UPSC Sociology Syllabus

Candidates preparing for the UPSC IAS exam must know that it is very important to gain familiarity with the syllabus of all the papers. Apart from five compulsory papers, there are two optional papers which are equally significant as the compulsory one. Sociology is one such optional paper that can be selected by the candidates for their civil services exam. The syllabus of sociology comprise of all the important topics from which the questions will be asked in the exam. Check the details of the UPSC Sociology syllabus 2023 here from this article.

UPSC Civil Services Syllabus for Sociology

There will be two papers related to the Sociology subject in the exam known as paper I and paper II. Both papers have separate syllabus comprising of 10 and 3 major topics respectively. Below provided is the comprehensive syllabus for both these papers of Sociology. Make sure you do not leave any of the topics mentioned here.

Syllabus of Paper I (Fundamentals of Sociology)

  1. Sociology- The Discipline:

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

  1. Sociology as Science:

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

  1. Research Methods and Analysis:

Techniques of data collection, Qualitative and quantitative methods, Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity

  1. Sociological Thinkers:
  • Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism
  • Karl Marx- Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle,
  • Robert K Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups
  • Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society
  • Talcolt Parsons- Social system, pattern variables
  • Mead- Self and identity
  1. Stratification and Mobility:
  • Concepts- equality, inequality, poverty and deprivation, hierarchy, exclusion
  • Dimensions- Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race
  • Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory
  • Social mobility – open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility
  1. Works and Economic Life:

, Formal and informal organization of work, Labour and society, Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society

  1. Politics and Society:

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

  1. Religion and Society:

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

  1. Systems of Kinship:

Contemporary trends, Family, household, marriage, Types and forms of family, Lineage and descent, Patriarchy and sexual division of labour

  1. Social Change in Modern Society:

Agents of social change, Sociological theories of social change, Development and dependency, Education and social change, Science, technology and social change

Syllabus of Paper II (Indian Society: Structure and Change)

  1. Introducing Indian Society:
  • Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society: Marxist sociology (AR Desai),Indology (GS Ghure), Structural functionalism (MN Srinivas)
  • Impact of colonial rule on Indian society: Modernization of Indian tradition, Social background of Indian nationalism, Protests and movements during the colonial period, Social reforms
  1. Social Structure:
  • Rural and Agrarian Social Structure: Agrarian social structure- evolution of land tenure system, land reforms, The idea of Indian village and village studies,
  • Caste System: Perspectives on the study of caste systems: Features of caste system, GS Ghurye, MN Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille, Untouchability- forms and perspectives
  • Tribal Communities in India: Issues of integration and autonomy,Definitional problems, Geographical spread, Colonial policies and tribes
  • Social Classes in India: Middle classes in India, Agrarian class structure, Industrial class structure
  • Systems of Kinship in India: Household dimensions of the family, Lineage and descent in India, Types of kinship systems, Family and marriage in India, Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour
  • Religion and Society: Religious communities in India, Problems of religious minorities
  1. Social Changes in India:
  • Visions of Social Change in India: Education and social change, Idea of development planning and mixed economy, Constitution, law and social change
  • Industrialization and Urbanization in India: Evolution of modern industry in India, Growth of urban settlements in India, Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization, Informal sector, child labour, Slums and deprivation in urban areas
  • Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India: Programmes of rural development, Green revolution and social change, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes, Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture, bondage, migration, Problems of rural labour
  • Population Dynamics: Population size, growth, composition and distribution, Components of population growth: birth, death, migration, Population Policy and family planning, Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health,
  • 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 movements, Environmental movements, Ethnicity and Identity movements
  • Challenges of Social Transformation: Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability, Poverty, deprivation and inequalities, Violence against women, Caste conflicts, Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism, Illiteracy and disparities in education
Sociology

UPSC Sociology Syllabus: Download PDF

UPSC Syllabus

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