Department of Sociology

Despite dazzling developments in science and technology, the importance of Social Sciences has not diminished. Rather, since man, whom Aristotle described as a social animal, is at the root of all changes that have been so rapidly taking place around the world for the last half a century or so, these disciplines have acquired a new significance. The phenomenal growth of communication and the increasing trend towards globalization have further underlined the need for the study of human society in all its aspects at this critical juncture of our civilization. It is not surprising therefore that more and more universities all over the world are now evincing keen interest in various Social Sciences.

Sociology, though a relatively new discipline, today occupies the central position among the Social Sciences. It is indeed widely considered as the Social Science per excellence. Proper study of Sociology is therefore a demand of our time. But in our universities the subject has to be taught in a somewhat different perspective. Since conventional sociological theories and methodological tools have largely been developed in widely different contexts of affluent societies of the West, our sociologists will have to appraise their adequacies in correctly addressing problems of our real life that are so radically different. They also shall have to be ready to move beyond conventional sociological wisdom in seeking societal salvation under dire constraints and unique possibilities of our own.

Therefore, in preparing the four-year BSS Honours programme that follows, efforts have been made not only to highlight the concepts, methodology and theories of the discipline in its current form but also to focus on the special needs of our own. Apart from traditional courses in sociology, these include courses like social demography, gender and development, society and environment, mass communication, criminology and urban society and culture which have, of late, gained considerable importance. Provision has been made for empirical and field study as well. The programme also seeks to explore the frontiers between sociology and other social sciences such as social history, political science, social philosophy, social psychology and, but last but not the least, social anthropology which is closely akin to sociology. The purpose is to broaden the horizon of young learners so that they are in a position to understand and appreciate the scope of the discipline as well as the changing human society in a better way.

While the BSS Honours programme is designed to create a broad foundation for the students of sociology, the MSS programme provides a research-oriented in depth study of some issues and problem-areas in the same field. It includes courses like sociology and development, social in equality theory construction in sociology and contemporary sociological theory. Further, the latter programme also incorporates courses on Human Rights which have so far been neglected by sociologists of our country but which call for urgent attention under present circumstances. Under the programme the every student will also have to prepare a research monograph involving empirical study. It is expected that the students will thus acquire sufficient knowledge and capacity to deal with social problems and situations in their future career either as social workers or as agents of social change.