UPSC Sociology Syllabus 2024 , Download Sociology Optional Syllabus PDF

UPSC Sociology Syllabus 2024: Due to its concise and simple syllabus and demand among UPSC aspirants, Sociology is one of the most popular optional subjects. Most of the sociology syllabus topics for the UPSC are simple to comprehend. Some topics of the Sociology optional syllabus are relevant to the General Studies Paper 1 of the UPSC Mains (Indian Society section), as well as the Essay Paper, General Studies 2, and General Studies 3. In other words, choosing Sociology as a UPSC optional subject might be a better alternative if your subject is not on the UPSC Optional Subject List.

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UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus

The UPSC Sociology Optional Exam is broken up into Two Papers. Paper 1 covers the Basics of Sociology, while Paper 2 covers Indian Society: Structure & Changes. Each paper is valued 250 marks, a total of 500 marks for the sociology optional syllabus for UPSC . As we have covered the entire sociology optional syllabus for Paper 1 and Paper 2 here, this article would be helpful to UPSC aspirants who have been considering Sociology as their UPSC Optional Subject for the UPSC Civil Service Examination 2024.

UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus Paper 1

The Fundamentals of Sociology is covered in the UPSC Sociology Syllabus of Paper 1 of optional paper which majorly includes all the important Social institutions, Thinkers etc. The following topics are included in the UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus for Paper 1:

1. Sociology: The Discipline

(a) Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of Sociology.

(b) Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.

(c) Sociology and common sense.

2. Sociology as Science

(a) Science, scientific method and critique.

(b) Major theoretical strands of research methodology.

(c) Positivism and its critique.

(d) Fact value and objectivity.

(e) Non-positivist methodologies.

3. Research Methods and Analysis

(a) Qualitative and quantitative methods.

(b) Techniques of data collection.

(c) Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.

4. Sociological Thinkers

(a) Karl Marx: Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.

(b) Emile Durkheim: Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.

(c) Max Weber: Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.

(d) Talcott Parsons: Social system, pattern variables.

(e) Robert K. Merton: Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.

(f) Mead: Self and identity.

5. Stratification and Mobility

(a) Concepts of equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.

(b) Theories of social stratification: Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.

(c) Dimensions of social stratification: Class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.

(d) Social mobility: Open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.

6. Works and Economic Life

(a) Social organization of work in different types of society: Slave society, feudal society, industrial capitalist society.

(b) Formal and informal organization of work.

(c) Labour and society.

7. Politics and Society

(a) Sociological theories of power.

(b) Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties.

(c) Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.

(d) Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.

8. Religion and Society

(a) Sociological theories of religion.

(b) Types of religious practices: Animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

(c) Religion in modern society: Religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.

9. Systems of Kinship

(a) Family, household, marriage.

(b) Types and forms of family.

(c) Lineage and descent.

(d) Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.

(e) Contemporary trends.

10. Social Change in Modern Society

(a) Sociological theories of social change.

(b) Development and dependency.

(c) Agents of social change.

(d) Education and social change.

(e) Science, technology and social change.

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UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus Paper 2

UPSC Sociology Syllabus for Paper 2 has a total of 15 units that are broadly divided into 3 sections such as:

1. Introducing Indian Society: This section is divided into two units that majorly include sociological thinkers’ perspectives on Indian Society and also cover the impact of Colonial rule on our Indian society.
2. Social Structure: This section is divided into 6 units that majorly include caste system, agricultural social structure, tribal groupings, diverse classes, kinship & family system, and religion & society.
3. Social Changes in India: This section is divided into 7 units which include Visions of Social Change in India, Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India, Industrialization and Urbanisation in India, Politics and Society, Social Movements in Modern India, Population Dynamics and Challenges of Social Transformation.

A. Introducing Indian Society :

(i) Perspectives on the Study of Indian Society :

(a) Indology (G.S.

(b) Structural functionalism (M. N. Srinivas).

(c) Marxist sociology (A. R. Desai).

(ii) Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :

(a) Social background of Indian nationalism.

(b) Modernization of Indian tradition.

(c) Protests and movements during the colonial period.

(d) Social reforms.

B. Social Structure:

(I) Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:

(a) The idea of Indian village and village studies.

(b) Agrarian social structure—evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.

(ii) Caste System:

(a) Perspectives on the study of caste systems: G. S. Ghurye, M. N. Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.

(b) Features of caste system.

(c) Untouchability-forms and perspectives

(iii) Tribal Communities in India:

(a) Definitional problems.

(b) Geographical spread.

(c) Colonial policies and tribes.

(d) Issues of integration and autonomy.

(iv) Social Classes in India:

(a) Agrarian class structure.

(b) Industrial class structure.

(c) Middle classes in India.

(v) Systems of Kinship in India:

(a) Lineage and descent in India.

(b) Types of kinship systems.

(c) Family and marriage in India.

(d) Household dimensions of the family.

(e) Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour.

(vi) Religion and Society :

(a) Religious communities in India.

(b) Problems of religious minorities.

C. Social Changes in India:

(I) Visions of Social Change in India:

(a) Idea of development planning and mixed economy.

(b) Constitution, law and social change.

(c) Education and social change.

(II) Rural and Agrarian Transformation in India:

(a) Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation schemes.

(b) Green revolution and social change.

(c) Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.

(d) Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.

(1ll) Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:

(a) Evolution of modern industry in India.

(b) Growth of urban settlements in India.

(c) Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.

(d) Informal sector, child labour.

(e) Slums and deprivation in urban areas.

(iv) Politics and Society:

(a) Nation, democracy and citizenship.

(b) Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.

(c) Regionalism and decentralization of power.

(d) Secularization.

(v) Social Movements In Modern India :

(a) Peasants and farmers movements.

(b) Women’s movement.

(c) Backward classes & Dalit movements.

(d) Environmental movements.

(e) Ethnicity and Identity movements.

(vi) Population Dynamics :

(a) Population size, growth, composition and distribution.

(b) Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.

(c) Population Policy and family planning,

(d) Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.

(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation :

(a) Crisis of development : displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.

(b) Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.

(c) Violence against women.

(d) Caste conflicts.

(e) Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism. (t) Illiteracy and disparities in education.

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