UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus Topic wise

The Sociology syllabus for the UPSC Civil Services Examination is divided into two papers, Paper I and Paper II. Here is the topic-wise breakdown:

Paper I: Fundamentals of Sociology

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

2.Sociology as Science:
Science, scientific method, and critique.
Major theoretical strands of research methodology.

Positivism and its critique.
Fact-value and objectivity.
Non-positivist methodologies.

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

4. Sociological Thinkers:
Karl Marx: Historical materialism, mode of production, and alienation.
Emile Durkheim: Division of labor, social fact, and suicide.
Max Weber: Social action, ideal types, authority, and bureaucracy.
Talcott Parsons: Social system, pattern variables.
Robert K. Merton: Latent and manifest functions, conformity, and deviance.
Mead: Self and identity.

5.Stratification and Mobility:
Concepts – equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, and deprivation.
Theories of social stratification – structural-functional, Marxist, Weberian.
Dimensions – social, economic, and political.
Social mobility – open and closed systems, types of mobility, and sources of mobility.

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

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

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

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

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

Paper II: Indian Society: Structure and Change

1.Introducing Indian Society:
– Perspectives on the study of Indian society: Indology, structural-functionalism, Marxism.
– Impact of colonial rule on Indian society.

2.Social Structure:
Rural and agrarian social structure: The idea of Indian village and village studies, agrarian social structure – evolution of land tenure system, and land reforms.
Caste system: Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G.S. Ghurye, M.N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
Caste and its changing aspects.
Tribe: Definition, characteristics, and distribution.
Tribal problems: assimilation, integration, and autonomy.
Social Classes in India: Agrarian class structure, industrial class structure, and middle classes in India.
Systems of kinship in India: Lineage and descent in India, types of kinship systems, family and marriage in India, household dimensions of the family, patriarchy, entitlements, and sexual division of labor.
Religion and Society: Religious communities in India, problems of religious minorities.

3.Social Changes in India:
Visions of social change in India: Idea of development planning and mixed economy, constitution, law, and social change.
Education and social change.
Rural and agrarian transformation in India: Programmes of rural development, community development programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.
Industrialization and urbanization in India.
Politics and Society: Nation, democracy, and citizenship.
Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
Regionalism and decentralization of power.
Secularization.
Social Movements in Modern India: Peasants and farmers movements, women’s movement, backward classes, Dalit movement, environmental movements, ethnic movements, and movements for human rights.
Population Dynamics: Population size, growth, composition, and distribution; Components of population growth: Birth, death, and migration.
Population policy and family planning.
Emerging issues: Aging; sex ratios; child and infant mortality; reproductive health.

4.Challenges of Social Transformation:

Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems, and sustainability.
Poverty, deprivation, and inequalities.
Violence against women.
Caste conflicts.
Ethnic conflicts.
Communalism.
Regionalism.
Problems of religious minorities.

This detailed breakdown should help you understand the scope and coverage of Sociology as an optional subject for UPSC.

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UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus Topic wise