Introduction to Sociology
Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya · LL.B. Semester 1 · LAIATY4N
Unit I — Sociology—Foundations and Perspectives
Definition, Nature of Sociology · Transition from Social Philosophy to Sociology · Emergence of Sociology: Socio-political and Intellectual Forces · Subject Matter and Scope of Sociology · Major Sociological Perspectives: · Structural-Functionalist · Conflict · Symbolic Interactionist · Feminist · Interdisciplinary Relevance: Sociology and Its Relationship with History, Political Science, Economics, Criminology, and Law Relevance of Sociology in Legal Studies
Unit II — Socialization, Stratification, and Social Mobility
Meaning and significance of socialization · Stages of socialization across the life course · Agencies of socialization: family, education, peer group, media · Theories of socialization: Freud (psychoanalytic), Cooley (looking-glass self), Mead (role-taking) · Concept, characteristics, and functions of social stratification · Forms of stratification: estate, caste, and class systems · Meaning and types of social mobility: horizontal, vertical, intra-generational, inter-generational Determinants and consequences of social mobility
Unit III — Sociological Concepts and Social Institutions
Society and community: definitions and distinctions · Social structure and social system · Status and role: types, determinants, and relevance in social life · Culture: meaning, elements, types, cultural lag, and cultural change · Norms and values: social expectations and moral codes · Social groups: primary, secondary, reference, and peer groups · Key social institutions: · Family and marriage (types, changing trends) · Religion (functions and secularization) · State and law (as instruments of order and justice)
- Basic concepts
- Society (Meaning & Characteristics, Types of Society, Pluralistic Nature
- Social groups (Meaning & Characteristics, Types of & Groups
- Norms, Values, Community, Associations, Institutions, Status and Role, Socialization, Culture, Social structure and Social system
- Social Institutions
- Marriage (Meaning, Functions of Marriage, Forms of Marriage, Recent Trends of Marriage)
- Family — Meaning, Functions of Family, Theories of Origin of Family, Types of Family, Changing Patterns of Family
- Definition & Characteristics of Religion, Social Functions of Religion, Structural aspects of Religion, Theories of Origin of Religion, Organization of Religion — Church, Denomination, Sect Cult
Unit IV — Mechanisms of Social Control
Social norms and conformity · Deviance and its sociological interpretations · Informal mechanisms of social control: folkways, mores, customs, religion, public opinion · Formal mechanisms of social control: law, education, police, military · Law and morality: their overlaps and tensions · Role of legal institutions in maintaining social order
Unit V — Social Change and Development
Meaning and characteristics of social change · Related concepts: evolution, growth, progress, development · Theories of social change: cyclical (e.g., Sorokin), uni-linear (e.g., Comte, Spencer) · Contemporary development perspectives: · Human development · Social development · Sustainable development · Theories of development and underdevelopment: · Modernization theory · Dependency theory · World-systems theory
- Change — Social change
- Meaning, Characteristics, factors or causes of social change, processes of social change (Westernization, Modernization, Industrialization, Sanskritisation, Liberalization, Globalization)
- Theories of social change: Evolutionary Theories, Cyclical Theories, Functionalist Theories, Conflict Theories)