Sociology of Change and Development

Paper Code: 
SOC 421
Credits: 
04
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

Social Change has always been a central concern of sociological study. More recently, it has gained in greater salience because of its unprecedented rapidity and planned character. Development has emerged as a pronounced concern and a remarkable feature of our times. Hence, the relevance of the course can be emphasized.

The aim of the paper is to provide conceptual and theoretical understanding of social change and development as it has emerged in sociological literature, to offer an insight into the ways in which social structure impinges on development and development on social structure as well as to address the Indian experience of social change and development.

Unit I: 
  • Social Progress and Development: Meaning, Features, Conditions and Barriers
  • Perspectives on Development and Progress: Comte, Morgan, Marx, Spencer, Tonnies, Durkheim, Weber and Parsons
  • Development as a realization of human potential
Unit II: 
  • Change, Modernization and Development:
    • Social change: concept, features and causes
    • Perspectives on social change: Evolutionary, Conflict, Structural-functional and Social-psychological
    • Modernization: concept, feature and perspectives
Unit III: 
  • Perspectives of Development:
    • Gidden’s theory of Modernity
    • Liberal perspective on Development
    • Marxian perspective on Development: Historical-Sociological perspective; Neo-Marxian approach; Critical theory
    • Gandhian perspective on Development
  • Dependency theory of Underdevelopment
Unit IV: 
  • Coneptualising Social Exclusion :Classical and Neo-liberal Views
  • Social Inclusion:Policies for India
  • Sustainable Development: concept and approaches: Micro-planning; Ecology, Environment and Development; Ethnodevelopment

 

Unit V: 
  • Knowledge society and Development:
    • Information and Knowledge society: emergence, concept and features
    • Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs) and knowledge dissemination
    • Critical appraisal of discourses on web-based knowledge dispersal: Techno-Utopianism, Techno-Cynicism, Techno-Zealotry, Techno-Structuralism
    • ICTs and employment opportunities
    • Criticism of Knowledge society

 

 

 

 

References: 
  1. Abraham, M.F., 1990: Modern Sociological Theory: An Introduction, New Delhi: OUP
  2. Appudarai, Arjun, 1997: Modernity at Large: Cultural DFimensions of Globalization, New Delhi: OUP
  3. Dereze, Jean & Amartya Sen, 1996: India: Economic Development and Social Opportunity, New Delhi: OUP
  4. Desai, A.R., 1985: India’s Path of Development: A Marxist Approach, Bombay: Popular Prakashan
  5. Giddens, Anthony, 1996: “Global Problems and Ecological Crisis” in Introduction to Sociology (II Edition), New York: W.W.Norton & Co.
  6. Haq, Mahbub Ul, 1991: Reflections on Human Development, New Delhi: OUP
  7. Harrison, D., 1989: The Sociology of Modernization and Development, New Delhi: Sage
  8. Moore, Wilbert & Robert Cook, 1967: Social Change, New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India
  9. Sharma, S.L., 1986: Development: Socio-Cultural Dimensions. Jaipur: Rawat
  10. Srinivas, M.N., 1966: Social Change in Modern India, Berkley: University of Berkley
  11. Amin, Samir, 1979: Unequal Development, New Delhi: OUP
  12. Giddens, Anthony, 1990: The Consequences of Modernity, Cambridge: Polity Press
     
Academic Session: 
2018-19
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