Sociology UPSC Syllabus [2020-21]

The IAS examination has three parts, UPSC prelims, UPSC mains, and interview. The Union Public Civil Service preliminary examination is objective type while the civil service main examination is descriptive type. Further, only those candidates who have successfully qualified for the prelims can attempt the mains. The fact that you have searched for this blog proves that you successfully cracked the prelims round. Congratulations on that, but to beat the next round, you need to have sound preparation. Hence, we have covered the sociology UPSC syllabus for 2020-2021 so that you can start studying without wasting your time. 

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UPSC syllabus 2020-2021

The civil service mains examination tests the candidate’s academic talents in-depth. Additionally, it consists of 9 papers, out of which two are termed as qualifying papers. Thus, if the candidate secures at least 25% marks in both qualifying papers, then only their other papers are evaluated or considered. Otherwise, the candidate is disqualified, and his/her other optional papers are also not considered. Thus, the two qualifying papers are the English language paper and any Indian language paper. 

The rest of the papers are as follows:

Paper no.	Title	Marks
Paper I	Essay writing (in any language as per candidates choice)	250
Paper-II	General Studies I	250
Paper III	General Studies II	250
Paper IV	General Studies III	250
Paper V	General Studies IV	250
Paper VI	Optional paper I	250
Paper VII	Optional paper II	250

Further, in optional papers, the candidate can choose any subject mentioned in the list. 

• Animal husbandry and veterinary sciences
• Agriculture
• Anthropology
• Chemistry 
• Botany
• Commerce and accounts 
• Civil engineering 
• Electrical engineering 
• Economics 
• Geology 
• Geography 
• Law 
• History
• Mechanical engineering 
• Management 
• Mathematics 
• Medical sciences 
• Philosophy
• Political sciences and international relations 
• Physics 
• Psychology
• Public administrations 
• Statistics 
• Sociology and
• Zoology

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Sociology UPSC syllabus

If you choose sociology, then it has two papers and its syllabus for 2020 to 2021 is mentioned below.

Sociology UPSC syllabus paper-I

Fundamentals of sociology 

Sociology: The Discipline 

• Sociology and common sense
• Scope and comparison with other social sciences
• Modernity and social changes in Europe and
• Emergence of sociology 

Sociology as science 

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

Research methods and analysis 

• Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability, and validity 
• The technique of data collection and
• Qualitative and quantitative methods 

Sociological thinkers

• Robert K Merton: Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups
• Talcott Parsons: Social Systems, pattern variability
• Karl Marx: Historical materialism, class struggle, mode of production, and alienation
• Emily Durkheimsecularisation: Division of labour, social facts, suicide, religion, and society 
• Mead: Self and identity and
• Max Weber: Social Action, ideal types, bureaucracy, authority, the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism

Stratification and mobility 

• Theories of social stratification: 
• Structural functionalist theory, Weberian theory, and Marxist theory
• Concepts: Equality, Inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty, and deprivation
• Dimensions: Social stratification of class, gender, status groups, ethnicity, and race and
• Social mobility: Open and closed systems, types of mobility, causes and sources of mobility

Work and economic life 

• The formal and informal organisation of work 
• Labour and society and
• The social organisation of work in different types of society: Slave society, industrial capitalist society, and feudal society

Politics and society 

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

Religion and society 

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

System of kinship 

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

Social Change in Modern Society:

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

Sociology Paper-II syllabus

Indian Society: Structure and Change

Introducing Indian Society

Perspectives on the study of Indian society

• Indology (G. S. Ghure)
• Marxist sociology (A. R. Desai) and
• Structural functionalism (M. N. Srinivas)

Impact of colonial rule on Indian society 

• The social background of Indian nationalism
• Social reforms
• Modernisation of Indian tradition and
• Protests and movements during the colonial period

Social Structure

Rural and Agrarian Social Structure

• Agrarian social structure: Evolution of land tenure system, and land reforms and
• The idea of Indian village and village studies

Caste System

• Features of the caste system
• Untouchability: Forms and perspectives
• Geographical spread and
• Issues of integration and autonomy

Tribal communities in India

• Definitional problems
• Issues of integration and autonomy 
• Geographical spread and
• Colonial policies and tribes

Social Classes in India

• Agrarian class structure
• Industrial class structure and
• Middle classes in India

Systems of Kinship in India

• Household dimensions of the family
• Lineage and descent in India
• Patriarchy, entitlements, and the sexual division of labour
• Types of kinship systems and
• Family and marriage in India

Religion and Society

• Religious communities in India and
• Problems of religious minorities

Social Changes in India

Visions of Social Change in India

• Education and social change
• The idea of development planning and mixed economy and
• Constitution, law and social change

Rural and Agrarian transformation in India

• Green revolution and social change
• Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation scheme
• Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration and
• Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture

Industrialisation and Urbanisation in India

• Working-class: structure, growth, class mobilisation
• Evolution of modern industry in India
• In the informal sector, child labour
• Growth of urban settlements in India and
• Slums and deprivation in urban areas

Politics and Society

• Nation, democracy, and citizenship
• Regionalism and decentralisation of power
• Secularisation and
• Political parties, pressure groups, the social and political elite

Social Movements in Modern India

• Peasants and farmers movements
• Ethnicity and Identity movements
• Women’s movement
• Environmental movements and
• Backward classes & Dalit movement

Population Dynamics

• Components of population growth: Birth, death, migration
• Population size, growth, composition, and distribution
• Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality and reproductive health
• Population policy and family planning

Challenges of Social Transformation

• Poverty, deprivation, and inequalities
• Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems, and sustainability
• Caste conflicts
• Violence against women
• Illiteracy and disparities in education
• Ethnic conflicts, communalism and religious revivalism

Visit the official website of UPSC for more information.

In conclusion, we have provided the Sociology UPSC syllabus for you to read the topics well and use the time wisely.

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