RESEARCH ASSISTANT (SOCIOLOGY) SYLLABUS

RESEARCH ASSISTANT (SOCIOLOGY) SYLLABUS

KIRTADS(CATEGORY NO.458/2012)
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PART I

UNIT 1:SOCIOLOGY AS A DISCIPLINE

1.Concepts in Sociology-Society,Community,association,groups,social control,social change,social stratification,socialization

2.Social institutions-Education,religion,economy and polity

3.Development of sociology-Social and intellectual forces,Philosophical foundations,rationalism and empiricism,public sociology

4.Sociology in India-Subaltern perspective(Ambedkar),Structural functional(M N Srinivas),Marxian Perspective(AR Desai)

5.Social Processes-Accomodation,assimilation,co-operation,competition,conflict

UNIT II:SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIZING

1.Transition from social philosophy to sociology,growth of science and technology,scientific spirit

2.Theoretical beginning of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer

3.Karl Marx-Class and class struggle

4.Theoretical Developments of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber

5.Recent Trends-Jurgen Habermas,Antonio Gramsci,Anthony Giddens(structuration)

UNIT III:METHODS IN SOCIAL RESEARCH

1.Social science as a system of rules,science and common sense,scientific method and its applications

2.Relation between theory and facts

3.Principles of sampling,advantages key terms

4.Techniques of data collection-questionnaire,interview,observation,case study,focus group interview

5.Interpretation and presentation of data-graphic and diagrammatic representation

UNIT IV:DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES

1.Environmental degradation,global warming,climate change,deforestation and its impact on Tribals

2.Impacts of globalization on marginalized communities

3.Development induced displacement,new  social movements for getting land with reference to Kerala

4.Role of media in the process of tribal development

5.Policies and programmes for the preservation of tribal characteristics

UNIT V:SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

1.Meaning and scope of social and cultural anthropology:Nature,scope and branches of Anthropology,relation with other Social Sciences-Economics,History,Sociology,Psychology,Archaeology and Linguistics.

2.Basic Concepts:Culture,Social structure,Social organization,status and role,political organization,band ,tribe,age-grade,chiefdom,rank-societies,law and justice in simple societies,customary and codified law,state and stateless societies.

3.Nature of Culture:Attributes and Paradoxes,culture processes,enculturation,acculturation,diffusion,cultural pluralism,ethnocentrism,cultural relativism,emic and etic,explicit and implicit.

4.Family,marriage and kinship:Concept,definitions,typology,functions,university of family and marriage,family and household,residence patterns,joint family system and changing trends,marriage regulations,incest,marriage payments,rules of descent,kingroups,kinships systems,kinship behavior,kinship terminology.

5.Religious Organization:Evolutionary,Psychological,and functional approaches,ritual,myth,sacred and profane,religion and life-cycle rituals,forms of religion in tribal and peasant societies,animism,animatism,naturism,totemism,magico-religious functionaries,priest,shaman,sorcerer,witch,distinction between magic religion and science.

UNIT VI:METHODOLOGY OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH

1.Field work tradition in Anthropology:Fieldwork tradition in anthropology,restudy and reinterpretation,contributions of B.Malinowski,A.R.Radcliffe Brown,W.H.R.Rivers,Levi-Strauss and M.N.Srinivas.

2.Ethnographic approach:Nature of anthropological fieldwork,getting acquainted with the field,establishment of rapport,learning and using native language,informants/key informants,ethical dimensions of fieldwork,distinction between fieldwork and survey,ethnography as a holistic documentation of culture.

3.Research Design:Identification of broad area of research,review of literature,formulation of research problem,hypotheses formulation,determination of sample frame and size,the notion of control,selection of unit  of study,mode of analysis.

4.Basic Techniques of Data collection:Observation as a technique,key-infront interview,genealogy-technique and its application,pedigree

5.Preparation of Anthropological research report:Report writing,structure,steps and procedure.

UNIT VII:INDIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE

1.Culture and Civilization:Culture and civilization,the emergence of civilization,Indian culture-tribal,folk,peasant and urban dimensions.

2.Hindu religious and philosophical tradition:Sacred books of India,Indian social system-Purusharthas and Varnashramadharma,Varna system,caste system,caste fission,and caste fusion,mobility in caste system,linguistic diversity and language cultures of India.

3.Approaches to the study of Indian culture and civilization:Folk –Urban Continuum,Little and Great Traditions;Universalisation and Parachialisation;Tribe-Caste Continuum,sacred complex,nature-man-spirit complex.

4.Social Change:Modernisation,Industrialisation,Urbanization,westernization,sanskritisation,concept of dominant caste;pecuniarisation,changes in the Indian village communities due to culture contact and globalization.

5.The Tribes of India:Major Tribes of India with special reference to the Tribes of Kerala,transformation of tribes;Theories of transformation-Verrier Elwin to K.S.Singh;Tribal movements,Tribal issues-forest,land alienation,indebtedness,poverty,illiteracy,displacement and exploitation by non-tribes.

UNIT VIII:ECOLOGICAL AND MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

1.Ecological anthropology:Meaning and scope of ecological anthropology,definition of ecology,ecological community and human ecological niche,cultural ecology,environmental determinism,environmental possibilism,population ecology,system ecology,ethno-ecology,contributions of Wissler,Forde,Steward,Vayda and Rappaport.

2.Habitat,economy and Society:Food gathering,collection,hunting and fishing,pastoralism,shifting cultivation,peasantry,agriculture,industrial economies.

3.Exchange and Service:Barter,ceremonial exchange,reciprocity,redistribution(Gift,Potlatch,Kula ring),Jajmani system;Consumption pattern in subsistence economies,wealth status and social differenetiation,economic change and adaptation in societies.

4.Medical anthropology:Meaning and scope of medical anthropology,concept of health and disease in India-Tribal,rural and urban categories,socio-cultural dimensions of illness,ethno-medicine,magico-religious curative practices and indigenous medical care services.

5.Application of Medical anthropology:Application of anthropological knowledge in promoting health care in tribal and rural communities,health care system and health care services,health education,psycho-somatic and mental disorders

PART II:GENERAL KNOWLEDGE,CURRENT AFFAIRS & RENAISSANCE IN KERALA

Salient Features of Indian Constitution

Salient features of the Constitution –Preamble-Its significance and its place in the interpretation of the Constitution.Fundamental Rights-Directive Principles of State Policy-Relation between Fundamental Rights and Directive Priniciples-Fundamenal Duties.Executive-Legislature-Judiciary-Both at Union and State Level.Other Constitutional Authorities.Centre-State Relations-Legislative-Administrative and Financial.Services under the Union and the States.Emergency Provisions.Amendment Provisions of the Constitution.

Social Welfare Legislations and Programmes

Social Service Legislations like Right to Information Act,Prevention of atrocities against Women & Children,Food Security Act,Environmental Acts etc.and Social Welfare Programmes like Employment Guarantee Programme,Organ and Blood Donation etc.

RENAISSANCE IN KERALA

Towards A New Society

Introduction to English education-various missionary organizations and their functioning-founding of educational institutions,factories,printing press etc.

Efforts To Reform The Society

A.Socio-Religious reform Movements

SNDP Yogam,Nair Service Society,Yogakshema Sabha,Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham,Vaala Samudaya Parishkarani Sabha,Samathwa Samajam,Islam Dharma Paripalana Sangham,Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha,Sahodara Prasthanam etc.

B.Struggles and Social Revolts

Upper cloth revolts.Channar agitation,Vaikkom Sathyagraha,Guruvayoor Sathyagraha,Paliyam Sathyagraha.Kuttamkulam Sathyagraha,Temple Entry Proclamation,Temple Entry Act,Malayalee Memorial ,Ezhava Memorial etc.Malabar riots,Civil Disobedience Movement,Abstention movement etc.

Role of Press in Renaissance

Malayalee,Swadeshabhimani,Vivekodayam,Mithavadi,Swaraj,Malayala Manorama,Bhashaposhini,Mathrubhumi,kerala Kaumudi,Samadarshi,Kesari,Al-Ameen,Prabhatham,Yukthivadi,etc

Awakening Through Literature

Novel,Drama,Poetry,Purogamana Sahithya Prasthanam,Nataka Prashtanam,Library Movement etc.

Women and Social Change

Parvathi Nenmenimangalam,Arya Pallam,A V Kuttimalu Amma,Lalitha Prabhu Akkamma Cheriyan,Anna Chandi,Lalithambika Antharjanam and others

Leaders of Renaissance

Thycaud Ayya Vaikundar,Sree Narayana Guru,Ayyan Kali,Chattampi Swamikal,Brahmananda Sivayogi,Vagbhadananda,Poikayil Yohannan(Kumara Guru) Dr Palpu,Palakkunnath Abraham Malpan,Mampuram Thangal,Sahodaran Ayyappan,Pandit K P Karuppan,Pampadi John Joseph,Mannathu Padmanabhan,V.T.Bhattathirippad,Vakkom Abdul Khadar Maulavi,Makthi Thangal,Blessed Elias Kuriakose Chavara.Barrister G P Pillai,TK Madhavan,Moorkoth Kumaran,C.Krishnan,K.P.Kesava Menon,Dr.Ayyathan Gopalan,C V Kunjuraman,Kuroor Neelakantan Namboothiripad,Velukkutty Arayan,K P Vellon,P K Chathan Master,K Kelappan,P.Krishna Pillai,A.K.Gopalan,T.R.Krishnaswami Iyer,C.Kesavan ,Swami Ananda Theerthan,M C Joseph,Kuttippuzha Krishnapillai and Others

Literary Figures

Kodungallur Kunhikkuttan Thampuran,KeralaVarma Valiyakoyi Thampuran,Kandathil Varghese Mappila.Kumaran Asan,Vallathol Narayana Menon,Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer,G Sankara Kurup,Changampuzha Krishna Pillai,Chandu Menon,Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.Kesav Dev,Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai,Ponkunnam Varky,S K Pottakkad and others.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

NOTE:It May be noted that apart from the topics detailed

Above,questions from other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post may also appear in the question paper.There is no undertaking that all the topics above may be covered in the question paper.