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HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

Raipur (Chhattisgarh)
Course Curriculum: Sociology (2014)
Syllabus for IIIrd Semester (Major& Minor) 2014
Title of the Course: Indian Society: Structure & Processes
Course Instructors: Dr. Ayan Hazra

Unit 1: Evolution of Indian Society

Hindu Philosophy& characteristics, Philosophical Literature, The Ashramas, The Purusartha,
Religious Groups in India, Impact of other religion-Buddhism and Islam
Unit 2: The Caste System
Perspectives, Theories, Characteristics of Caste, Merits and Demerits of Caste system,
Unit-3- Changing Structure of Caste
Vedic Period, Brahmanical Period, Maurya Period, Harsh Vardhan Period, Raput Period, Muslim
Period, Pre- industrial British Period, Factors Moulding the Caste system, Pr- independence
Industrial Period, Urbanization, Post-independence Period
Unit 4: Rural Social System
Indian Villages, Characteristics, Agrarian Class Structure, Village Solidarity, Village Settlement
Patterns, Land Tenure and Reforms, Problems of Villages
Unit 5: Tribal Life in India
Tribe, Geographical Distribution, Distinctive Characteristics, Elwin and Ghuryes perspective on
Tribes, Tribal Problems, Tribal Movements, Tribal Welfare (Constitutional Safeguards), Social
differentiation among Tribes

Unit 6: Radhakamal Mukerjee

Life Sketch, Writings, Indian Culture and Civilization, Universal Civilization, Economic
Transactions and Social Behaviour, Society and Values, Social Ecology
Unit 7: G.S.Ghurye
Life Sketch, Writings, Caste and Kinship, Tribe, Indian Sadhus, Rural- Urbanization, Culture &
Civilization, Religious beliefs & Practices in India, Indian Art & Architecture, Hindu Muslim
relationship.
Unit 8: D.P.Mukerji
Life Sketch, Writings, Personality, Modern Indian Culture, Traditions, Role of New Middle
Classes
Unit 9: M.N.Srinivas
Life Sketch, Writings, Social Change, Religion & Society, Study of Village, Views on Caste,
Dominant Caste
Unit 10: Gender and Society
Gender, Gender and Biology, Gender Socialization, Social Construction of Gender, Gender
Order, Crisis Tendencies
Unit 11: Feminism
Origin, Causes, Gender Views on Feminism, Types of Feminism (Liberal, Marxist, Radical, EcoFeminism)
Unit12
Women, Ecology and Culture, Images of women in the Mahabharata, Beeja- Ksetra Nyaya:
Some Considerations, Man- Women Relationship in Indian Philosophy, The Doctrine of
Purusartha: AGender Perspective

Selected Readings
Sociology of Indian society by C.N.Shankar Rao
Indian Social System by Ram Ahuja
Sociology by Anthony Giddens

Domestic Violence against Women by Preeti Mishra

Feminism in search of an Identity: The Indian Context by Meena Kelkar and
Deepti Gangavane
Social Anthropology by S.L.Doshi
Indian Sociological Thought by B.K.Nagla
Indian Society by S.C.Dube
Social Problems in India by Ram ahuja