooks, Orient Longman, Chennai.
(Part I – chap. 1 and Part II - chap. 2)
6. Habermas, Jurgen, 1991, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into
a category of Bourgeois Society, The MIT Press: Cambridge (Part I and II).
7. Habermas, Jurgen, 1987. The Theory of Communicative Action. (Vol. Two: Lifeworld and
System: The Critique of Functionalist Reason.) Boston: Beacon Press.
8. Held, David (1980). Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to Habermas, 1980,
University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles
9. Horkheimer, Max (1982) The Social Function of Philosophy in Critical Theory. Selected
Essays, Continuum: New York.
10. Horkheimer, M. and Adorno, T. 1944 (2002). Dialectic of Enlightenment (chap. 4:
“Enlightenment as Mass Deception”).
11. Marcuse, Herbert. 2002. One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced
Industrial Society. Routledge (Preface by Douglas Kellner).
Essential Readings for Unit III:

1. Bourdieu, Pierre (1977) Outline of a Theory of Practice, Cambridge University Press:

Cambridge
2. Bourdieu, Pierre (1985) ‘The Genesis of the Concepts of Habitus and Field’ in Sociocriticism:
Theories and Perspectives, Vol. II, No.2, December
3. Giddens, Anthony, (1984), The Constitution of Society, Polity Press, Cambdridge.
4. Goffman, Erving, (1959), The Presentation of self in Everyday Life, Anchor, New
York.
5. Mead, George Herbert (1962) Mind, Self and Society: From the Standpoint of a Social
Behaviorist, University of Chicago Press, Chicago
6. Ritzer, George and Goodman, D. J., (2003), Sociological Theory, McGraw Hill, New York,
(Chapter 10 and 15)
7. Turner, Jonathan (2001) The Structure of Sociological Theory, Rawat Publications, Jaipur.
(Chaps 15, 22)

Suggested Readings:

1. Agger, Ben 1991. ‘Critical Theory, Post-Structuralism, Post-modernism: Their Sociological

Relevance’ Annual Review of Sociology 17: 105-131
2. Calhoun, Craig et. al. (eds.), 2002, Contemporary Sociological Theory, Blackwell
3. Carreira da Silva, Filip & Baert, Patrick, 2010, Social Theory in the Twentieth Century and
Beyond, Cambridge, Polity Press.
4. Craib, Ian, 1984, Modern Social Theory: From Parsons to Habermas, 1984, Wheatsheaf
Books, Sussex. (Chaps 3, 11 and 12)
5. Dahrendorf, Ralf, Jun., 1958, Toward a Theory of Social Conflict, The Journal of Conflict
Resolution, Vol. 2, No. 2 , pp. 170-183
6. Goffman, Erving. 1983. “The Interaction Order. American Sociological Association 1982
Presidential Address”. American Sociological Review. 48:1-17.
7. Jay, Martin (1973) The Dialectical Imagination: A history of the Frankfurt School and the
Institute of Social Research 1923-1950, Little Brown & Company: Canada (Chap. 1).
8. Joll, James, 1977, Gramsci, Fontana/Collins, Glasgow
9. Salamani, Leonardo, 1981, The Sociology of Political Praxis: An Introduction to Gramsci’s
Theory, Routledge & Kegan Paul: London (pp. 25-70 & pp. 126-155).
 Introduction to Social Anthropology

M.A. Sociology, Semester-II

Total Credit-4

Course objectives:
This course aims to help students develop a basic knowledge of its foundation,
theories and a critical understanding of the academic discipline of Social
Anthropology. It introduces a number of different theoretical approaches and
also attempts to demonstrate the importance of the anthropological perspective
to other academic disciplines and to everyday problems arising in divergent
cultural contexts. It focus on some basic social institutions and also on the
contemporary concerns within Anthropology. Societies and people around the
world are extremely diverse in their conduct and ideas and the study of these
variations and the common humanity which underlies them lies at the core of
Anthropology.

Learning Outcomes–

1. Students will be able to describe social Anthropology as a distinct

discipline
2. They will be able to compare different human behaviour in its social
context.
3. They will gain knowledge about cross-cultural background against which
to view their own culture as well as contemporary social problems
4. They will be able to understand some of the Anthropological theories
used in, to study cultural and social diversity

Unit – I

Historical origins to Anthropology

1) Colonial context and Anthropology

2) Myth, mind and Structure
3) Rituals and practices

Unit - II

Social Institutions
1) Kinship, descent and Marriage
2) Stateless societies
3) Economy and Exchange
Unit - III

Contemporary concerns
1) Construction of the other
2) Social Anthropology of complex societies
3) Paradoxes of globalisation

Essential Readings:

1) Asad, Talat. 1973. (Ed.) Anthropology and the Colonial Encounter. Ithaca Press
(Selected chapters)
2) Banton, Michael (Ed.).1965.The relevance of models for Social Anthropology.
Tavistock Tavistock publications (Chap-5)
3) Beattie, John.2005.Other cultures. London. Taylor and Francis(Chap-7,8,9,12,13).
4) Brown, A.R. Radcliff, and Daryll Forde (Eds.) 1956,African system of kinship and
Marriage, London, OUP (Introduction)
5) Eisenstadt, S. N. 1961.Anthropological Studies of Complex Societies, Current
Anthropology, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jun.)
6) Eriksen,T.H. 2001. An introduction to social and cultural Anthropology. London.
Pluto Press(Chap-1,7,8,11,12,)
7) Fabian, Jonannes. 1983. Time and the Other-Anthropology Makes its Object, New
York, Columbia University Press
8) Fortes, M and Evans Prichard (Eds.).1961.African political system. Oxford. Oxford
university press(Intro.Chap-7,8).
9) Gluckman, Max et.al.1966.Essays on the ritual of social relations, Manchester.
Manchester university press
10) Gluckman, Max.1965.Politics,law and ritual in tribal society. Oxford. Basil
Blackwell (Chap-3)
11) Goody, Jack (Eds.) 2004. The Character of kinship, London and NewYork,
Cambridge University press (Chap-1).
12) Jonathan, Xavier Inda and Renato Rosaldo.2002. The Anthropology of globalisation,
Blackwell publication
13) Kuper, Adam.1983 .Anthropology and Anthropologist. New York and London,
Routledge and Kegan Paul(Chap-1,2,3,4,7)
14) Kushner, Gilbert. 1969. The Anthropology of Complex Societies. in, Biennial Review
of Anthropology, Vol 6 : 80-131
15) Levi Strauss, Claude 1974. Structural Anthropology. London, Basic Books(Chap-
7,11)
16) Levi Strauss, Claude. 1966. The savage mind. London. Weidenfeld and Nicolson
17) Malinowski, Bronislaw.2002.Argonauts of the western Pacific, London, Routledge
(Chap-3)
18) Mauss, Marcel.2002.The Gift. London and New York. Routledge.
19) Moore ,Jerry. D. (Ed.)2009.Visions of culture ,New Delhi, Rawat publication(Part-
3&5)
20) Parkin, Robert and Linda Stone (eds.) 2004.Kinship and Family: An Anthropological
Reader. Oxford. Blackwell
21) Turner, Victor.1991.The ritual process-structure and anti-structure. New York.
Cornell university press
 22) Uberoi, Patricia (Eds.) 1993.Family, Kinship and Marriage in India, Delhi, OUP (P.P
1-44,176-186,198-222,273-286

Suggested Readings
1) Brown, A.R Radcliff,.1952,Structure and Function in primitive society, New York,
The free press (Chap-1,2,3)
2) Cheater, Angela P. 1989. Social Anthropology. NewYork and London. Routledge
(Chap-1,5,6,8)
3) Eriksen,T.H. 2004. What is Anthropology? London, Pluto Press
4) Graeber, David. 2004. Fragments of Anarchist Anthropology. Chicago, Prickly
Paradigm Press
5) Levi Strauss Claude.2001.Myth and meaning. New York and London. Routledge
6). Moore, Henrietta. 1999. Anthropological theory today. Cambridge UK. Polity
Press(Intro,Chap-1)
 SOCIAL THINKERS IN INDIA
M.A. Sociology Semester-II
Credit-4

Course Objectives:

Indian social thinkers strike a different note giving importance to scientific temper,
rationalism and their ideas. They have importance in the scheme of Indian society, education,
religious and social reforms and personality development with reference to self. Among
Indian thinkers like Swami Dayananda, M.K. Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir Syed Ahmad
Khan, Pandita Rama Bai, IsmatChughtai tried to do reform in the traditional Indian society
and conservative thought modifying and adjusting it to contemporary situations. These
thinkers represent the spirit of contemporary Indian Philosophy of coexistence and
integration towards a modern thought.
This course familiarizes students with the contribution of Indian social thinkers of the last
two centuries reflecting India’s interconnected socio-cultural, economic and political
identities. This paper focuses on contemporary India and interdisciplinary theoretical
perspectives of key thinker’s ideologies on Indian social problems and sociological issues.
The course is basically framed for the students of M.A who are interested to know more
about culturally diverse Indian society. The present course includes debates on nationalism,
colonialism and post-colonial issues which analyses ethnographic studies on Indian society.

Learning Outcomes

❖ After completion of the course the students will be able to understand broad, basic
knowledge of great Indian social thinkers.
❖ The historical, social and cultural contexts of social issues like, caste untouchability,
gender discrimination, educational problems and idea of self.
❖ -Students will be able about basic knowledge on Indian society as characterized by
religious plurality and interaction.
❖ The students will be able to analyzethe relevant research literature to develop his /her
interest in the contribution made by the Indian social thinkers.

Unit-1 Early Modern Reformist and the Colonial Context

Bengal Renaissance
Ram Mohan Roy and DayanandaSaraswati
Syed Ahmad Khan and Mohammad Iqbal

Unit -11-Modern Social Thinkers

Rabindranath Tagore: Nationalism and Internationalism

M.K. Gandhi: Swaraj and non -violence

Jawaharlal Nehru: Modern India

Unit-111-Social Justice and Social Change
Caste: JyotibaPhule, B.R.Ambedkar and Narayana Guru
Gender: PanditaRamabai, TarabaiShinde and IsmatChughtai
Social transformation: M.N.Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan and VinobaBhave

Essential Reading

1. A.R. Desai, 1976, Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Bombay: PPH.

2. Chakrabarty, Bidyut&Pandey, Rajendra Kumar, 2009. ‘Modern Indian political thought:
text and context’. New Delhi: Sage Publications
3. Chatterjee, Partha. 1986. Nationalist Thought and the Colonial World: A Derivative
Discourse. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

4. Chakravarty, Uma. 1998. Rewriting History: The Life and Time of PanditaRamabai.
5. Contribution to Women’s Cause’, Economic and Political Weekly, 29 October: 47.
6. DayanandaSaraswati, 1984,The Light of Truth, New Delhi: Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi
Sabha Dayanand Bhavan
7. Dyer, Helen. 2004. Pandita Ramabai: The Story of Her Life. Reprint. Montana:
Kessinger Publishing..
8. Guha, Ramachandra, 2010, First liberal: Rammohan Roy in Makers of Modern India.
New Delhi: Viking, Penguin group Publishers. pp. 26-48
9. Guha, Ramachandra, 2010,The Rooted Cosmopolitan: Rabindranath Tagore in Makers of
Modern India. New Delhi: Viking, Penguin group Publishers. Pp.185-203.
10. Haithcox, J.P. 1971. Communism and Nationalism in India: MN Roy and Commintern
Policy, 1920–39. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
11. Iqbal Mohammad, 1934,The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. London:
Oxford University Press.
12. Kosambi, Meera. (Compiled and edited). 2000. PanditaRamabai through Her Own
Words: Selected Works. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
13. Limaye, Madhu, 1991. Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru a historical partnership.
New Delhi: BR Publishing Corporation.
14. M.K. Gandhi Hind SwarajNatarajan 1962 A Century of Social Reform in India,
Bombay: Asia Publishing House New Delhi: Kali for Women. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press.
15. Overstreet, G. D and Marshall Wind miller. 1960. Communism in India. Bombay:
Perennial Press
16. Parekh,C.Bhikhu, 1991,Gandhi's Political Philosophy: A Critical Examination. London:
Macmillan Academic and Professional Ltd

17. Pathak, DevNath& H.M Kumar, Sanjeev (ed.) 2018, Modern South Asian Thinkers. New
Delhi: Sage.

18. Ray, Sibnarayan (ed.) 2000a. Selected Works of M.N. Roy, 1917–1922. Volume I.
19. Roy, M.N. 1971. Indian in Transition. Bombay: Nachiketa Publications.
20. Sengupta, Padmini. 1970. PanditaRamabai: Her Life and Work. Bombay: Asia
Publishing House

Suggested Readings:
1. Gail Omvedt, 1976, Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society, Bombay: Scientific Socialist
Education Trust
2. Habib, Irfan. 1995. Essays in Indian History. New Delhi:
3. Oommen, T.K. 1990. State and Society in India: Studies in Nation-building. New Delhi:
Sage Publications
 CITY AND SOCIETY
M.A. Sociology Semester- II

Credits-4

Course Objectives
This course is an attempt towards conceptualizing the city, not merely as a site for the play of
social interaction, but as a concept that merits attention in its own right, given the explosion
of the ‘urban’. It transcends the disciplinary ‘boundedness’ by ignoring the pre-occupation of
conventional urban sociology to view the city predominantly as a problem; eschews the
debates between anthropology in / of the city, or the tendency to privilege a specific
theoretical vantage point at the cost of other equally or maybe more illuminating perspectives
- within or outside the discipline. A multi-disciplinary, comparative and global panoptical is,
therefore, adopted to understand the way capital and culture transform as well as get
transformed by urban space; how the historic, cultural and spatial uniqueness of a place
resists global attempts at ‘place-lessness’; what roles does state, planners, architects, civil
society and middle class play in making the city; and how the underclass lives out its
everyday life in the city and continues to cull an indispensable niche for itself despite a
harshly competitive urban environment.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, the students would be able to use classic as well as contemporary
concepts, theories and perspectives toarticulate urban transformations underway all across the
globe and especially in India. The course will provide an introduction to multiple ways of
looking at the city and urban life – with views, both, from above and below. It willgive
training to understand city as a text as well as context and comprehend the structural as well
cultural aspects of city. The students would be sensitized to be open to new ideas from
everyday urban experiences. They would be fully alert and ready toengage with the latest
debates at the frontier of urban theory, practice and policy. At the end of the course, they
would be prepared to not only take up advanced research in the field but also be able to enter
into the field of urban advocacy, urban planning, policy and practice, if they feel so inclined.

Unit I: Perspectives
• Modernity and urban experience ( Weber, Simmel, Wirth)
• Urban Planning and design( Le-Corbusier, Howard, Whyte, Jacobs)
• Space, place and identity ( Lefebvre, Sassen, Zukin)

Unit II: Production and politics of urban space

• Public space and the right to the city (urban restructuring , economics of
agglomeration, appropriationand privatisation)
 • Urban development, re-development and informality(resettlement policies, informal
urbanisation, and housing)
• Placemaking (rebuilding communities and public realm)

Unit III: Spatialisation of class, culture and difference

• Consumer culture : ( spaces of consumption, gentrification, urban class and processes
of inclusion and exclusion)
• Represented City: (visual culture, cinema, street culture)
• Gendered spaces ( flaneur, mobility, urban fear, sexual geography)

Essential Readings:

1. Brenner, Neil and Roger Keil. (Eds.). 2006. The Global City Reader. Routledge: New
York, London, chs.4,5,9,10,26,37.

2. Bridge, Gary and Sophie Watson. 2000. A Companion to the City. Blackwell: Oxford,
Malden. Chs. 11,25,26,28. 31, 32, 35, 42, 44, 45, 46.

3. Chen, Xiangming , Anthony M. Orum and Krista E. Paulsen. 2013. Introduction to Cities:
How place and space shape human experience, Wiley-Blackwell: Malden, Oxford. Part-I.

4. Economy and political weekly 2007. Vol. 42, No.17. Pp. 1510-1526, 1542-1548.( For
Gender and space).

5. Ghertner, D.A., 2011. ‘Gentrifying the state, gentrifying participation: Elite governance
programs’, in Delhi. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 35(3),
pp.504-532.

6. Harvey, David. 2008. ‘The Right to the City’, in New Left Review, pp.23-40.

7. Kaur, Kulwinder. 2019, “Shifting Urban Redevelopment Policies and the Aspirations for
a Slum Free India: Experiences of Urban Poor in Delhi”, in Man in India, Vol. 99. ( 1-2):
157-167.

8. Kaur, Kulwinder. 2016. ‘Towards a consumer society: Looking beyond the middle class’
in Kulwinder Kaur, (ed.), The Coming of Consumer Society, Manohar: New Delhi,
(2016), pp. 11-31.
9. Kaur, Kulwinder. 2015. ‘Questioning the “end of public space”: A reflexive ethnography
in American cities’, in Eastern Anthropologist, 68:4 , pp. 573-592.

10. Kaur, Kulwinder. 2017. ‘Malling of Urban India : Social History and Evolution in a
Global and Comparative Framework’ in South Asian Anthropologist, 17:1, pp. 111-119.

11. Lefebvre, H. 1991. The Production of Space, Oxford: Blackwell.

12. Lin, Jan. and C.Mele. (Eds.). 2005. The Urban Sociology Reader. Oxon and New York:
Routledge. Chs by Simmel, Wirth, and Zukin, pp. 23-41, 281-289.
13. Le Gates, Richard T. and Frederic Stout, eds. 2003. The City Reader, London: Routledge.
Pp. 103-117,158-175,179-197, 2017-216, 299-304, 311-329,367-375, 382-396, 407-446.

14. Lefebvre, H. 1991. The Production of Space, Oxford: Blackwell Lefebvre, H. 1991.

15. Low, Setha. 1996. “Spatializing Culture: The Social Production and Social Construction
of Public Space.” American Ethnologist, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 861-879.

16. Mitchell, Don. 2003. The Rights to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public
Space. The Guilford Press: New York and London.

17. Nandy, A., 1998. Introduction: Indian popular cinema as a slum’s eye view of politics
in AshsishNandy( ed.), The secret politics of our desires: Innocence, culpability and
Indian popular cinema, St. Martin Press, Zed Books: NY, London, pp. 1-18.

18. Parsons, Deborah. 2000. Streetwalking the Metropolis: Women, the City and Modernity.
Oxford University Press: Oxford and New York. Introduction and Ch.1. pp. 1-42.

19. Patel, S., 2018. ‘Rethinking Urban Studies Today’ in Sociological Bulletin, 67(1), pp.1-
19.

20. Patel, S. and Goyal, Omita. (Eds.). 2018. India’s Contemporary Urban Conundrum.
Taylor & Francis. Selected chapters.

21. Paddison, Ronan and Donald McNeil . 2010. Urban Studies, Vol-I. Chs. 4, 6,7,9,10, Vol
II, ch 16, 19, 20, 24,29, 31; Vol-III, Chs Intro, chs 40, 44, 46, 48, 51, 53, Vol IV . chs. 55-
58, 67,70,77.

22. Paroda, Barbara. ‘Ten ways to transform cities through placemaking and public spaces’.
https://www.archdaily.com/362988/ten-ways-to-transform-cities-through-placemaking-
and-public-spaces.

23. Roy, Ananya. 2009. ‘Why India cannot plan its cities: Informality, insurgence and the
idiom of urbanisation’ in Planning Theory (Special Issue: Strangely Familiar),vol. 8(1),
pp. 76-87. Sage.

24. Sandhu, Jasmeet and Gurpreet Bal. (Eds.). 2013. Urban development and Governance:
Issues, Concerns and Challenges. Introduction.

25. Sennett, Richard. 1969. Classic essays on Culture of Cities, Ch ‘The nature of City’ by
Max Weber. Appleton Century Crofts and original by University of Michigan: Michgan.

26. Sharma, R.N. and R.S. Sandhu. (Eds.).2013. ‘Small Cities and Towns in Global Era:
Emerging Changes and Perspectives’Ch1, 3, 5.

27. Shaw, Annpurna. 2007. (Ed.). Indian Cities in Transition. Orient longman : New Delhi.
Chs. 1-5, 11, 14.

28. Wells, K., 2007. The material and visual cultures of cities. Space and Culture, 10(2),
pp.136-144.
29. Whitzman, C., 2007.’ Stuck at the front door: gender, fear of crime and the challenge of
creating safer space’. Environment and Planning A, 39(11), pp.2715-2732.

30. Wilson, Elizabeth. 1992. “The Invisible Flaneur,” New Left Review. No.191. Pp.90-110.

Suggested Readings
1. Brosius, Christiane. 2010. India’s Middle Class : New forms of Urban Leisure,
consumption and Prosperity. Routedge: London, New York.

2. Campbell, Scott and Susan S Fainstein. 2003. Readings in Planning Theory. Blackwell:
Introduction, Ch. 2 .

3. Chauncy, G. 1994. Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture and the making of Gay New
York: Basic Books.

4. Cuthbert, Alexander R. The Form of Cities: Political Economy of Urban Design.

Blackwell: Malden, Oxford. Ch.1, 4, 5, 8.

5. Dupont, V.D., 2011. The dream of Delhi as a global city. International Journal of Urban
and Regional Research, 35(3), pp.533-554.

6. Economy and Political Weekly 2007. Vol. 42, No.17,pp. 1510-1526, 1542-1548.( For
Gender and space, special issue).

7. Hertz, B.-S. andKnauer, Lisa M. 1997. "Queer Spaces in New York City: Places of
Struggle, Places of Strength", in Gordon Brent Ingram, Anne-Marie Bouthillette, and
Yolanda Retter, (eds.). Queers in Space: Communities, Public Places, Sites of Resistance
Seattle. WA: Bay Press. pp. 356-370.

8. Kaur, Kulwinder. 2017.‘Urban Segregation and Policy Response: Lessons from Housing
Strategies across the Globe’, in Indian Journal of Development Research and Social
Action, 13:1, pp. 113-130.

9. Kleniewski, Nancy. ( Ed.).2005. City and Society, Chs 3, 6, 12, and 15.

10. Lin, Jan. and C.Mele. (Eds.). 2005. The Urban Sociology Reader. Oxon and New York:
Routledge. Selected Chs.

11. Levy, Jacques. Ed. 2008. The City: Critical essays in Human Geography. Ashgate:
Hamshire, Burlington. Ch. 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25.

12. Mahadevia, D., 2011. Branded and renewed? Policies, politics and processes of urban
development in the reform era. Economic and Political Weekly, pp.56-64.

13. Mazumdar, R., 2007. Bombay cinema: An archive of the city. Univ of Minnesota Press.
14. Rao, U., 2010. Making the global city: Urban citizenship at the margins of
Delhi. Ethnos, 75(4), pp.402-424.
15. Stevenson, Deborah. 2009. Cities and Urban Cultures. Rawat: New Delhi.( Reprint).

16. Valentine, G., 1989. ‘The geography of women's fear’, in Area, pp.385-390.

17. Zukin, S., 2012. Whose culture? Whose city?, in The urban sociology reader (pp. 363-
371). Routledge.
 Quantitative Research Methods
M.A.: IInd Semester, CBCS- Skill

Credits: 4

Course objectives

The course is designed as a skill paper to prepare students to apply quantitative research
methods in social research. The structure and the contents of the course are aimed at making
students understand how the concepts and variables in the social phenomenon under study
can be operationalized for purposes of measurement and comparisons. The course will focus
on the entire research process beginning from the formulation of research questions to the
selection of appropriate field, respondents, techniques of data collection and analysis using
descriptive statistics.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the successful completion of the course, students will gain an applied approach
to collect and analyze data using computational and statistical analysis. They would also be
able to undertake independent empirical research and statistically evaluate their data, findings
and analysis. If they choose to, they would be able to work as consultants with research teams
on large social scale social surveys.

Evaluation
The reading list is indicative and they are encouraged to use additional materials available
online and in the library. It would be beneficial for them to supplement their research
knowledge through workshops on research methodology and social statistics. It is expected
that students will prepare a research design, a questionnaire and an interview schedule during
the course work.Fictional or real data sets will be provided to them for quantitative data
analysis and interpretation. The 25% of the total marks for evaluation will be based on such
exercises and constitute internal assessment work. The remaining 75% marks will be based
on an end-semester examination.

Unit-I: The Scientific Paradigm and Social research

• Logic of social inquiry
• Formulation of research problem and selection of research questions and
operationalization of concepts, measurement (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio)
Scaling ( Thurston, Luckman, Guttman)
• Research Design: Experimental, Explanatory
Unit-II: Data Collection
• Sources: Census, NSSO, District Gazetteers, Economic Surveys, Statistical Abstracts,
National Family Health Survey ( NFHS)
• Survey Method : Types of social surveys, sampling, and observation
• Construction of questionnaire and interview schedule

Unit-III: Basic Descriptive Statistics and Data Analysis

• Frequency distribution, measures of central tendency,
• Bivariate and multivariate analysis, variance, standard deviation, range.
• Graphic and tabular presentation and writing of research report

Essential Readings:
Agresti, A. and B. Finley. 1997. Statistical Methods for Social Sciences. Prentice Hall and
Pearson.

Babbie, Earl. 2012. (13th Ed). The Practice of Social Research. Wadsworth Publishing:
Belmont.

Bryman, Alan. 2012. (4th Ed.). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press: Oxford,
(Part-I and II).

Moser,C.A. and G.Kalton. 1985. Survey Methods in Social Investigation.

DartmouthPublishing.

Gutherie, Gerond . 2010. Basic Research Methods. An Entry to Social research .Sage : New
Delhi.

David, Mathew and Carole Sutton. 2011. Social research. An Introduction. Sage: New Delhi.

NG Barrier ed. 1981. The Census in British India.Manohar: New Delhi.

Weinstein, Jay Allen. 2010. Applying Social Statistics: An Introduction to Quantitative

Reasoning in Sociology.Rowman and Littlefield : New York , Toronto.

Suggested Readings
Mckie, Linda and Louise Ryan. 2018. An end to the crisis of empirical sociology? Trends and
Challenges in Social research. (Sociological futures).

Online sources of data for practice as suggested by the teacher.

 CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY II

M. A. Sociology, Semester- III

Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:
This course is in continuation of the earlier course on Contemporary Social Theory-I, that is
taught at MA previous level. It is aimed at knowing about the advances in social theory
especially since the last quarter of the twentieth century when the quest for mata-narratives
and universal truths came to be considered a doubtful and futile endeavour. The course will
introduce the students to the ideas and concepts of some key social thinkers and philosophers
who despite being quite contemporary provoke rethinking about the classic theories of
capitalism, modernity and self. The key epistemological shifts in social theory in the context
of late capitalism and the transformations in cultural logic form the key thematic around
which the course is designed.

Learning Outcomes:
The course would ensure that students have acquired a rigorous and advanced level of
conceptual vocabulary to make them analyse and interpret the complexities of the
contemporary social worlds. Even the course is highly abstract and theoretical; it will lead to
an enhanced ability to apply sociological concepts, themes and perspectives in the
explorations of empirical reality.

Unit I:The fall of the metanarratives: post-structuralism &

postmodernism
• Postmodern condition: Lyotard
• Deconstruction & Difference: Derrida
• Power/Knowledge: Foucault

Unit II: Late modernity and its contradictions

• Cultural logic of Late Capitalism: Jameson
• Risk: Beck
• Liquid Modernity: Bauman

Unit III: Contemporary Issues

• Postcolonialism: Said
• Posthumanism: (Transhumanism) Hughes
• Consumerism and Consumer Culture: Featherstone

Essential Readings

Bauman, Z. Liquid Modernity. 2000. Cambridge: Polity Press. (Foreword and chapter 3).
Beck, Ulrich. 1992. Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London: Sage. Part-I.
Derrida, Jacques. 1984 (1967). Of Grammatology. trans. Gayatri C. Spivak. Baltimore: John
Hopkins University Press.
Featherstone, M., 2007. Consumer culture and postmodernism.Sage.
Foucault, 1973.Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison.Pantheon Books: New
York.Selected chapters.
Hughes, J., 2004. Citizen cyborg: Why democratic societies must respond to the redesigned
human of the future. Basic Books.Selections.

Jameson, F. 1991. Postmodernism or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. London: Verso
(Introduction, chapters 1, 2&6).

Lyotard, Jean-Francois. 1984. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge.

Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Suggested Readings:
Bauman, Z., 2013. Liquid Fear.John Wiley & Sons.Introduction.

Blackshaw, T., 2008.The Sociology of Zygmunt Bauman: Challenges and Critique, Ch.
6.pp.115-136.

Gordon, C., 1980. Power/knowledge. Selected Interviews and Other Writings of Michel
Foucault.

Elliott, Anthony.2010. Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction. 110-115, 248-269,

283-287, 298-307.

Merquior, J.G., 1987. Foucault (Vol. 853). Univ of California Press.

Ritzer, George and Goodman, D. J. 2003, Sociological Theory, McGraw Hill, New York.

Seidman, S. ed., 1994. The postmodern turn: New perspectives on social theory. Cambridge
University Press.

Seidman, Steven and Jeffery C. Alexander. 2001. The New Social Theory Reader.Chs. 5, 32,
43.
 Reading, Writing and Reflexivity (DISSERTATION I)

MA Sociology, Semester III

Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:
• To prepare students for undertaking dissertation writing in semester IV
• To learn to identify a theme, question, problem for research
• To learn to read and write a review a of classic and related literature
• To learn to write a book review and ‘review of literature’ and draft a proposal for a
dissertation

Learning Outcomes
• To review a classic
• To write a review of literature on any one theme of students’ choice
• To write a proposal for dissertation

Unit I: Reading
• Questions, and the field of enquiry: differences between traditional, charismatic and reasoned
knowledge;
• Reasoning differences-reading between the lines
• Perspectives worldviews and Social institutions

Unit II: Writing

• Frames: terms, categories and principles-Hypothesis and Thought experiments
• Documentation and referencing: Field notes, Dairies, personal journals,
• Dissertations, project, essays, articles, papers

Unit III: Reflexivity

• Fieldwork: Recognizing subjectivity, personal technologies, social deceptions, collective lies
and social facts
• Truth and Ethics: libraries, public date, signs, symbols indexes and symptoms
• Peoples’ representations, impartiality and social justice

Readings for Unit 1:

• Bourdieu, P. Three forms of theoretical knowledge, in Social Science Information. February

1973 12:53-80.
• Crone, Rosalind and Shafuat Towheed eds. The History of Reading-Method, Strategies,
Tactics Volume 3. Palgrave Macmillian, UK. 2011 (selected chapters).
• Ekegren, Peter. Reading of Theoretical Texts-A critique of criticism in social sciences.
Routledge Studies in Social and Political thought, 1999 (selected chapters).
• Epstein A L ed. The Craft of Social Anthropology. Tavistock Publications, London 1967.
Readings Unit II:

• Becker, Howard S. Writing for Social Scientists-How to Start and finish Your Thesis, Book, or
Article. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1986, 2007.
• Dowrick, Stephaine. Creative Journal Writing-the art and heart of reflection. Allen & Unwin,
UK, 2007.
• Flesch, Rudolf. The Art of Readable Writing. Harper and Row Publishers, New York and
Evanston, 1949/
• Trimble, John R. Writing with style-Conversations on the Art of Writing. Prentice Hall, New
Jersey, 1975.

Readings Unit 3

• Archer, Margaret S. Ed. Conversations About reflexivity. Routledge, London and New York.
2010.
• Flanagan, Kieran. Sociology in Theology-Reflexivity and Belief. Palgrave Macmillan, UK,
2007.
• Mollering, Guido. Trust: Reason, Routine, Reflexivity. Elsevier, Amsterdam 2006.
• Paoletti, Isabella, Maria Isabel Tomas, Fernanda Menendez eds. Practices of Ethics-An
Empirical approach to Ethics in Social Sciences Research. Cambridge Scholars Publishing,
UK, 2013.
• Rosanvallon, Pierre, Arthur Goldhammer. Democractic Legitimacy- Impartiality, Reflexivity,
Proximity. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2011

Suggested Readings:

• Spears, Deanne. Improving reading Skills-Contemporary readings for College Students.

McGraw Hill-Connect Learn and Succeed, New York, 2013.
• Thompson, Michael ed. Constructing Marxist Ethics-Critique, Normativity, Praxis.
Brill, Liden/Boston, 2015.
 SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALIZATION
M. A. Sociology, Semester III
Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:
This course examines the processes of development and globalization in their historical and
geographical contexts and their contemporary trends and impacts. Unit I discusses the
growth of development theory as a post WW II phenomenon and explains the changing
conceptions of development (economic growth, human development, social development,
sustainable development and alternative development) with the changing perspectives of
development: modernization theory, dependency, world systems, neoclassical economics,
alternate development, human development and post-development. Unit II discusses the
various dimensions (historical, economic, political and cultural) of the process and project of
globalization. Theories and conceptualizations of Robertson, Rosenau, Appadurai, Hirst and
Thompson, Tomlinson, Sklair, Pieterse and Sassen are explained. Transnationalism and
migration is debated with special reference to diaspora and refugees. Unit III unfolds the
myth of development and the dilemmas and violence related to it. Social movements
responding to the failures of developmentalism and globalism, such as fundamentalism and
environmentalism are analysed. Issues, like structural violence leading to displacement of
livelihood, are analysed in case of big dams and special economic zones in India. New
imperialism in contemporary globalised era is discussed.

Learning Outcomes:
▪ To understand the concepts and theories of development and globalization.
▪ To learn about the dilemmas and violence related to development and globalization.

Unit I: Development: Negations and Negotiations

• Genealogy of the idea of Development
• Theories of Development
• Post-development and Postmodern critique
Unit II: Dimensions of Globalization: Conjunctions and Disjuncture
• Theorizing the transition
• Creolization and Hybrid Societies
• Transnationalism and Migration: Diaspora & Refugees

Unit III: Myth of Development: Dilemmas and Violence

• Social Responses to Globalization
• Displacement of livelihood: Big Dams & SEZs
• New Imperialism

Essential Readings for Unit I:

1. Alavi, Hamza, and Shanin, Teodar, (ed.), 1982, Introduction to the Sociology of
Developing Societies, Macmillan Press, (Introduction, chapters 2, 3, 10, 13, 14, 15
and 23).
2. Frank, A.G., 1966, “The Development of Underdevelopment”. Monthly Review.
18(4): 17-31.
3. Frank, A.G., 1967. “Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment of
Sociology”. Catalyst, 3: 20-73.
4. Gasper, Des, 2004, The Ethics of Development: From Economism to Human
Development, Vistaar Publications, New Delhi. (Chapters 2 and 7).
5. Hoogvelt, Ankie, 1997, Globalization and the Post-Colonial World: The New
Political Economy of Development, Macmillan, London, (Chapter 2, 6 and
Conclusion).
6. McEwan, Cheryl, 2009, Postcolonialism and Development, Routledge, India
(Introduction and Conclusion).
7. Peet, R. 2005, Theories of Development, Rawat Publications, Jaipur. (chaps. 1, 3 and
4).
8. Pieterse, J.N., 2001, Development Theory: Deconstructions/ Reconstructions, Vistaar
Publications, New Delhi. (Chapter 1 and 10).
9. Redclift, M., 1987 (2016), Sustainable Development: Exploring the Contradictions,
Routledge, (chaps. 2, 3 and 4).
 10. Ritzer, George and Goodman, D. J. 2003, Sociological Theory, McGraw Hill, New
York, (Chapter 17).
11. Schuurman, Frans, J., (ed.), Globalization and Development Studies: Challenges for
the 21st Century, Vistaar Publications, New Delhi. (chaps. 1and 2).
12. Sen, Amartya, 2000, Development as Freedom, OUP, New Delhi. (Introduction and
chapter 4).
13. UNDP, 2003, Readings in Human Development, OUP, New Delhi. (Chapters 1.1 and
1.2).

Essential Readings for Unit II:

1. Agamben, Giorgio, 1995, ‘We Refugees’, Symposium; summer 1995; 49, 2;

Periodicals Archive Online (pg. 114-119).
2. Appadurai, Arjun, 1996, Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization,
Oxford University Press, Delhi, (pp. 32-43).
3. Hirst, P. and Thompson, G., 1996, Globalization in Question: The International
Economy and the Possibilities of Governance, Polity Press, UK. (Introduction and
Conclusion).
4. Lechner, Frank J. and Boli, John (ed.), The Globalization Reader, Blackwell
Publishers, USA (chapters 11 and 43).
5. Lewellen, Ted C., 2010, The Anthropology of Globalization: Cultural Anthropology
enters the 21st Century, Indian Reprint, Rawat Publications, New Delhi (Part II).
6. O’Byrne, D. J. and Hensby, A., 2011, Theorizing Global Studies, Palgrave,
Macmillan (chap. 7).
7. Pandey, Manisha T., 2011, “Globalization and Social Transformation in India:
Theorizing the Transition” International Journal of Sociology and Social
Anthropology, Vol. 3(8), pp. 253-260, August 2011.
8. Pieterse, J. N., 2004, Globalization and Culture: Global Melange, Rowman and
Littlefield Publishers, USA. (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4).
9. Robertson, R. and White, K. E., 2003, Globalization: Critical Concepts in Sociology,
Routledge, London. (Introduction).
10. Sassen, Saskia, 2007, A Sociology of Globalization, W.W. Norton & Company, New
York (Chap. 5).
 11. Tomlinson, John, 1999, Globalization and Culture, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK
(chapters 1 and 4).

Essential Readings for Unit III:

1. Harvey, David, 2005, ‘From Globalization to the New Imperialism’ in Richard

Applebaum and William Robinson (ed.), Critical Globalization Studies, Routledge,
New York (pp. 91-100).
2. Gurukkal, Rajan. 2018. “Death of democracy: An Inevitable Possibility under
Capitalism” in Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. LIII No. 43, August 25, 2018.
3. Hobsbawn, Eric, 2007, Globalization, Democracy and Terrorism, Little, Brown,
London. (Preface and chapter 8).
4. Kiely, Ray, 2005, Empire in the Age of Globalization: US hegemony and neoliberal
disorder, Orient Longman, Hyderabad. (chaps. 6 and 7).
5. Magdoff, Harry, 2007, Imperialism without Colonies, Aakar Books, Delhi (chapter 2).
6. Mathur, Hari Mohan and David Marsden (ed.) 1998, Development Projects and
Impoverishment Risks, Oxford University Press, Delhi. (Chapters 1 and 2).
7. McMichael, Philip, 1996, Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective,
Pine Forge Press, Sage, Delhi (Chap. 7)
8. Pandey, Manisha T., 2010, “Ventilating Predicament of Development: New
Economic Enclaves and Structural Violence in India” in Ravi Kumar (ed.) The Heart
of the Matter: Development, Identity and Violence, Aakar Books, New Delhi (p. 77-
104).
9. Saul, John S., 2006, Development after Globalization: Theory and Practice for the
Embattled South in a New Imperial Age, Zed Books Limited, London. (Chapter 3).

Suggested Readings:

1. Appadurai, Arjun, 2006, Fear of Small Numbers: An Essay on the Geography of the
Anger, London, Duke University Press.
2. Frank, A.G., 1998, Re-Orient: Global Economy in the Asian Age, University of
California Press, Berkeley (selected pages).
3. Robinson, William I., 2011, ‘Globalization and the Sociology of Immanuel
Wallerstein: A Critical Appraisal’, International Sociology (pgs. 1-23).
4. Robinson (ed.), Critical Globalization Studies, Routledge, New York (pp 91-100)
5. Sen, Sunanda, 2007, Globalization and Development, National Book Trust, New
Delhi.
6. Spybey, Tony, 1992, Social Change, Development and Dependency, Polity Press,
Cambridge, (Chapter 2).
7. Waters, Malcolm. 1995, Globalization, Routledge, London.
 Islam and Muslims in South Asia
M.A, Semester-III
Credit-4

Course Objectives

South Asia is home to a host of remarkably diverse Muslim communities making up about a
third of the global Muslim population .The region and its people present a picture of diversity
in unity, indeed of immense diversity within a very broad contour of integration. Islam is not
a monolithic religion and its adherents in different parts of the world, and within each
community, practice their core beliefs in diverse ways. There is much cultural, social and
national heterogeneity among Muslims. Several Islamic sects and Sufi orders co-exist
throughout South Asia and some of them are confrontational towards one another as much as
they are hostile to non-Muslims.

The course introduces students to some core topics on Islam and Muslims in South Asia, such
as the history of Muslim presence, study of caste and issues of Socio-economic relations,
kinship, South Asian religions (Hinduism and Islam).Various units of the course will offer a
sociological interpretations to those students who are from other disciplines and it gives
students a chance to explore both classic and contemporary ethnographic of the region. The
present course will survey the history of Muslim presence in south Asia, the political and
social changes among Indian Muslims in the colonial period and the interaction with the other
communities from 8th century to 21 century. It offers opportunities for deeper study of
particularly salient issues as they seem in South Asian ethnography (such as gender and
modernity); and it introduces students to recent debates and scholarship on representation and
identity as well women’s voices.

This paper is offered in the Department of Sociology for M.A. Semester 2, students with the
core idea to introduce them the cultural and social aspects of south Asian Muslim
community. The aim of this paper is that the students should be able to find and use
secondary sources relevant to selected topics; have a grasp of the key debates on Islam and
Muslims in South Asia .By the end of the course,

Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of this course, student will be able to:

❖ To critically evaluate a range of approaches and ethnographic source

material on South Asian society.

❖ Demonstrate familiarity with the major historical, political and cultural developments
relating to South Asian Islam as well as show knowledge of key organizations,
movements, figures and trends in the region's Muslim societies.

❖ Understand major scholarly approaches to the study of South Asian Islam and Muslim
societies.

❖ Critically engage with primary and secondary source materials and develop
independent interpretations.
❖ Communicate knowledge about South Asian Islam and Muslim communities in a
diverse, clear and balanced manner.

Unit 1-Approaches to study Islam in South Asia:

Historical
Sociological
Feminist

Unit 11-Lived Islam and Muslims in South Asia:

Diversity: Sects, ethnicity, caste and language
Contribution to civilization
Responses to modernity and globalization

Unit 111-Contemporary issues:

Representation and identity
Women’s voices
Islam and other faiths

Essential Readings

1. Ahmad Akbar: Journey into Islam, the Crisis of Globalization, Penguin Books, India,
2007
2. Ahmad, Imtiaz& Helmut Reifeld (eds.)Lived Islam in India: Adaptation
Accommodation and Conflict, New Delhi: Social Science Press. 2004.
3. Ahmad, Imtiaz, Family, Kinship and Marriage among Muslims in India, Manohar,
Delhi ,1976
4. Ahmed Leila: Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate,
London: Yale University Press, 1992
5. Bryan S. Turner, Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir, The Sociology of Islam: Collected
Essays of Bryan S. Turner,Routledge, 2013
6. Devine, Fiona and Marry C. water (ed.): ‘Islam Gender and Social Change’, Oxford
University Press, London.1998
7. Francis Robinson, Islam and Muslim History in South Asia, Oxford University Press,
2001
8. Hasan, Zoya and Menon, Ritu: ‘Unequal Citizens, A Study of Muslim Women in
India,’ Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2004
9. HasnainNadeem (Ed): Islam and Muslim Communities in South Asia, Serial
publication Darya Ganj N. Delhi, 2006
10. Hassan Mushirul (Ed.): Islam in South Asia Vol- I Theory and Practice, Manohar
Publications, Delhi,2008
11. Jawaid M.A, Jahangir K.N and Bose Shankar (Ed.): Minorities in India in the 21st
Century: Problems and Prospects Manak Publication 2006.

12. Malik, Jamal, Islam in South Asia: A Short History, Harper Collins India, 2008
13. Merinissi Fatima: Women in Moslem Paradise, Kali Publication for Women, New
Delhi, 1991.
14. Metcalf D. Barbara (Edited), Islam in South Asia in Practice, Princeton University
Press, 2012
15. Mishra Naveen & Singh Kumar Sudhir: Minorities in South Asia, Authors Press, New
Delhi.2002
16. Roy, Asim (ed.), Islam in History and Politics: Perspectives from South Asia, New
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2006
17. Shariati,Ali, On the Sociology of Islam ,Al Huda Publisher ,1991
18. WadoodAmina: Quran And Women; Rereading the Sacred from a Woman’s
Perspective, Oxford University Press, New York, 1999

Suggested Readings

1. Avari, Burjor, Islamic Civilization in South Asia: A History of Muslim Power and
Presence in theIndian Subcontinent, Harper Collins India, 2013
2. Ahmad, Zafar, Islam and Muslims in South Asia, Authors Press, Delhi, 2000
3. Engineer Ali Asghar: Islam Challenges In 21st Century, Gyan Publishing House,
Darya Ganj, New Delhi, 2004.
4. Faridi, F.R. And M.M Siddiqui: The Social Structure Of Indian Muslims, New Delhi:
Institute Of Objective Studies, 1992
5. Saiyed, A.R.: 'Ethnicity and Social Change: The Indian Muslim Situation', Islam and
Modern Age, New Delhi .Vol.25, No.3, 1994
6. SikandYoginder: Muslims in India, Contemporary Social and Political discourses,
Hope India,Gurgaon, Haryana, 2007
7. Special issue of Modern Asian Studies, 42 (2-3), 2008, on 'Islamic Reform
Movements in South Asia'
8. Vatuk, Sylvia, Identity and Difference or Equality and Inequality in South Asian
Muslim Society in C. J. Fuller (ed.), Caste Today, Delhi: Oxford University Press,
1996.
 M. A. Sociology
Sociology of Agrarian Society
Semester-III
Credit-4

Unit I: Introduction to Agrarian Society:

• Agricultural practices and society

• Provisions of goods and services
• Social institutions and access to resources

Unit II: Agrarian Structure and Relations

• Caste, Class and Gender

• Social Network, Credit and Social Entrapments
• Land, Labour and Power

Unit III: Agrarian Crisis and Transformation:

• Biodiversity and Food Security

• Agrarian Distress and Farmer Suicide
• Peasant movements in India

Course Objectives:
Agriculture and its allied activities provide livelihood to more than half of India's working population.
Through empirical investigation, sociologists have analyzed the culture of agriculture and the rhythm
of rural life which organized around agriculture. Production, distribution and consumption in
agrarian society are harmonized with the local beliefs, custom and rituals. Agrarian economy makes
significant contribution to the national economy but despite repeated assurance, successive
governments have willfully ignored the difficulties encountered by the agriculturists in India.
Globalization and liberalization has improved the economic conditions of the well-off farmers,
leaving the small and marginal farmers at the brink of subsistence. This paper employs conceptual
and theoretical framework of sociology to examine important agrarian issues encountered by
agriculturists.

Learning Outcome:

After Studying the course students will be able to:

• Explain the development of agriculture and evolution of society

• Discuss different institutions and differential access to various resources.
• Explain the structure factors that enable or constrains various social groups in
their development.
 • Discuss the agro-biodiversity and food insecurity and sustainable agriculture
practice.
• Analyze the deprivation and exclusion peasant which leads to collective action
and social movement.

Essential Readings

1. Beck. T. (1995). How the Poor Fight for Respect and Resources in Village India. Human
Organization, 54(2), 169-181.
2. Beteille, A. (1979), Studies in Agrarian Social structure, OUP.
3. Bowler, I. (2002). Developing Sustainable Agriculture. Geography, 87(3), 205-212.
4. Breman, Jan (1993) Beyond Patronage and Exploitation, OUP, Delhi, (Ch. 16, 17, 18, 19).
5. Breman, Jan. (1985), Of Peasants, Migrants and Paupers, OUP, New Delhi.
6. Byres, Terry J. and Crow, Ben (1983) The Green Revolution in India, The Open University Press.
7. Chakravarti, Anad (2001) Social Power and Everyday Class Relations, Sage Publications, New
Delhi, (Ch-3,6 & 8).
8. Desai, A.R (1979) Peasant Struggles in India, OUP, Delhi.
9. Desai, A.R (2006 [1948]), Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Mumbai, Popular Prakashan
(Ch-1,3 & 4).
10. Dhanagre, D.N. (1983), Peasant movements in India 1920-1950, OUP, Delhi.
11. Gough, K. (1968). Peasant Resistance and Revolt in South India. Pacific Affairs, 41(4), 526-544.
12. Joshi, P. (1969). Agrarian Social Structure and Social Change. Sankhyā: The Indian Journal of
Statistics, Series B (1960-2002), 31(3/4), 479-490.
13. Kapadia K. (1997), Mediating the Meaning of Market Opportunities: Gender, Caste and Class in
Rural South India, EPW, Vol. 32, No. 52.
14. Krishnaji, N. (1980). Poverty and Family Size. Social Scientist, 9(4), 22-35.
15. Krishnaraj, M. (2006). Food Security, Agrarian Crisis and Rural Livelihoods: Implications for
Women. EPW, 41(52).
16. Ludden, David. (1985), Peasant History in South India, Princeton University Press.
17. Mohanty, B.B. (2013), Farmer Suicides in India-Durkheim’s Types- EPW, Vol.48, Issue No. 21.
18. Omvedt, G. (1980). Caste, Agrarian Relations and Agrarian Conflicts. Sociological Bulletin, 29(2),
142-170.
19. Patnaik, U. (1976). Class Differentiation within the Peasantry: An Approach to Analysis of Indian
Agriculture. EPW, 11(39).
20. Rudra, A. (1994) “Unfree Labour and Indian Agriculture”, in K. Basu (ed.), Agrarian Questions,
OUP, Delhi.
21. Sbriccoli, T. (2016), Land, Labour and Power, EPW, Vol.51, Issue No.26-27.
22. Shanin, T. (1987), Peasants and Peasant Societies: Selected Readings, Blackwell Publishers.
23. Shiva, V. (1988) Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Survival in India, Kali for Women, New Delhi.
24. Sunderland, T. (2011). Food security: Why is biodiversity important? The International Forestry
Review, 13(3), 265-274.
25. Suri, K. (2006). Political Economy of Agrarian Distress. EPW, 41(16), 1523-1529.
26. Thrupp, L. (2000). Linking Agricultural Biodiversity and Food Security: The Valuable Role of
Sustainable Agriculture. International Affairs, 76(2), 265-281.
27. Vasavi, A. R. (2012). Shadow Spaces: Suicides and the Predicament of Rural India, Three Essays
Collective.
28. Vasavi, A.R (2014), Debt and Its Social Entrapments, Women's Studies Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 1/2,
DEBT (SPRING/SUMMER), 23-37.
29. Wolf, Eric (1966) Foundations of Modern Anthropology Series, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
30. Xaxa, V. "Evolution of Agrarian Structure and Relations in Jalpaiguri district (West Bengal): A Case
Study of Subsistence Setting." Sociological Bulletin 29, no. 1 (1980): 63-85.
Suggested Readings

1. Bardhan, P. (1982) Agrarian Class formation in India, Journal of Peasant Studies, Vol-10, No.1,
(October).
2. Berry, S. (1989). Social Institutions and Access to Resources. Africa: Journal of the International
African Institute, 59(1), 41-55.
3. Byres, T.J (1981) “The New Technology, Class Formation and Class Action in the Indian
Countryside”, The Journal of Peasant Studies, 8 (4): 404-54.
4. Bhalla, G.S. (2015) Indian Agriculture since Independence, NBT, India
5. Gore, M.S., (1993) The Social Context of Ideology: Ambedkar’s Political and Social Thought, Sage
Publications.
6. Guha, R. (1983) Elementary Aspects Peasant Insurgency in Colonial India, OUP. Delhi.
7. Joshi, P.C. (1965), Land Reforms in India, Allied Publishers, Bombay.
8. Kohli, Atul (1987) The State and Poverty in India, Orient Longman, Bombay. (Ch. Introduction, 1
& 3).
9. Michie, B. (1978). Baniyas in the Indian Agrarian Economy: A Case of Stagnant Entrepreneurship.
The Journal of Asian Studies, 37(4), 637-652.
10. Patnaik, U (2007), The Republic of Hunger and Other Essays, Three Essays Collective, Gurgaon.
11. Patnaik, U. (2002). Agrarian Crisis and Global Deflationism. Social Scientist, 30(1/2), 3-30.
12. Shah, G. (1990) Social Movement in India: A Review of Literature, Sage Publication, Delhi.
13. Sinha, B.K. and Puspendra (ed.) (2000), Land Reforms in India, Vol. 5: An Unfinished Agenda,
Sage Publications, New Delhi, (Ch. 1,2,7 & 8).
14. Vasavi, A. (1994). 'Hybrid Times, Hybrid People': Culture and Agriculture in South India. Man,
29(2), new series, 283-300.
Wilson, K. (1999) “Patterns of Accumulation and Struggles of Rural Labour: Some Aspects of
Agrarian Change in Central Bihar”, The Journal of Peasant Studies, 26, (283), 316-54.
 Critical Thinking

M. A. Sociology, Semester III (CBCS)

Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:
One of the goals of modern education is to develop the skill of critical thinking. Learning to
think systematically is only one of the aspects of critical thinking. Students are also asked to
look back at the history of critical thinking to learn the interface between ethics, freedom and
thinking etc. Sociology as a subject is considered here as a discipline which prepares you to
critically look at your own society. The aim is to enable you to critically evaluate the
functioning of the society and thereby un-conditioning yourself from its ideology. The
self/researcher has to reflect back upon himself/herself to go beyond the oppressed structures
of society. The power of critical thinking is such that it challenges the centuries old patterns
of thinking in the society. Here we discuss three influential figures of our age and their
understanding on the issues such as caste, religion, education and gender. Deconstruction
here implies the intervention they have brought about in the relational quality of meaning and
assumptions which had dominated our thought processes.

Learning Objectives:
Students are asked to reflect upon these thinkers and their contributions to contemporary
society in order to learn to become critical thinkers and free intellectuals.

Unit 1: Understanding Critical Thinking

• Idea of Questioning: Socrates and Plato(Republic)
• Enlightenment and Rationality: Kant (What is Enlightenment?)
• Logical Thinking: Four Principles of Logic

Unit II: Critical Thinking in Sociology

• Thinking Sociologically-Zygmunt Bauman (Thinking Sociologically)
• Critical theoryand Critique of Capitalist Society: (Introduction to Critical Theory)
• Reflexivity -PierreBourdieu (Invitation to a Reflexive Sociology)

Unit III: Critical Thinking as Deconstruction of Society

• KabirDas- CritiquingCaste and Religion
• J. Krishnamurti-Critical thinking and Education
• Simone De Beavoir- Gender as Social Construction: The Second Sex
Essential Readings:

1. Bauman, Zygmunt, 2001, Thinking Sociologically, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing.

2. Bauman, Zygmunt,1976, Towards a Critical Sociology (Routledge Revivals): An
Essay on Commonsense and Emancipation, New York, Routledge, Chapman & Hall,
Incorporated.
3. Beauvoir, Simone De, 1952, The Second Sex, New York, Vintage Books.
4. Bourdieu, Pierre, 1990, In other Words: Essays towards a Reflexive Sociology,
Stanford, Stanford University Press.
5. Butler, J, 1986, ‘Sex and Gender in Simone De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex,’inYale
French Studies, No. 72, Simone de Beauvoir: Witness to a Century (1986), pp. 35-49.

6. Copi Irving M, 1961, Introduction to Logic, New York, MacMillan.

7. Das, Kabir, 1915, Songs of Kabir, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore, Introduction
by Evelyn Underhill, New York, The Macmillan Company.
8. Habarmas, Jurgen, 1989,‘The Task of Critical Theory of Society’ in Critical Theory
and Society: A Reader 1st Edition, by Stephen Eric Bronner (ed) New York,
Rutledge.
9. Held, David, 1980, Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkhiemer to Habermas,
Berkeley, University of California Press. (Introduction, Chapters 2, 6, 11 in).
10. Hess. L. and S. Singh, (2002) ‘Introduction’, in TheBijak of Kabir, New Delhi:
Oxford University Press, pp. 3- 35.

11. Krishnamurti, J. 1953, Education and Significance of Life, New York,

HarperSanFrancisco.
12. Bourdieu Pierre and Loic J. D. Wcquant, 1992, An invitation to Reflexive Sociology,
Cambridge, Polity Press.
13. Kant, Immanuel, 1784, ‘An Answer to the Question: "What is Enlightenment?"’
Konigsberg, Prussia, 30th September. (Any PDF).
14. Luchte, James. 2007, Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason: A Readers Guide, London,
Continuum.
15. Plato, 1998, TheRepublic, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

16. Plato, 2000, The Trail and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues, Cambridge, Hackett
Publishing Company.
17. Roy, BholaNath, 1949, Text Book of Deductive Logic, Calutta, S.C. Sarkar.
18. Roy, BholaNath, 1948, Text Book of Inductive Logic, Calcutta, S.C.Sarkar.

19. Thapan, Meenashi, 2006, “Ideology and Education: Krishnamurti’s World-View and
Educational Thought,” in Life at School: An Ethnographic Study, Oxford University
Press, pp. 8-27.
20. Varman, Ram Kumar, 1977, Kabir: Biography and Philosophy, Prints India.
21. Wacquant, Loic J. D. 1989, “Towards a Reflexive Sociology: A Workshop with
Pierre Bourdieu,” Sociological Theory Vol. 7, No. 1 (Spring), pp. 26-63.
Suggested Readings:

1. Bauman, Zygmunt, 2006, Liquid Fear, Cambridge, Polity Press.

2. Habarmas, Jurgen, 1987, Knowledge and Human Interest, Boston, Polity Press.
(Chapter 8).
3. Hedayetullah, Muhammad, 1977, Kabir: The Apostle of Hindu-Muslim Unity,
MotilalBanarsidass (India).
4. Krishnamurti, J. 2001, On Education, Chennai, Krishnamurti Foundation India.
5. Moi, Toril.1994, Simone de Beauvoir: The Making of an Intellectual Woman. Oxford:
Blackwell.
6. Omvedt, G. (2008) ‘Kabir and Ravidas, Envisioning Begumpura’, in Seeking
Begumpura: The Social Vision of Anti Caste Intellectual, Delhi: Navayana, pp. 91-
107.
7. Williams, G. 2008, “Kant’s Account of Reason” Standford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy.
8. Wilson, Emily, 2007, The Death of Socrates, Cambridge, Harvard University Press.
 Sociology of Gender
M.A. Sociology, IV Semester
Credits: 4
Course Description:

This course is designed to familiarize the students with basic concepts, perspectives, and
debates that have been developed in the sociology of sex and gender over the past several
decades. This course introduces various sociological theories of gender, including
explanations of the ways that how gender intersects with other social categories, such as race,
ethnicity, religion class, sexuality, and disability. In the first unit of the course, we will focus
on the basic distinction between biological sex and socially constructed gender. Taking this
distinction as our starting point, we will explore the questions of transnational feminism,
diversities and challenges in the various strands of feminism including queer theory and
gender continua. In the second part of the course, we will focus on development to gender,
the relationships between gender and social institutions including economy, education, the
family, and the legal and political systems. In the third unit of this course, we will explore the
ways of the victimization of women in conflict zones, radicalization and new wars focusing
on the role of women as victims, perpetrators and agency. Throughout the course, we will
discuss the understanding of how people learn about gender in everyday life.

Learning Objectives:

➢ Explore the distinction between biological sex and socially constructed gender which
perpetuates the inequalities prevalent all over the globe.

➢ Describe historical, cross-cultural and contemporary social trends revolving around

sex and gender.

➢ Describe various theories of feminism.

➢ Analyze the intersections of gender with other social categories like such as race,
ethnicity, religion class, sexuality, and disability.

➢ Analyze how gender affects and is affected by, various social institutions.

Unit-1: Social Construction of Gender

• Sex, Gender and Sexuality
• Queer Theory and Gender Continua
• Contemporary Feminist theories, Intersectionality and counter narratives

Unit-II: Development: Crises of Neo-liberalism and Alternative Vision

• Development Approaches Theory, Policy and Practice
• Education and Work
• Gender Empowerment, Equity and Equality: Appraisal
Unit-III: Persisting Inequalities: Identity, Politics and Conflict
• Victimization and Marginalization of Women in Conflict
• Radicalization and New Wars
• Conflict Resolution & Peace building : Recognition, Regulation & Rights

Essential Readings:

Abbott, Pamela Claire Wallace and Melissa Tyler. (ed.). 1990. An Introduction to Sociology:
Feminist Perspectives. Third edition. New York: Routledge. Ch- 1, 2, 3, 13.

Disch, L. and Hawksworth. M. eds. 2018.The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Theory. Oxford
University Press.

Holmes, Mary. 2007. What is Gender? Sociological Approaches. London: Sage

Jackson, Stevi. and Jackie, Jones. (eds). 1998. Contemporary Feminist Theories. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press. Introduction, Ch- 1, 2, 6, 10, 13.

John, Mary E. (eds). 2008. Women’s Studies in India. London: Penguin.

Kimmel, Michael. and Amy Aranson.(eds). 2017. The Gendered Society: Reader, Sixth
edition. New York: Oxford University Press

Oakley, Ann. 1972. Sex, Gender and Society. London: Maurice Temple Smith Limited.

Ortner, Sherry. 1996. Making Gender: the Politics and Erotics of Culture. Boston. Beacon
Press. Ch- 1, 2, 5, 7

Rege, Sharmila. (eds). 2003. Sociology of Gender: The Challenge of Feminist Sociological
Thought. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Tong, Rosemarie. 2009. Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction. USA: West
view Press.

Walby, Sylvia. 1990. Theorizing Patriarchy. UK: Basil Blackwell

West, Candace and Don H. Zimmerman. 1987. Doing Gender: Gender & Society 1(2):125-
151.

Suggested Readings UNIT-1

Ansari, Arvinder. 2015. Muslim Women’s Activism in India: Negotiating the Customary Laws
and Feminism. labrys, étudesféministes/ estudosfeministasjulho/dezembro - juillet/décembre.

Antrobus, Peggy. 2004. The Global Women’s Movement: Origins, issues and strategies.
Dhaka: University Press Ltd
Butler, Judith. 1990. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York:
Routledge

Carastathis, A. (2014), The Concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory. Philosophy

Compass,9:304-314.doi:10.1111/phc3.12129

Connel, R. W. 1995. Masculinities. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Firestone, Shulamith. 1970. The Dialectic of Sex; The Case For Feminist Revolution. New
York: Morrow
Jagose, AnnamarieRustom. 1996. Queer Theory: An Introduction. New York: New York
University Press.

Khullar, Mala. (eds). 2005. Writing the Women’s Movement: A Reader. New Delhi: Zubaan.
(selected Chapters).

Mernissi, F., 1987.Beyond the veil: Male-female dynamics in modern Muslim society (Vol.
423). Indiana University Press.

Mohanty, C. T. 2004.Feminism Without Borders: Decolonising Theory, Practicing

Solidarity. India: Zuban Books.

Oren, Tasha & Press, Andrea. (2019). Routledge Handbook Of Contemporary Feminism

Rao, Anupama. (eds). 2003. Issues in Contemporary Indian Feminism: Gender and Caste.
New Delhi: Kali for Women

Rege, Sharmila. 1998. Dalit Women Talk Differently-A Critique of Difference and Towards a
Dalit Feminist Standpoint Position.Vol. 33, Issue No. 44.

Wadud, Amina. 2006. Inside the Gender Jihad; Women’s Reform In Islam. (selected
Chapters). Oneworld:oxford.

Suggested Readings UNIT- II

Agarwal, B. 2018.The Challenge of Gender Inequality. Economic And Political Weekly. 35:
3.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40888-018-0092-8

Ahmed, Sara.ed., 2005.Flowing upstream: Empowering women through water management

initiatives in India. (selected Chapters). Foundation Books.

Andrea Cornwall & Althea-Maria Rivas. 2015. From ‘Gender Equality And ‘Women’s
Empowerment’ To Global Justice: Reclaiming A Transformative Agenda For Gender And
Development, Third World Quarterly, 36:2, 396-415

Boserup, Easter. 1970. Women’s Role in Economic Development. New York; St. Martin’s
Press.
Kabeer, Naila. 2008. Paid work, women's empowerment and gender justice: critical
pathways to social change.

Mohanty, C. T. 2003. “‘Under Western Eyes’ Revisited: Feminist Solidarity Through Anti-
Capitalist Struggles”. Signs. 28. No. 2, pp. 499-535

Nussbaum, M.C., 2001. Women and human development: The capabilities approach (Vol. 3).
Cambridge University Press.

Oakley, A., 2018. The sociology of housework (reissue). Policy Press. Ch- 1 & 10

Parpart, Jane L., M., Patricia Connelly. and V. EudineBarriteau. (eds). 2000. Theoretical
Perspectives on Gender and Development. (selected Chapters). New Delhi: International
Development Research Centre

Peet, R. and Hartwick, E., 2015. Theories of development: Contentions, arguments,

alternatives. Guilford Publications. Chapter- 7.

Saunders, K., 2002. Introduction in Feminist Post-Development Thought. Zed Books. Ch- 1,
4, 11

Scott, Jacqueline; Rosemary, Crompton., and Clare, Lyonette. (eds). 2010. Gender
Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints. UK: Edward
Elgar publishing limited. (selected Chapters).

Visvanathan, Nalini., Lynn, Duggan., Nan, Wiegersma. and Laurie, Nisonoff. (eds). 1997.
The Women, Gender, and Development Reader. Second edition. New York: Zed Book.

Suggested Readings UNIT III

AislingSwaine. 2018. Conflict-Related Violence Against Women: Transforming Transition,

Cambridge Univ Press. (Selected Chapters).

Ansari, Arvinder. 2009. Permanent Victim Of Violence: A sociological Study of Women

Victims of Communal Violence. South African Review of Sociology. (40)1. pp 62-75.

Carreiras, Helena. and Gerhard, Kümmel (Eds.). 2008. Women in the Military and in Armed
Conflict. 1st Edition. VS VerlagfürSozialwissenschaften

Manchanda, R. ed., 2001.Women, war and peace in South Asia: Beyond victimhood to
agency. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Manchanda, R. 2001.Redefining and Feminizing Security. Economic and Political

Weekly,36(22), 1956-1963.

Moser, C.N. and Clark, F. eds., 2001.Victims, perpetrators or actors?Gender, armed conflict
and political violence. (selected Chapters). Palgrave Macmillan.

Sangamitra, Choudhry. 2016. Women And Conflict In India. New York: Routledge
Scutt, Jocelynne A. (eds). 2016. Women, Lawand Culture: Conformity, Contradiction and
Conflict. (SelectedChapters). UK: Palgrave Macmillan

Seabright, Paul. 2012. The War of the Sexes: How Conflict and Cooperation Have Shaped
Men and Women from Prehistory to the Present. (Selected Chapters). UK: Princeton
University Press

Strickland, R., &Duvvury, N. 2003. Gender Equity and Peace building. From Rhetoric to
Reality: Finding the Way. A discussion Paper. Report for International Centre for Research
on Women (ICRW).
 SOCIOLOGY OF ECONOMIC LIFE
M. A. Sociology, Semester IV
Total Credits: 4

Course Objectives:

This course deals with the sociological aspects of economic life and institutions. Unit I
focuses on different perspectives to study economic behavior and the emergence of new
economic Sociology with Granovetter and Bourdieu. It also concentrates on modes of
production in different economies of the world: tribal, peasant, industrial and post-industrial.
Unit II deals with changing forms of labour and exchange, and new informationalism in
contemporary world. Reciprocity and gift are discussed. Unit III discusses the importance of
markets as social contexts; trust imposed by the promise of money; networks in the era of
global markets and cross-cultural consumption.
Learning Outcomes:
• To understand the social and cultural bases of economic activity.
• To understand the significance of sociological analysis for the study of economic
processes in local and global contexts.
• To learn the importance of markets and networks today.
• To learn about cross-cultural consumption in the era of global markets.

Unit I: Social Embeddedness of Economies

• Perspectives: formalism, substantivism, Marxism, cultural economics
• New Economic Sociology
• Modes of Production of Social Life
Unit II: Labour, Informationalism, Exchange
• Labour and Exchange
• Knowledge, Information and Signs
• Reciprocity and Gift

Unit III: Markets and Networks

• Money and Trust
• Markets as social contexts
• Global Markets and consumption
Essential Readings for Unit I:
1. Appadurai, Arjun (ed.), 1986, The Social life of Things: Commodities in Cultural
Perspective, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (chapter 1 and 2).
2. Bourdieu, Pierre, “The Forms of Capital” in Mark Granovetter and Richard
Swedberg (eds.), 2011, The Sociology of Economic Life, (3rd Edition), Boulder:
Westview Press.
3. Carrier, James G. (ed.), 2005, A Handbook of Economic Anthropology, Edward
Elgar, Cheltenham, UK. (Introduction, Part II, chapters 26 and 27).
4. Chase-Dunn, Christopher, “Socialist States in the Capitalist World-Economy” in
S. K. Sanderson, 1995, Sociological Worlds: Comparative and Historical
Readings on Society, Oxford University Press, New York.
5. Granovetter, Mark, 1985 “Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of
Embeddedness”, American Journal of Sociology 91: 485-510.
6. Hilton, Rodney, 2006, The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism, Aakar
Books, Delhi.
7. Sahlins, Marshall, 1974, Stone Age Economics, Tavistock, London (Chapter 2).
8. Kumar, Krishna, 1995, From Post-Industrial to Post-Modern Society: New
Theories of the Contemporary World, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford (chapter 1, 2
and 3).
9. Polyani, Karl, 1975, The Great Transformation, Octagon Press, New York.
(Introduction and chapters 4, 5, 6, 14 and 15).
10. Polanyi, Karl, “The Economy as Instituted Process” in Mark Granovetter and
Richard Swedberg (eds.), 2011,The Sociology of Economic Life, (3rd Edition),
Boulder: Westview Press.
11. Shanin, Teodor (ed.), 1971, Peasant and Peasant Societies: Selected Readings,
Basil Blackwell, Oxford (Introduction, chapters 9 and 25).
12. Smelser and Swedberg (2005), “Introducing Economic Sociology” in The
Handbook of Economic Sociology by Smelser and Swedberg.
13. Swedberg, Richard, 2007, Principles of Economic Sociology, Princeton University
Press, Princeton, (chapters 1 and 2).
14. Swedberg, Richard, “Max Weber’s Central Text in Economic Sociology” in Mark
Granovetter and Richard Swedberg (eds.), 2011,The Sociology of Economic Life,
(3rd Edition), Boulder: Westview Press.
Essential Readings for Unit II:
1. Tonkiss, Frank, 2008, Contemporary Economic Sociology: Globalization,
Production, Inequality, Routledge, Special Indian Edition (Chapter 4 and 5).
2. Bottomore, T.B. (ed.). 2001. A Dictionary of Marxist Thought. Blackwell.
3. Castells, Manuel. 2004. “Informationalism, Networks, and The Network Society:
A Theoretical Blueprint”in Manuel Castells (ed.) The Network Society: a cross-
cultural perspective, Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
4. Lukacs, G. 1978. The Ontology of Social Being.3Labour. London: Merlin Press.
(Chap 1 & 2).
5. Malinowski, B., 1966, Argonauts of the Western Pacific, Routledge and Kegan
Paul, (chapters 3, 19, 22).
6. Mauss, Marcel, 1990, The Gift, Routledge, London. (Introduction, chapters 1 and
2).

Essential Readings for Unit III:

1. Bourdieu, Pierre, 1998, “The Economy of Symbolic Goods” in Practical
Reason: On the Theory of Action, Polity, Cambridge, (chapter 5).
2. Carrier, James G. (ed.), 2005, A Handbook of Economic Anthropology,
Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK. (chapters 14, 15 and 17).
3. Dalton, G., 1971, “Primitive Money” in Economic Anthropology: Essays on
Tribal and Peasant Economies, Basic Books, New York.
4. Giddens, Anthony. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Cambridge: Polity
Press (chapters 1 and 3).
5. Howes, D. (ed.), 1996, Cross-Cultural Consumption: Global Markets and
Local Realities, Routledge, London (p. 1-16).
6. Neil Fligstein and Luke Dauter. 2007. “The Sociology of Markets.” Annual
Review of Sociology 33: 105-128
7. Fligstein, Neil. 1996. “Markets as Politics: A Political-Cultural Approach to
Market Institutions.” American Sociological Review 61(4): 656-673.
8. Foucade, Marion and Kieran Healy. 2007. “Moral Views of Market Society.”
Annual Review of Sociology. 33:285-311.
9. Clifford Geertz. 1978. “The Bazaar Economy”, American Economic Review.
68,2:pp. 28-32.
 10. Sahni, Rohini and Shankar, V. K., 2009, “What has Economics Got to do With
It? Cultures of Consumption in Global Markets”, in Economic and Political
Weekly, January 3, 2009.
11. Swedberg, Richard, 2007, Principles of Economic Sociology, Princeton
University Press, Princeton, (chapter 5).
12. VivianaZelizer. 2005. “Circuits within Capitalism.” Pp. 289-322 in The
Economic Sociology of Capitalism, edited by Victor Nee and Richard
Swedberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Suggested Readings:
1. Appadurai Arjun. 2015. Banking on Words: The Failure of Language in the
Age of Derivative Finance. Orient Blackswan.
2. Belshaw, Cyril, 1969, Traditional Exchange and Modern Markets, Prentice
Hall, New Delhi, (chapters 1, 2 and 3).
3. Campbell, Colin, 1987, The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern
Consumerism, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, (Introduction and Part One).
4. Castells, Manuel et.al. 2017. Another Economy is Possible: Culture and
Economy in a Time of Crisis. Cambridge: Polity Press.
5. Herzfeld, Michael, 2001, Anthropology: Theoretical Practice in Culture and
Society, Blackwell Publishers, USA, (chapter 4).
6. Nathan, Dev. 2018. “Imperialism in the 21st Century: Global Value Chains and
International Labour Arbitrage” in Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. LIII
No. 32, August 11, 2018.
7. Simmel, G. 1900 (2011).The Philosophy of Money. Routledge.
8. Selwyn, Benjamin. 2018. “A Manifesto for Socialist Development in the 21st
Century” in Economic and Political Weekly. Vol LIII No.36, September 8,
2018.
 CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
M.A. SOCIOLOGY, SEMESTER - IV

Total Credit 4

Course Objectives:
This paper aims to provide an outlook to contemporary political issues. Academically, these
issues are profoundly intriguing and misunderstood often as practical undertones of subjects.
The source of study is theoretically prescribed in order to provide grand meaning to the
question of politics.

Learning Outcomes:
It builds up strong capacity to evaluate and examine contemporary politics in new light and
exposes one to new issues of politics.

Unit I: Introduction

• Power and Authority

• Subject and Power
• Nation State

Unit II: Perspectives

• Public Sphere
• Governmentality
• Ideological State Apparatus

Unit III: Indian context

• Social Justice
• Politics of Representation (interface between identity, culture and citizenship)
• Subaltern studies

Essential Readings
1. Alavi, Hamza, 1972, ‘The State in Post-Colonial Societies: Pakistan and Bangladesh,’
The New Left Review, Vol. 1, pp. 59-81.
2. Althusser, Louis, 1971, 'Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses' Lenin and
Philosophy and Other Essays New York, Monthly Review Press.
3. Anderson, Benedict, 1991, Imagined Communities, London, Verso.
4. Beck, Ulrich, 1992, Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London, Sage.
5. Burchell, Graham, Colin Gordon, and Peter Miller (eds.), 1991, The Foucault Effect:
Studies in Governmentality, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
6. Chatterjee, Partha, 2001.The Nation and its Fragments: Colonial Post-Colonial
Histories, New Delhi, Oxford University Press.
 7. Didla V. Rao&PullaLakshm, 2007, Ambedkar's Thrust on Education and
Reservation: Its Impact on Emancipation of Dalit, OBC and Minorities. Sunrise
Publication.
8. Guha, Ranajit, and G. C. Spivak, (eds.), 1988, Selected Subaltern Studies, New York,
Oxford University Press.
9. Habermas, Jurgen, 1989, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An
Enquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society, Cambridge, The MIT Press.
Nash, Kate, 2000, Readings in Contemporary Political Sociology, Oxford, Blackwell.
10. Omvedt, Gail, 1999, Dalits and the Democratic Revolution, New Delhi, Sage
Publication.
11. .Pandey, Gyanendra, 1990, Construction of Communalism in Colonial North India,
New
Delhi, Oxford University Press.
12. Spivak, Gayatri, 1988, ‘Can The Subaltern Speak?,’ in Cary Nelson and Lawrence,
(eds.), Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture,Grossberg, University of Illinois,
p. 271-313.
13. Weber, Max, 1958, From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, New York, Oxford
University Press.
14. Weber, Max, Guenther Roth and Claus Wittich, (eds.), 1978. Economy and Society,
Berkeley, University of California Press. (see pp. 212-296, pp.941-948, 956-958,
990-992).

Suggested Readings

1. Beteille, A, 1966, Caste, Class and Power, Cambridge, OUP.

2. Chatterjee, Partha, 1989, ‘The Nationalist Resolution of the Women’s Question,’ in
KumkumSangari and SudeshVaid (ed.), Recasting Women Essays in Colonial India,
New Delhi, Kali for Women.
3. Fraser, Nancy, 1992, ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of
Actually Existing Democracy’ in Habermas and the Public Sphere, Craig Calhoun,
ed. Cambridge, MIT Press. pp. 109-142.
4. Ranajit,Guha, ed.,1983, Subaltern Studies 11, New Delhi, Oxford University Press.
5. Rodrigues, Valerian, 2005, ‘Ambedkar on Preferential Treatment,’ Seminar in # 549,
REDRESSING DISADVANTAGES, May.
6. Xavier, Jonathan, 2005, Anthropologies of Modernity, Oxford, Blackwell Publishing.
 Dissertation II

M A Sociology, Semester IV

Total credits: 4

Objectives

All students are expected to use their learning in the paper “Reading, Writing
and Reflexivity” (Semester III) to write a dissertation under supervision of a
faculty

The dissertation will be in three parts. These along with the credit distribution
are given below.

1. Discussion on the research questions, theme, problem selected for the

dissertation (One Credit).
2. Review of literature (One Credit).
3. Collection of Data, analysis and presentation (Two Credits).
 Social Movements
M.A. Sociology CBCS
Semester-IV
Credit: 4

Course Objectives:

Social Movement introduces the students with the basic concepts, theories and findings of important
social movements. It evaluates the nature and process of different social movements and compare and
contrast the roles played by the structural, cultural and leadership in social movements. The paper
attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of social movements in India. With case studies
and narratives students are familiarized with the nuances of diverse social movements. It analyzes the
important historical and contemporary social movements. The students get acquainted with social
structure, agencies and critical consciousness through the course.

Learning Outcomes:

After Studying the course students will be able to:

• Explain the conceptual apparatuses and major approaches related to social

movements.
• Discuss the various contesting identity and issues that intensifies resentment and
collective action.
• Describe reasons and outcomes of important social movements which shaped our
present day society.
• Describe issues associated with new social movements.

UNIT-I: Concepts and Perspectives:

• Perspectives: Marxian, Liberal and Gandhian
• Identity and Exclusion
• Dissent and Protest
UNIT-II: Social Structure and Mobilization
• Collective Resentment and Mobilization
• Morphology of Social Movements
• Social Background of Social Movements
UNIT-III: New Social Movement
• Ideology, Identity and Justice
• Environmental Movement
• LGBT movement

Essential Readings
1. Barbara Hobson, (2003). Recognition Struggles And Social Movements: Contested
Identities, Agency and Power, Cambridge University Press, (Selected Chapters).
2. Coglianese, C. (2001). Social Movements, Law, and Society: The Institutionalization
of the Environmental Movement. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 150(1),
85-118.
3. Desai, A. (1985). Women's Movement in India: An Assessment. Economic and
Political Weekly, 20(23), 992-995.
 4. Frank, A. G. and Marta Fuentes (1987), Nine Theses on Social Movements, EPW,
Vol.22, No. 35 (Aug. 29), pp. 1503-1510.
5. Gamson, Joshua. “Must Identity Movements Self-Destruct? A Queer Dilemma”
Social Problems42, no.3 (August 1995): 390-407.
6. Gopal Guru. (1993). Dalit Movement in Mainstream Sociology. Economic and
Political Weekly, 28(14), 570-573.
7. Jeffrelot, C & Sanjay Kumar (2012) Rise of the Plebeians?: The Changing Face of the
Indian Legislative Assemblies, Rutledge.
8. Laraña, E., Johnston, H., & Gusfield, J. (Eds.). (1994). New Social Movements: From
Ideology to Identity. Temple University Press.
9. Lee, Su. H, (2010). Debating New Social Movements: Culture, Identity, And Social
Fragmentation, Rawat, Publications, (Selected Chapters).
10. Mukherji, Partha, (1977). Social Movement and Social Change: to a Conceptual Clarification
and Theoretical Framework, Sociological Bulletin, 26 (1): 38-59.
11. Oberschall, Anthony, Social Movements: Ideologies, Interests, And Identities,
Transaction Publishers, 1996.
12. Oommen,T.K (ed.) (2010), Social Movements I: Issues of Identity, New Delhi:
Oxford University Press.
13. Oommen,T.K (ed.) (2010), Social Movements II: Concerns for Equality and Security,
New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
14. Parekh, B. (2006). Defining India's Identity. India International Centre Quarterly,
33(1), 1-15.
15. Rao, M.S.A. (2000). Social Movements in India, Manohar, (Selected Chapters).
16. Sarah Joseph, Social Movements, State and Democracy, EPW, Vol. 28, No. 8/9 (Feb.
20-27, 1993), pp. 330-332.
17. Shah Ghanshyam, (ed.) (2002), Social Movements and the State, Sage, New Delhi,
18. Stewart-Winter, T. "Queer Law and Order: Sex, Criminality, and Policing in the Late
Twentieth-Century United States." Journal of American History 102, no.1 (2015): 61-
72.
19. Vincenzo Ruggiero, Nicola Montagna, Social Movements: A Reader, Routledge,
2008, (Selected Chapters).
20. Webster, J. (1996). Understanding the Modern Dalit Movement. Sociological
Bulletin, 45(2), 189-204.
21. Wolf, Sherry. “Stonewall: The birth of gay power” International Socialist Review 63
(January 2009).

Suggested Readings
1. Broad, K. (2002). Social Movement Selves. Sociological Perspectives, 45(3), 317-
336.
2. Buechler, Steven M. (1995) New Social Movement Theories, The Sociological
Quarterly, Volume 36, Number 3, Pages 441-464.
3. Offe, C. (1985). New Social Movements: Challenging The Boundaries of Institutional
Politics, Social Research, 52, 817-868.