m.a. sociology 1st year syllabus(2069)

Degree Campus Biratnagar - 1

Tribhuvan University (Nepal)

Master of Arts in Sociology / Anthropology

1st –Year Syllabus


The M.A. first year of sociology student will study the

following subjects.

1. SA531: Theoretical Perspective in Sociology (T.U. Syllabus)

2. SA532: Theoretical Perspective in Anthropology (T.U.syllabus)

3. SA 533: Power and Politics: Governing Human Collectives

(T.U.syllabus)

4. SA 534: Analysis of Social Institutions and Processes

(T.U.syllabus)

5. Research Method in Sociology and Anthropology (T.U.syllabus)

http://www.historynepal.com/2011/03/sa531-theoretical-perspective-in.html


http://www.historynepal.com/2011/03/sa-533-power-and-politics-governing.html


http://www.historynepal.com/2010/07/sa-534-analysis-of-social-institutions.html


http://www.historynepal.com/2010/07/research-method-in-sociology-and.html


SA531: Theoretical Perspective in Sociology (T.U. Syllabus)

M.A SOCIOLOGY

Objectives

The objectives of the course are to help students to a) learn major and diverse perspectives in

sociology, b) learn to comprehend society, social institutions, social processes and human social

agents in alternative ways, and c) learn to utilize such perspectives to carry out research on

social institutions, social processes and human social agents.

I. Sociological Thinking

A. The sociological imagination and the promise of sociology

B. Reductionism and non-reductionism: Sociological versus biological, (and physiological,

genetic, chemical, etc.), psychological, 'natural' and supernatural explanations of social

institution and social change

C. Significance of perspective and theory

D. Sociology of knowledge: Basic principles and protocol

E. History of early sociology: Political, economic, religious and intellectual contexts

F. Classical sociology:

a. Comte's method of social inquiry and the idea of human progress

b. Marx: Overall doctrine and dynamics of social change

c. Spencer and growth, structure and differentiation

d. Durkheim: General approach, individual and society, and religion

e. Weber: Types of authority, and Protestantism and the rise of capitalism

f. Cooley, the 'looking-glass self' and the nature and history of human groups

II. Structural-Functional Perspective

A. Historical context



B. Key arguments

Whole, part and systemic interrelationships

Consensus, stability, order versus conflict, instability and change

Functional prerequisites or imperatives

Functional unity, universality and indispensability and Merton's reformulation

Manifest and latent function and dysfunction

Protocol of functional and dysfunction

C. Variants: Societal (Durkheim), Individualistic (Malinowski), Structural(Radcliffe-

Brown), Social systematic (Parsons)

D. Critique

E. Application to: a) Stratification, b) Deviance, c) Religion

III. Marxist Perspective

A. Context

B. Key arguments

Historical specificity of social institutions and capitalism as a specific historical

category

Key features of economy, polity and society under capitalism

Dialectics

Idealism, materialism and dialectical historical materialism

Mode of production and infrastructure and superstructure

Commodification of social life and alienation

Class and class struggle

Nature of state

Social change and revolution

C. Variants: a) Structural Marxism, b) Conflict functionalism, c)Lenin, d) Luxemburg, e)

Gramsci

D. Critique

E. Application: a) Consciousness, b) Religion, c) Family and marriage

IV. World-System Perspective

A. Context

B. Key arguments:

Evolution of capitalism and the rise of the modern world-system


Key features of the modern world system

Priority of world-system over regional and local systems and simultaneous

constitution of world and regional and local systems

World division of labor and global movement of commodity, labor, finance and

culture

Globalization and liberalization

Development and underdevelopment

Economic cycles and political, economic and military crises within world system

Crisis of world system, hegemonic shift and demise of capitalism

C. Variants: a) Wallerstein-Frank debate of the origin of 'modern world-system', b)

World- system and dependency debate, c) Wallerstein and monthly Review debate

D. Application: a) Growth of NGOs and INGOs and INGOs, b) International migration c)

Global mass media

E. Critique

V. Critical Theory and Jurgen Habermas

A. Context

B. Key arguments

Emancipation

Nature of society and human beings

Social change

Critique of science and sociology

Critique of classical Marxist perspective

C. Early critical theory and Habermas

The public sphere

Critique of science

Legitimation crisis

Distorted and undistorted communication

System and lifeworld

Evolution

VI. Actor-Dominant Perspective


Context

The idea of interpretation

Symbolic interaction

-George Herbert Mead's early synthesis

-Mead's central theories and methods

-Symbolic interaction and the Chicago School

-Herbert Blumer and his perspective

-Erving Goffman and the 'presentaion of self in everyday life

Phenomenology

-Alfred Schutz and phenomenological sociology

-Theories of Alfred Schutz

-Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann's the Local Construction of Reality

Ethnomethodology

-Defining ethnomethodology

-Diversification of ethnomethodology

-Harold Garfinkel and ethnomethodology

-Examples of ethnomethodology

-Ethnomethodological criticism of 'traditional sociology'

Critique of actor-dominant perspective

VII. Structuration Perspective

A. Historical contex

B. Classical formulations

Marx: History, structure and the objective versus class consciousness, class struggle

and political will and the subjective

Weber: iron cage of rationality and disenchantment of world versus types of human

social action

Gramsci: Hegemony and political will

Durkheim: Externality of social facts, social constraints and the elevation of the

coolecticve and undermining of agency

Parsons: System versus action frame of reference

Bourdieu: Habitus versus field


C. Formulation of Anthony Giddens

Agent and agency

Agency and power

Structure and structuration

Duality of structure

Forms of institution

Time, body, encounters

Structuration theory and forms of research

VIII. Micro-Macro Perspectives

A. Historical contex

B. Key problems

The polar position: Macro-micro extremism

Relative priority of macro versus micro and macro-micro integration

George Ritzer

Jeffrey Alexander

Norbert Wiley

James Coleman

Peter Blau

Randall Collins

Richard Munch and Neil Smelser


SA532: Theoretical Perspective in Anthropology (T.U.syllabus)

M.A. Anthropology

Course Objective:

The objective of this course is to inculcate an understanding of anthropological perspectives on

human nature, behaviors and practices-i.e., culture in general. It examines the differences and

continuities of theoretical approaches over time. The course aims to locate history of

anthropology as a discipline by examining the relationship between the modes of knowledge

and forms of political-economic dominance. The course aims to provide students with more

balanced comparative perspective drawing from the 'classical' and 'contemporary' theoretical

perspectives and approaches in anthropology.

I. Historical Development of Anthropology

1. Foundation of Anthropology:

A. What is Anthropological Perspective?

B. History of the Discipline

Intellectual contexts (enlightenment, positivism, influence of Durkheim, Weber and Marx, and

others)'

Political and economic context: relationships between the political-economic domination

(Western colonialism, capitalism and racism) and the forms of knowledge

production/intellectual traditions

2. Overview of the development of Anthropology in the world content with particular

reference to US, Britain, France, Germany, South Asia, and Nepal

II. Major Classical Theoretical Approaches

1. Culture theories and the "science" of culture

A. Evolutionism: the contexts, theoretical and methodological approaches: critical

reviews of the contribution of E.B. Tylor and L. H. Morgan



B. Diffusionism: the contexts, general theoretical assumptions, methodological

approaches and critiques

C. Historical Particularism and idea of cultural relativism: Critical reviews of

contribution of Franz Boas

D. Linking theories to the idea of time, space and universality of human history and

cultural differences (the 'West and the "Others")

2. Functional and structural-functionalism (British Social Anthropology): Critical review of the

contributions of B. Malinowski, A.R. Radcliffe Brown, Evans-Pritchard. Linking theories with

ethnographic fieldwork, holism and the idea of "non-western, non-capitalist, simple societies"

3. Structuralism (French anthropology): Critical reviews of Levi Strauss's contributions and his

influence in anthropology

4. Anthropology and Moral Economies: Marcel Mauss's 'The Gift' and Marchal Shalins' 'Stone

Age Economy'.

5. Culture and Personality: Critical review of the contributions of Ralph Linton, Margaret Mead,

and Ruth Benedict

6. Symbolic and Interpretative Approaches: Critical reviews of the contributions of Clifford

Geertz, Victor Turner, David Schneide, and Mary Douglas

7. Ecological approaches: contributions of and critical reviews of Leslie White, Julian Steward,

Roy. A. Rappaport and Marvin Harris

8. Marxism and anthropology

A. Anthropological Impetus in Marxism (Marx and Engels)

- Mode of Production: means of production, relations of production

- Simultaneous existence of multiple modes of productions

- Commodity and commodity fetishism

B. Marxian Theory of Value: Economic and anthropological approach to value

C. Alienation: Marxian and Anthropological approach

D. Application of Marxian approach in the study of non-cap9italist societies and cultures

III. Crisis and Critical Turns in Anthropology (1970s-1980s)


- The intellectual and political-economic contexts: "crisis" in anthropology

- Anthropology and colonial encounter (Talad Asad and others)

-Anthropology and the making of the "Others" (Edward Said and others)

- Feminist and native critiques (see the required readings)

- Questioning the idea of "culture" and the "field" (see the required readings)

IV. Contemporary Theoretical Trends and Debates

1. Practice, Power, Agency and Resistance

A. Theory of Practice: Critical reviews of P. Bourdieu and others

B. Capillary Power and govern mentality critical reviews of Michele Foucault and his

influences in anthropology: (overview of some ethnographic works)

C Hegemony, resistance and agency: concepts and application (Gramsci, James Scott

and others: overview of some ethnographic examples)

2. Postmodernism, Post colonialism, Subaltern Studies Indigenism and Anthropology

A. Postmodernism and anthropology

- Overview of post structuralism and its influence in anthropology

- Postmodernism: concepts and debates

-postmodernism and anthropology (reviews of George Marcus, James Clifford,

and R. Rosaldo)

- Postmodernism and ethnography

- Critiques

B. Post colonial and subaltern studies and anthropology

- Overview of intellectual and poli9tiacl contexts

- Influences of postcolonial and subaltern studies anthropology

C. Indigenism and anthropology

- Indigenism (concept): overview


- Indigenism, 'culture rights' and anthropology: relationship and challenges

3. Anthropology: Global-Local Interface, and Anthropology of Nepal

-Refocusing anthropological lens: globalization, transnational connections and

everyday life

- Global-local interface, and ethnographic approach: reviews of some

ethnographic examples

- Locating anthropology of Nepal in the context of theoretical developments,

crisis and shifts in anthropology

- Future of anthropology with particular reference to Nepal (discussion)


SA 533: Power and Politics: Governing Human Collectives

(T.U.syllabus)

Objectives

Power and politics has remained one of the central experience and concern of the human

condition throughout the ages. Drawing from a wide range of sources from the social sciences

and the humanities, the primary objective of this course is to familiarize the students with the

foundational issues of political power and authority and its linkages with state, governance, and

development. This paper is designed as a text-based exploration and will thus require the

students to immerse into original texts to develop their comprehension, analytic, and writing

skills. While the list of texts offers a wide intellectual and historical sweep, the teaching and

reading will focus on the core issues listed on each Unit.

I: Conceptualizing Human Collectives

A. From boards to human groups

B. Basic attributes of human groups: norms, rules, power, politics and authority

C. Formal organization and their basic characteristics

D. The political community

II: Foundational Classics

A. Emergence of political power

B. The idea of state

C. Government and Representation

III. Political Traditions and Practices

A. Politics and power in tribal societies

B. Nature of political leadership

C. Pre-state formations

D. Anthropology/sociology and the study of politics




IV. Comparative Readings in Asian Political Systems

A. Confucian authority

B. East Asian Developments

C. Hindu and Muslim authority

D. South Asian politics

V. Politics and Power Under Different Forms of Regimes

A. Despotic and dictatorial regime: Thomas Hobbes on the "Leviathan" State,

prohibition of civic right of the population, political processes guided by the interest and

control of a minority of the ruling population

B. Democratic regimes under western liberal tradition: John Lock: the state as a

defender of civic right of the population; J.S. Mills: representative government;

Polyarchy, competitive process and majority support as the basis of establishing political

legitimacy; political parties and interest groups as mechanisms of interest articulation

and political socialization; role of civil society.

C. Socialist critique to the western form of democratic regime: Karl Marx: the

instrumental role of the state; the concept of dominant class, power block and relative

autonomy of ht e state; socialist regimes: a critique.

VI. Political Violence and the Human Condition

A. Forms of violence

B. Ethno nationalism

C. State coercion

D. Transitional conflicts

VII. Patterns of Political Transitions and Consolidations

A. Regime change

B. Social movements and intensity of change of the regime

C. Transitional challenges


VIII. State order, state capacity and authority

A. Establishing the rule of law

B. The culture and politics of corruption

C. Forms of state control: coercion, hegemony and hegemonic formations

D. Society-state interface

E. Limiting state capacity

IX. Discourses and Critique of Power, State, Development, and Govern mentality

A. Embodied power

B. Pre-modern and modern logic of power

C. Bureaucratic reason and unreasoned

D. Emergence of a development state

E. International development regime

X. Globalization and Governance

A. Historical context of globalization and global connection of developing societies

B. Shift from 'govern' to governance

C. Public administration reform

D. Global governance


SA 534: Analysis of Social Institutions and Processes (T.U.syllabus)

Course Objective

The objective of this course is to familiarize the students with some fundamental insinuations

of society and orient them to develop knowledge about theoretical analysis of institutional

relationships and processes.

I. Introduction

A. Meaning of Institution, Definitional problems

B. Institution through Time and Space

C. Institutionalization, process of institutional Growth

D. Micro and Macro Level Institutions

II. Micro Social and Cultural Institutions

A. (i) Marriage: Origin, Basic Functions and Dynamics; Types of Marriage, Social

Implications of Divorce, Widowhood, Remarriage, Remaining Single

(ii) Sexuality: Homosexuality, Heterosexuality, Bisexuality, Trans-sexuality; Significance

of study of Marriage in Sociology/Anthropology

B. The Family and Household: Meaning of the Term: Family as a Genealogical Unit,

Household as the Functional Dimension of Family, Simple and Complex Households,

Nuclear and Extended Families: Household as a Reproductive, Economic and Political

Unit; Relationship of Household with other Broader Organizations such as Community

and the State; Household Dynamics: Views from Modernization, Functionalist, Conflict

and World System Perspectives; Functional Importance of Family and Households;

Family Values and Violence

C. Kinship: Kinship as a System of Kin-based Affinity and Relationship, Kinship Structure

or the Order of Kin-Based Affinity and Distance, Fictive Kinship, Kin Relation, Cohesion

and Divisions: Kinship Loyalties, Political Processes and Economic Development,

Technology and Dynamics in Kin Relation: Beyond Biology and Descent as of basis of

Kinship, Kinship as Culture of Relatedness



D. Community as Institution: Why Community is an Institution; Various Meanings of the

Term : Community as Place to Live, Community as a Spatial Unit, Community as a Way of

Life, Community as a collective Identity, Community as a Unit of Development,

Community as an Arena of Social Interaction; Community as Persisting Social System:

the Functional Paradigm; Political, Economic, Normative and Pattern Maintenance

Components of the Community; Conflict, Violence, Structural Inequality and

Differences: the Conflict Paradigm: Local Community and Larger Society: Effects of

National and Global Forces on Community Based Way of Life of People

III. Macro Social and Cultural Institutions

A. Economic Institution and Social Cultural Life: Economy as an Adaptive Component of

ocial System, Economic System as a System of Production, Distribution and Use of

Goods and Services in Society; Changes in Economic Institution and Related Types of

Human Relationship through Time: Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic technologies

and Socio-Economic Organization; Social Correlates of Foraging, Agriculture and

Industrial Systems; Features and Conditions of Growth and Development of Feudal,

Capitalist and Socialist Modes of Production; Connection Between Local and Global

Economies : Market Based Analysis and Analysis Based on Inequality and Exploitative

relations.

B. Political Institution and Social Cultural Life: Concept of Power and Politics; Politics in

Tribal and Din Based Groupings of Human Collectivities; The Nation State: Meaning and

Nation Building Processes; Types of State Control: Coercion and Hegemony; Patterns

and Processes of Use of Power in Despotic/Dictatorial, Liberal Democratic and Socialist

forms of Political Regimes and Critique; State of Development and Predation; Imported

Democracies and Primordial Loyalties: The context of the Third World; Social

Movements and Intensity of Change of Political Regimes; Authority Structure and

Hierarchies at Household and Local Community.

C. Religious Institution and Social Cultural Life: Religion as s System of Belief in Super

Natural Being; Rites and Rituals as One Dimension of Manifestation of Practice of

Religion, Variations of Views about the Effect of Religion: religion as a Promoter of Social

Morality and Cohesion (Durheim), Religion as an Ideology Formed for Legitimizing the

Structure of Social Inequality (Marx), Religious Values and Their Impacts on the

Operation of Economic Activities (Weber); Diversity of Religions and Religious Beliefs as

Factor of Conflict and Cooperation among Groups of Population

IV. Ties that Bind: Individual, Society and Culture


Debate on Primacy of Society and Culture and the Over-socialized Conception of Man;

Nature/Nurture Debate; Linking History and Biography; Mechanisms of Social Control;

Collective Good, Social Justice and Individual Freedom

V. Ties that Repel: Inequality and Social Mobility

Dimension of Social Stratification, Intensity of Stratification, Inequality and Stratification

and Differentiation by Age, Gender, Caste, Ethnicity Class, and Income; Global Inequality

and Stratification, Inequality and Stratification and Life Chances, Inequality,

Stratification and Conflict

VI. Social and Cultural Change

Causes of social and cultural change: Technology; Market, Mass Media, Modernization

and Globalization; Globalization Vs Localization, the State and Planned Social Change,

Intensity of Social Change; Social Movements, Reform and Revolution

VII. Utility of Sociology/Anthropology and Study of Social Institutions

- Comprehension of Self as a Social Cultural Being

- Comprehension of Society and Social Change

- Individualism and Equality

- Anthropology and Sociology of Sense


Research Method in Sociology and Anthropology

Course Objectives

The main aim of the course is to familiarize the students with basic sociological and

anthropological research methods. The course focuses on the concepts, techniques and tools of

research methods, data analysis and research writing.

Introduction

A. What is a social research?

B. Why do we carry out social research?

The initial research idea and topic and its justification

Literature review, i.e. what have others said about this research topic?

The research problem and its social and theoretical justification or significance;

research objectives

Clarification of concepts, indicators and operationalization (where necessary)

Information or data collection techniques and their justification

Collection of primary (‘field’) and secondary (‘documentary’) information: sources

and rules of access

Data analysis

Presentation of finding, including the social and theoretical significance of findings

C. Disciplinary, interdisciplinary and problem oriented social research

D. Ethical issues in social science research

E. Sociological/anthropological research trends in Nepal

II. Meta theory and Research

A. Interrelationship between meta theory and research agenda

B. Structural-functional, cultural-ecological, Marxist, symbolic inter actionist, ethno

methodological and feminist meta theories and corresponding research protocols

C. Induction, deduction and generalization

D. Interpretation

III. Research Designs

http://www.historynepal.com/2010/07/research-method-in-sociology-and.html


Fundamental features, strengths and limitations of exploratory, descriptive,

explanatory, experimental and semi-experimental, cross-sectional,

historical/longitudinal, and comparative research designs

IV. Measurements and Relationships

A. Concepts: types and difficulties in defining concept.

B. Variable: qualitative and quantitative; independent and dependent; indicators

C. Measurement: postulates and levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval and

ratio) and corresponding modes of data analysis

D. Reliability: test and improvement of reliability.

E. Validity: content, construct and criterion validity and validation

F. Relationship: symmetrical, asymmetrical and reciprocal relationship; correlation,

causality and spurious interpretation

G. Control: notion and significance; techniques for controlling variable(s)

V. Qualitative Data Generation Techniques

A. Field-site selection; Entry into the field: rapport building

B. Field work and ethnographic research

Observation and participant observating

Genealogical methods

Case studies and life histories

Interviews (formal, informal and key informant)

Archival study

PRA<>

Limitations of qualitative research tools and techniques

VI. Qualitative Data Analysis

A. Paradigms in Qualitative Research

B. Qualitative data analysis: coding, transcribing, and interpretation

C. Traditions and Approaches:

Ethnographic accounts

Narrative analysis

Content analysis

Conversation analysis


Discourse analysis

Documentary research

VII. Quantitative Data Generation Techniques

A. The significance and utility of quantitative methods

B. Survey methods:

Rational and features of survey research

Preparation, planning phase, data collection phase, and data analysis and reporting

phase

Survey designs: self administered surveys, face to face interviews, telephone

surveys, computer-assisted telephone interviews and internet surveys

Survey Instruments: questionnaire, interview schedule and check list; reliability and

validity of the instruments

Problems and issues in executing survey research: location and accessing the

respondents and field settings; implementation of data collection techniques; role of

field investigators; interviewer bias

C. Sampling Methods: probability and non-probability designs; uses and limitations of

specific sampling designs; sample size; sampling bias and error

D. Questionnaire and structured interview schedule : preparation, types, uses and

limitations

E. Limitations of quantitative research tools and techniques

VIII. Quantitative data Analysis

A. Organizing and summarizing data: editing, coding, and processing

B. Displaying data: tables; graphs, histograms and pie-chart

C. Descriptive statistics: frequency distribution of grouped/ungrouped data;

construction and reading of tables; ratio, proportion and rate; measures of central

tendency; measures of dispersion

D. Measures of association between nominal or qualitative variables: assumptions,

calculation and interpretation of chi-square statistic and test.


E. Measures of association between ordinal and interval/ratio variables: assumptions,

calculation and interpretation of Spearman’s rank order and Pearson’s product moment

correlation coefficient

IX. The QualQuan Approach

A. Combining qualitative and quantitative research tools and techniques

B. Combining qualitative and quantitative research analysis

m.a. sociology 1st year syllabus(2069)

Documents

degree campus biratnagar

governing human collectives

human social agents

quantitative research tools

data collection techniques

social cultural life

data analysis

critical review