Non-sociology candidates can also do selective study of some of these files for GS, Essay, Interview preparation, depending on their time n mood (e.g. MPS 003 Democracy and Development, MSOE-003 Diaspora, ESO-16 Social problems of India).

1. Prologue
2. Essential (Free) softwares and instructions
3. Download links
4. INDEX IGNOU BA Sociology
   1. ESO-11: The Study of Society
   2. ESO-12 Society in India
   3. ESO-13 Sociological Thought
   4. ESO-14 Society and Stratification
   5. ESO-15 Society and Religion
   6. ESO-16 Social Problems in India
5. Index IGNOU MA Sociology
   1. MPS-003 India Democracy and Development
   2. MSO-001 Sociological Theories and Concepts
   3. MSO-002 Research Methodologies and Methods
   4. MSO-003 Sociology of Development
   5. MSO-004 Sociology in India
   6. MSOE-001 Sociology of Education
   7. MSOE-002 Diaspora and Transnational Communities
   8. MSOE-003 Sociology of Religion
   9. MSOE-004 Urban Sociology
6. Syllabus: UPSC Sociology (Mains) Paper 1
7. Syllabus: UPSC Sociology (Mains) Paper 2

Prologue

Internet contains lot of (legally) free and important study-material for various optional subjects of UPSC. This is my attempt to combine everything at once place for quick convenient download. This article contains download links following:

1. IGNOU BA and MA Sociology (Direct download of whole sets/courses, no registration required)
2. Last 34 years’ official UPSC mains question papers for Sociology (1979-2012)
3. Topper Kshitij Tyagi (AIR 148/CSE 2011)’s handwritten notes for Sociology paper 1
4. NCERT Sociology class 12 (Two books)
5. NIOS study material for Sociology

Keep in mind that not everything covered under IGNOU BA/MA would be relevant for the given subject. For example, IGNOU MA Public Administration contains lengthy course on Human Resources, but majority of its chapters are not included in the UPSC’s Public Administration syllabus. Therefore, while preparing for optional subjects, whatever you study from IGNOU (or any book), always keep the UPSC syllabus in mind.

Essential (Free) softwares and instructions

1. Majority of these PDF files provides direct copying of text. => That means you can use Mrunal’s autonotemaker to quickly make notes and mindmaps out of it, just use mouse curose to highlight a particular line /phrase and my software will copy copy its text in a separate file. for more instructions click me
2. Foxit PDF reader. (necessary prerequisite for using Mrunal’s autonotemaker) click me
3. 7-zip (for unzipping the files) click me

Download links

Note: In case of IGNOU, the material is subdivided into courses, just double click on zip files and they’ll start downloading. The index of each course is given below. (That way even non-sociology candidates can also decide if they need any particular file that could help in their GS/Essay/Interview).

INDEX IGNOU BA Sociology

ESO11: The Study of Society

1. Nature and Scope of Sociology
2. Basic Concepts in Sociology
3. Simple Societies
4. Complex Societies
5. Family
6. Marriage
7. Kinship
8. Nature of Socialisation
9. Agencies of Socialisation
10. Processes of Education
11. Educational Institutions
12. Economy and Technology
13. Production Processes
14. Distribution Processes
15. Consumption Pattern
16. Stateless Societies
17. State in Traditional Societies
18. State in Modern Societies
19. State and Other Institutions
20. Religious Beliefs and Practices
21. Culture I : Main Characteristics
22. Culture II : Diversity and Change
23. Values
24. Norms
25. Concepts of Social Structure
26. Social Roles
27. Social Networks
28. Social Functions
29. Social Stratification
30. Social Control
31. Social Deviance
32. Social Conflict
33. Social Change
34. Social Development

ESO-12 Society in India

1. Unity and Diversity
2. Rural Social Structure
3. Village and the Outside World
4. Patterns of Urbanisation
5. Urban Social Structure
6. Family and its Types
7. Marriage and its Changing Patterns
8. Kinship-I
9. Kinship-II
10. Rural Economy
11. Urban Economy
12. Rural and Urban Poverty
13. National Politics
14. Regional and State Polities
15. Hindu Social Organisation
16. Muslim Social Organisation
17. Christian Social Organisation
18. Sikh Social Organization
19. Zoroastrian Social Organisation
20. Caste Structure and Regional Patterns
21. Caste – Continuity and Change
22. The Scheduled Castes
23. Class in India
24. Backward Classes
25. Tribes Social Structure – I
26. Tribes Social Structure-II
27. Religion in Tribal Societies
28. Tribes and Modernization in India
29. Status of Women in India
30. Women s movements in India
31. Women and Work
32. Women and Education
33. Contemporary Women s Issues  Health and Legal Aspects
34. Ethnic Relations and Conflicts
35. Social Movements
36. Development Planning and Change
37. Ecology and the Future of Society

ESO-13 Sociological Thought

1. Emergence Of Sociology In Europe
2. Founding Fathers – I
3. Founding Fathers-II
4. History And Development Of Sociology In India -I
5. History And Development Of Sociology In India – II
6. Historical Materialism
7. Forces, Relations and Modes of Production
8. Class and Class Conflict
9. Dialectics and Social Change
10. Sociology as Science
11. Comparative Method
12. Collective Representations
13. Forms of Social Solidarity
14. Ideal Types
15. Religion And Economy
16. Power And Authority
17. Rationality
18. Methodology  Marx, Durkheim And Weber
19. Religion  Durkheim And Weber
20. Division of Labour — Durkheim And Marx
21. Capitalism  Weber & Marx
22. Concept of Culture and Function-Malinowski
23. Magic, Science and Religion — Malinowski
24. Concept of Social Structure Radcliffe
25. Concept of Function -Radcliffe-Brown
26. A Critique of Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown
27. The Concept Of Social System — Parsons
28. Functionalism And Social Change — Parsons
29. Manifest And Latent Function — Merton
30. Theory Of Reference Group — Merton
31. Critique Of Parsons And Merton

ESO-14 Society and Stratification

1. Social Stratification- Meaning and Approaches
2. Approaches to Social Stratification
3. Caste and Class in India
4. Stratification- Implications of Gender and Ethnicity
5. Marx and Weber
6. Parsons and Davis
7. Coser and Dahrendorf on Social Classes
8. Theories of Stratification- Towards A Synthesis Lenski, Luhmann, Berghe
9. Ethnicity as a Basis of Stratification
10. Tribal Ethnicity- The North-East
11. Religious Ethnicity- The Case of the Punjab
12. Linguistic Ethnicity in India
13. Gender as a Basis of Discrimination
14. Formation of Gender Identities
15. Gender Status and Power
16. Women’s Empowerment- Some Illustrations
17. The Basis of Caste Hierarchy- Purity and Pollution
18. Dimensions of Caste- Rituals and Power
19. Caste Identity- Attributional and Interactional Approaches
20. Caste Dynamics- Economic and Political
21. Status of Dalits
22. Other Backward Classes
23. Scheduled Tribes
24. Marginalised Groups and Their Changing Status
25. Agrarian Class Structure
26. Industrial Classes
27. Middle Classes in India
28. Class Conflict
29. Concepts and Forms of Social Mobility
30. Social Mobility in Caste and Class
31. Factors and Forces of Social Mobility
32. Consequences of Social Mobility

ESO-15 Society and Religion

1. Sociology and the Study of Religion
2. Evolutionary Theories of Religion
3. Functionalist Theories of Religion
4. The Study of Religious Beliefs
5. The Study of Religious Symbols
6. Comparative Sociological Theories of Ritual
7. Ritual-I- A Case Study from Africa
8. Ritual-II- A Case Study from South-East Asia
9. Civil Religion
10. Religion and the Economic Order
11. Religion and Politics/State
12. Religious Organisations- Sects, Cults and Denominations
13. Religious Specialists- Shamans, Priests and Prophets
14. Religion- Social Stability and Change
15. Fundamentalism- Some Case Studies
16. Secularism and Secularisation
17. Religious Pluralism in India- As Fact and Value
18. Tribal Religion- Two Case Studies
19. Hinduism
20. Jainism and Buddhism
21. Christianity
22. Islam
23. Sikhism
24. Medieval Religious Movements I- Bhakti and Sufism
25. Medieval Religious Movements I- Veerashaivism
26. Modern Religious Movements II- Arya Samaj
27. Modern Religious Movements II- Ramakrishna Mission
28. Life Cycle Rituals-I- Birth and Marriage
29. Life Cycle Rituals-II- Death
30. Social Significance of Pilgrimages
31. Social Significance of Religious Festivals
32. Fundamentalism, Communalism and Secularism

ESO-16 Social Problems in India

1. Social Transformation and Problems
2. Approaches and Paradigms
3. Social ProblemsThe Indian Context
4. Social Demography
5. Migration
6. Urbanisation
7. Changing Family Structure
8. Unemployment
9. Labour Industrial
10. Labour Rural
11. Labour Women
12. Labour Children
13. Poverty and its Social Dynamics
14. Crime and Delinquency
15. Drug Addiction and Alcoholism
16. Violence and Terrorism
17. Children
18. Youth Identity And Alienation
19. Women
20. The Aged
21. Scheduled Castes
22. Scheduled Tribes
23. Minorities
24. Ethnicity
25. Land Access, Control and Management
26. Water Access, Control and Management
27. Forests Access, Control and Management
28. Role of the State and Other Associations

INDEX IGNOU MA Sociology

MPS-003 India Democracy and Development

1. National Movement
2. Development Models
3. Constitution And Social Transformation
4. Diversity
5. Inequality
6. Political Economy
7. Economy-Structure And Growth
8. Legislature
9. Bureaucracy, Police, Army
10. Judiciary
11. Federalism
12. Self Government
13. Political Parties
14. Workers And Peasents
15. Media
16. Interest Groups
17. Caste, Regligion, Language
18. Civil Society
19. Human Development
20. Gender
21. Regional Imbalances
22. Migration
23. Environment
24. Economic Reforms
25. Religious Politics
26. Ethnicity
27. Democracy And Development-Assessment

MSO-001 Sociological Theories and Concepts

1. Social Theory and its Context
2. Concept and Theory
3. Theory and Paradigm
4. Social Construction of Reality
5. Concept and Theories of Structure
6. Structure and Function
7. Structure, Function and Neo-Functionalism
8. The Conceptual and Theoretical Issues of Power
9. Class and Legitimacy
10. Power- Functional Perspective
11. Power and Institutions
12. Power/Knowledge
13. Evolution, Development and Function of Capitalism
14. Rationality, Work and Organisation
15. Entrepreneurship and Capitalism
16. Freedom and Liberty
17. Alienation
18. Sovereignty
19. State; Power as Elaborated by Marx, Weber, Parsons and Others
20. Citizenship
21. Civil Society and Democracy
22. Conceptualising Ethnicity
23. Construction of Identities
24. Boundaries and Boundary Maintenance
25. Concepts of Difference and Inequality
26. Class
27. Gender and Social Stratification
28. Theories of Origin of Caste System
29. Theories of Modernisation and Modernity
30. Tradition and Modernity
31. Post Structuralism and Post Modernism

MSO-002 Research Methodologies and Methods

1. Logic of Inquiry in Social Research
2. Empirical Approach
3. Diverse Logic of Theory Building
4. Theoretical Analysis
5. Issues of Epistemology
6. Philosophy of Social Science
7. Positivism and its Critique
8. Hermeneutics
9. Comparative Method
10. Feminist Approach
11. Participatory Method
12. Types of Research
13. Methods of Research
14. Elements of Research Design
15. Sampling Methods and Estimation of Sample Size
16. Measures of Central Tendency
17. Measures of Dispersion and Variability
18. Statistical Inference- Tests of Hypothesis
19. Correlation and Regression
20. Survey Method
21. Survey Design
22. Survey Instrumentation
23. Survey Execution and Data Analysis
24. Field Research – I
25. Field Research – II
26. Reliability, Validity and Triangulation
27. Qualitative Data Formatting and Processing
28. Writing up Qualitative Data
29. Using Internet and Word Processor
30. Using SPSS for Data Analysis Contents
31. Using SPSS in Report Writing
32. Tabulation and Graphic Presentation- Case Studies
33. Guidelines to Research Project Assignment

MSO-003 Sociology of Development

1. Development and Progress-Economic and Social Dimensions
2. Change, Modernisation and Development
3. Social, Human and Gender Development
4. Sustainable Development
5. Modernisation
6. Liberal Perspective on Development
7. Marxian Perspective on Development
8. Gandhian Perspective on Development
9. Dependency Theory of Underdevelopment
10. Social and Human Development
11. Gender Perspective on Development
12. Micro-Planning
13. Ecology, Environment and Development
14. Ethno-Development
15. Population and Development
16. India
17. Canada
18. Zimbabwe
19. Brazil
20. Economic, Social and Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation
21. Liberalisation and Structural Adjustment Programme
22. Globalisation, Privatisation and Indigenous knowledge
23. WTO, GATT, GATS- Capital and Human Flows
24. Dimensions of Knowledge Society- Issues of Access and Equity
25. Critique of Knowledge Society
26. Changing Roles of Media and ICTs on Employment
27. Dam and Displacement
28. Green Peace Movement
29. People Science Movement
30. Civil Society Movements and Grassroots Initiatives

MSO-004 Sociology in India

1. Social Background of the Emergence of Sociology in India
2. Emergence of the Discipline -Issues and Themes
3. Village Studies in India
4. The Colonial Perspective
5. Brahminical Perspective
6. View from the Field
7. Ambedkar and Lohia on Caste
8. Census Perspective
9. The Household and the Family
10. The Household as a Cooperative—Conflicting Unit
11. Marriage and Its Changing Patterns
12. Descent and Alliance Approaches to the Study of Kinship in India
13. Agrarian Classes and Categories
14. The Working Class
15. The Middle Class
16. Gender, Caste and Class
17. Tribe, Territory and Common Property Resources
18. Tribe and Caste
19. Elwin and Ghurye’s Perspectives on Tribes
20. Social Differentiation among Tribes
21. Religion and Politics
22. Religion and Culture
23. Cohesive and Divisive Dimensions of Religion
24. Secularisation
25. Urbanization
26. Migration
27. Industrialisation
28. Globlisation
29. Social Movements- Meanings and Dimensions
30. Types of Social Movements
31. Peasants Movements
32. New Social Movements

MSOE-001 Sociology of Education

1. The Concept of Education
2. Theoretical Approaches
3. Thinkers on Education- I
4. Thinkers on Education- II
5. Education Knowledge and Power
6. Politics of Educational Curriculum
7. Education, Nation-building, State and Ideology
8. Education and Socialization
9. Education and Social Change
10. Education and Social Mobility
11. Role of Education in Social and Human Development  Emerging Perspectives
12. Role of Education for Empowerment of the Marginalized
13. Education and the Policy of Positive Discrimination and Affirmative Action
14. Education Pluralism and Multiculturalism
15. Education in SAARC Countries Case Studies-1
16. Education in Europe  Case Studies-2
17. Education  Expansion and Growth
18. Constitutional Provisions and Educational Policies in India
19. Universalization of Elementarv Education
20. Crises in lndian Higher Education
21. Expansion of Professional Education and Private Sector
22. WTO, GATS, ICTS and Higher Education
23. Education  Social Commitment vs. Commodification
24. Social and Philosophical Foundations of Open and Distance Learning
25. Critical Issues in Open and Distance Learning
26. ODL Problems and Prospects

MSOE-002 Diaspora and Transnational Communities

1. Conceptual Understanding of Indian Diaspora and Transnational Studies
2. Approaches to the Study of Indian Diaspora
3. Diasporic Communities of the World
4. Migration and Settlement of Indians Abroad
5. Indian Emigration During Colonial Rule
6. Post Independence Patterns of Migration
7. Indians in the Carribean
8. Indian Diaspora in Africa
9. Indian Diaspora in South and South East Asia
10. Indian Diaspora in Europe
11. Indian Diaspora in the New World   North America
12. Indians in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji
13. Indian Diaspora in West Asia
14. Immigration and Emigration Policies and their Implications
15. lndian State and Diaspora
16. Socio-Cultural Linkages Between lndian Diaspora
17. lndian Diaspora-Homeland Linkages
18. lndian Diaspora in Cyberspace
19. Films
20. Indian Diasporic Writing
21. Popular Perception
22. Identity, Nation-State and Diaspora
23. Sub-National Identities and Diaspora
24. Globalisation, Nationalism and Transnational Communities

MSOE-003 Sociology of Religion

1. Religion – Sociological Perspectives
2. Anthropological Approaches
3. Historical and Comparative Approach
4. RELIGION- PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES
5. Marxian Theory
6. Durkheim and Functionalism
7. Weber and the Question of Meaning
8. M N Srinivas – The Coorgs
9. Evans Pritchard- The Nuer
10. T N Madan- Non- Renunciation
11. Sudhir Kakar- Shamans, Mystics and Doctors
12. Peter Berger- Phenomenology of Religion
13. Clifford Geertz- Cultural Analysis
14. Levi-Strauss– Totemism
15. Sikhism
16. Jainism and Buddhism
17. Christianity
18. Islam
19. Hinduism
20. Secularism and Secularization
21. Communalism and Fundamentalism
22. Religious Conversion
23. Transcendental Meditation
24. Hare Krishna Movement
25. Radhasoami Satsang
26. Sai baba of shirdi

MSOE-004 Urban Sociology

1. What is Urban Sociology
2. Urban Centre, Urbanisation and Urban Growth
3. City and Metropolis
4. Rural-Urban Continuum
5. Invasion, Succession, Concentration, Centralization and Segregation
6. Models of Urban Growth   Concentric Zones, Sectors, Multiple Nuclei, Explai tative, Syrn bolic
7. Social Area Analysis and Recent Advances
8. Ancient, Medieval and Colonial Cities  Case Studies
9. Typologies of Cities
10. Temporal Evolution of Ancient, Modern, Pre-Industrial and Industrial Cities
11. Functional Classification of Cities Commercial, Administrative and Pilgrimage Towns
12. Trends and Pattern of Urbanisation
13. Development of Urban Sociology
14. Urban Sociology in lndia
15. Level, Trends and Patterns
16. Marriage, Family and Kinship
17. Traditional Neighbourhoods and Modern Cities
18. Urban lnf luences on Rural Areas
19. Formal Sector
20. Urban Informal Sector
21. Changing Occupational Structure and Impact of Economic Liberalization
22. Poverty
23. Slums
24. Environment and Infrastructure
25. Local Self Government and the Emergence of Voluntary Organisation
26. Urban Planning
27. Media and Urban Governance

Syllabus: UPSC Sociology (Mains) Paper 1

1. Sociology – The Discipline:
   1. Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of sociology.
   2. Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
   3. Sociology and common sense.
2. Sociology as Science:
   1. Science, scientific method and critique.
   2. Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
   3. Positivism and its critique.
   4. Fact value and objectivity.
   5. Non- positivist methodologies.
3. Research Methods and Analysis:
   1. Qualitative and quantitative methods.
   2. Techniques of data collection.
   3. Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.
4. Sociological Thinkers:
   1. Karl Marx
      1. Historical materialism
      2. mode of production
      3. alienation
      4. class struggle.
   2. Emile Durkheim
      1. Division of labour
      2. social fact
      3. suicide
      4. religion
      5. Society
   3. Max Weber
      1. Social action
      2. ideal types
      3. authority
      4. bureaucracy
      5. Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
   4. Talcolt Parsons
      1. Social system
      2. pattern variables.
   5. Robert K. Merton
      1. Latent and manifest functions
      2. conformity and deviance
      3. reference groups.
   6. Mead – Self and identity.
5. Stratification and Mobility:
   1. Concepts
      1. equality
      2. inequality
      3. hierarchy
      4. exclusion
      5. poverty
      6. Deprivation
   2. Theories of social stratification
      1. Structural functionalist theory
      2. Marxist theory
      3. Weberian theory
   3. Dimensions
      1. Social stratification of class
      2. status groups
      3. gender
      4. ethnicity and race.
   4. Social mobility
      1. open and closed systems
      2. types of mobility
      3. Sources and causes of mobility.
6. Works and Economic Life:
   1. Social organization of work in different types of society
      1. slave society,
      2. feudal society,
      3. industrial /capitalist society.
      4. Formal and informal organization of work.
      5. Labour and society.
7. Politics and Society:
   1. Sociological theories of power.
   2. Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
   3. Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
   4. Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.
8. Religion and Society:
   1. Sociological theories of religion.
   2. Types of religious practices:
      1. animism
      2. monism
      3. pluralism
      4. sects
      5. cults.
   3. Religion in modern society
      1. religion and science
      2. secularization
      3. religious revivalism
      4. fundamentalism.
9. Systems of Kinship:
   1. Family, household, marriage.
   2. Types and forms of family.
   3. Lineage and descent.
   4. Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.
   5. Contemporary trends.
10. Social Change in Modern Society:
    1. Sociological theories of social change.
    2. Development and dependency.
    3. Agents of social change.
    4. Education and social change.
    5. Science, technology and social change.

Syllabus: UPSC Sociology (Mains) Paper 2

#1: Introducing Indian Society:

1. Perspectives on the study of Indian society:
   1. Indology (GS. Ghurye).
   2. Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).
   3. Marxist sociology (A R Desai).
2. Impact of colonial rule on Indian society :
   1. Social background of Indian nationalism.
   2. Modernization of Indian tradition.
   3. Protests and movements during the colonial period.
   4. Social reforms.

#2: Social Structure

1. Rural and Agrarian Social Structure:
   1. The idea of Indian village and village studies.
   2. Agrarian social structure – evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.
2. Caste System:
   1. Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GSGhurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
   2. Features of caste system.
   3. Untouchability – forms and perspectives.
3. Tribal communities in India:
   1. Definitional problems.
   2. Geographical spread.
   3. Colonial policies and tribes.
   4. Issues of integration and autonomy.
4. Social Classes in India:
   1. Agrarian class structure.
   2. Industrial class structure.
   3. Middle classes in India.
5. Systems of Kinship in India:
   1. Lineage and descent in India.
   2. Types of kinship systems.
   3. Family and marriage in India.
   4. Household dimensions of the family.
   5. Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour.
6. Religion and Society:
   1. Religious communities in India.
   2. Problems of religious minorities.

#3: Social Changes in India:

7. Visions of Social Change in India:
   1. Idea of development planning and mixed economy.
   2. Constitution, law and social change.
   3. Education and social change.
8. Rural and Agrarian transformation in India:
   1. Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives, poverty alleviation
   2. schemes.
   3. Green revolution and social change.
   4. Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture .
   5. Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.
9. Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:
   1. Evolution of modern industry in India.
   2. Growth of urban settlements in India.
   3. Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.
   4. Informal sector, child labour.
   5. Slums and deprivation in urban areas.
10. Politics and Society:
    1. Nation, democracy and citizenship.
    2. Political parties, pressure groups, social and political elite.
    3. Regionalism and decentralization of power.
    4. Secularization.
11. Social Movements in Modern India:
    1. Peasants and farmers movements.
    2. Women’s movement.
    3. Backward classes & Dalit movement.
    4. Environmental movements.
    5. Ethnicity and Identity movements.
12. Population Dynamics:
    1. Population size, growth, composition and distribution.
    2. Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
    3. Population policy and family planning.
    4. Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.
13. Challenges of Social Transformation:
    1. Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.
    2. Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
    3. Violence against women.
    4. Caste conflicts.
    5. Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
    6. Illiteracy and disparities in education.

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