SYLLABUS FOR DESCRIPTIVE SUBJECT APTITUDE TEST (SAT) FOR RECRUITMENT TO THE POST OF ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (COLLEGE CADRE) IN SOCIOLOGY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS PAPER SHALL BE OF THREE HOURS’ DURATION HAVING 120 MARKS. THE SAT PAPER SHALL CONSIST OF TWO PARTS I.E. PART-I AND PART-II AND WILL COVER THE FOLLOWING TOPICS.
Duration: 3 Hours Subject: Sociology Max. Marks 120
Part-I (60 Marks)
Unit- I
Sociological Concepts and Institutions: 1. Sociological Concepts: Social Structure, Culture, Network, Status and Role, Identity, Community, Diaspora, Values, Norms and Rules, Personhood, Habitus and Agency, Bureaucracy, Power and Authority, 2. Social Institutions: Marriage, Family and Kinship, Economy, Polity, Religion, Education, Law and Customs, New Criminal laws: its impact on society replacing Law & custom 3. Social Stratification: Social Difference, Hierarchy, Inequality and Marginalization, Caste and Class, Gender, Sexuality and Disability, Race, Tribe and Ethnicity, 5. Social Change and Processes: Evolution and Diffusion, Modernization and Development, Social Transformations and Globalization, Social Mobility
Unit- II
Sociological Theory: 1. Classical Sociological Traditions: Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, 2. Structure- Functionalism and Structuralism: Bronislaw Malinowski, A.R. RadcliffeBrown, Talcott Parsons, Robert K. Merton, Claude Levi Strauss, 3. Hermeneutic and Interpretative Traditions: G.H. Mead, Karl Manheim, Alfred Schutz, Harold Garfinkel, Erving Goffman, Clifford Geertz, 4. Post Modernism, Post Structuralism and Post Colonialism: Edward Said, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucault, Jurgen Habermas, Anthony Giddens, Manuel Castells, 5. Indian Thinkers: M.K. Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, Radha Kamal Mukherjee, G. S. Ghurye, M.N. Srinivas, Irawati Karve.
Unit- III
Family, Marriage and Kinship: Theoretical Approaches: Structure-Functionalist, Alliance and Cultural, Gender Relations and Power Dynamics, Inheritance, Succession and Authority, Gender, Sexuality and Reproduction, Children, Youth and Elderly, Emotions and Family, Emergent Forms of Family, Changing Marriage Practices, Changing Care and Support Systems, Live-in-relation, Empowerment of Women, Family Laws, Domestic Violence and Crime against Women, Honour Killing.
Unit- IV
Rural and Urban Transformations: 1. Rural Sociology Origin, Nature and Scope; Rural Social Structure- Family, Caste and their Changing Dimensions; Basic Concepts: Peasant and Agrarian Society, Village Community, Little and Great Traditions, Parochialisation and Universalisation, Rural-Urban Continuum. Rural and Peasant Society: Caste-Tribe Settlements, Agrarian Social Structure and Emergent Class Relations, Land Ownership and Agrarian Relations, Decline of Agrarian Economy, De-Peasantization and Migration, Agrarian Unrest and Peasant Movements, Changing Inter-Community Relations and Violence, Difference between Farmer & Peasant. 2. Urban Society: Urbanism, Urbanity and Urbanization, Towns, Cities and Mega-Cities, Industry, Service and Business, Neighbourhood, Slums and Ethnic Enclaves, Middle Class and Gated Communities, Issues of Middle class, Urban Movements and Violence, Effects of Rapid Urbanisation and Environmental issues.
Unit- V
Sociology of Development :Perspectives on the Study of Development: Definitions and Indices,Liberal and Marxist Perspectives , Epistemological Critiques of Development .State and Market: Institutions and ideologies: a) Planned Development and Society ,Globalisation and Liberalization,The Micro-Politics of Development: Transforming Communities: Maps and Models,Knowledge and Power in Development , Re-inventing Development: Subaltern MovementsGlobalisation and Development Indias Experience of Industrial and Urban Development with Special Reference to Globalisation and its Socio-Cultural and Ecological Implications; Socio-cultural Sustainability; Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. Socio-Politico-Economic initiatives to overcome unemployment.
Unit-VI
Political Sociology: Meaning, Nature, Scope and Emergence of Political Sociology; Basic Concepts- Bureaucracy, Power, Authority, Legitimacy, Nation-State, State and Civil Society; Theoretical Approaches in Political Sociology- System, Functional and Marxian. Crisis of Governance; Ethnicity and Politics; Regionalism and Communalism; Caste and Politics; Religion and politics; Making of Indian Nation and National Identity; Party Politics in India. Political Processes in India: Tribe, Nation State and Border, Public Policy: Health, Education and Livelihoods, Political Culture, Grass-root Democracy, Law and Society, Gender and Development, Corruption, Role of International Development Organizations, Social Movements and Protests: Political Factions, Pressure Groups, Movements based on Caste, Ethnicity, Ideology, Gender, Disability, Religion and Region, Civil Society and Citizenship, NGOs, Activism and Leadership, Reservations and Politics Sociology in South Asia South-Asia Region; Culture and Society; Geo-Political Importance; Religion, Politics and the State; Ethnic Conflicts and Ethnic Movements; Conflict and Cooperation between South Asian States.
Part-II 60 MARKS
Unit VII
Economy and Society: Exchange, Gift, Capital, Labour and Market, Mode of Production Debates, Property and Property Relations, State and Market: Welfarism and Neoliberalism, Models of Economic Development, Poverty and Exclusion, Factory and Industry Systems, Changing Nature of Labour Relations, Gender and Labour Process, Business and Family, Digital Economy Digital payment system, E-Commerce, Global Business and Corporates, Tourism, Consumption.
Unit- VIII
Sociology of Development: Perspectives on the Study of Development: Definitions and Indices, Liberal and Marxist Perspectives, Epistemological Critiques of Development. State and Market: Institutions and ideologies: a) Planned Development and Society, Globalisation and Liberalization, The Micro-Politics of Development: Transforming Communities: Maps and Models,Knowledge and Power in Development, Re-inventing Development: Subaltern Movements Environment and Society: Social and Cultural Ecology: Diverse Forms, Technological Change, Agriculture and Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Ethno-Medicine, Gender and Environment, Forest Policies, Adivasis and Exclusion, Ecological Degradation and Migration, Development, Displacement and Rehabilitation, Water and Social Exclusion, Disasters and Community Responses, Environmental Pollution, Public Health and Disability, Climate Change and International Policies, Environmental Movements
Unit- IX
Science, Technology and Society: History of Technological Development, changing notions of Time and Space, Flows and Boundaries, Virtual Community, Media: Print and Electronic, Visual and Social Media, E-Governance and Surveillance Society, Technology and Emerging Political Processes, State Policy, Digital Divide and Inclusion, Technology and Changing Family Relations, Technology and Changing Health Systems, Food and Technology, Cyber Crime. Industry &Society: Industrialisation, industrialism and postindustrial society. Employee organizations: Blue Collar, White Collar and Managers. Work organization and Alienation: Machine Tending, Assembly Line, and Process Industry, Job Re-design and Enrichment, New Technologies: Emerging Forms of Work and Trade Union Response, Industrial Conflict and its Resolution: Nature of Industrial Conflict, Collective Bargaining
Unit- X.
Research Methodology and Methods: 1. Conceptualizing Social Reality: Philosophy of Science, Scientific Method and Epistemology in Social Science, Hermeneutic Traditions, Objectivity and Reflexivity in Social Science, Ethics and Politics, 2. Formulating Research Design: Reading Social Science Research, Data and Documents, Induction and Deduction, Fact, Concept and Theory, Hypotheses, Research Questions, Objectives, 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Methods: Ethnography, Survey Method, Historical Method, Comparative Method, 4. Techniques: Sampling, Questionnaire and Schedule, Statistical Analysis, Observation, Interview and Case study, Interpretation, Data Analysis and Report Writing.
Unit- XI
Culture and Symbolic Transformations: Signs and Symbols, Rituals, Beliefs and Practices, Changing Material Culture, Moral Economy, Education: Formal and Informal, Religious Organizations, Piety and Spirituality, Commodification of Rituals, Communalism and Secularism, Cultural Identity and Mobilization, Culture and Politics, Gender, Body and Culture, Art and Aesthetics, Ethics and Morality, Sports and Culture, Pilgrimage and Religious Tourism, Effects of Religious Tourism on Indian Economy, Religion and Economy, Culture and Environment, New Religious Movements.
Unit- XII
Society of Himachal Pradesh: Cultural Heritage: Customs, beliefs, traditions, fairs, festivals,
and recreation. Social structure: Detailed studies on the caste system, family structure,
kinship, and marriage in Himachal Pradesh.Tribal Studies: Historical, social, economic, and
legal aspects of tribes in Himachal Pradesh. Social issues & Policies in Himachal
Pradesh Women empowerment, child rights, and policies for the differentlyabled. Urbanization patterns, rural-urban relationships, and changing social structures in urban
areas in the Himachal Pradesh.