In the context of any country, which one of the following would be considered as part of its social capital?

What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?

Explore and evaluate the impact of 'Work From Home' on family relationships.

How is the growth of Tier 2 cities related to the rise of a new middle class with an emphasis on the culture of consumption?

To what extent do pressure groups, social movements and corporate lobbies deepen pluralistic democracy in India by representing excluded interests? Analyse whether the growing convergence of corporate wealth and political power poses a threat to the autonomy of formal democratic institutions.

(a) Education is a major source of social mobility in contemporary society. Explain. (b) How is Durkheim's theory of religion different from Max Weber's theory of religion? (c) Distinguish between family and household as sociological concepts.

(a) The focal point of Sociology rests on interaction. How do you distinguish it from common sense? (b) Distinguish between fact and value in Weber's Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism. (c) Do you think 'I' and 'Me' are central terms in Mead's work? (d) What is the difference between natural and social inequality? Give examples from caste and class dimensions. (e) What are the new forms of family in developed societies? Discuss.

(a) Is non-positivistic methodology scientific? Illustrate. (b) Explain Durkheim's basic arguments on suicide. Can you analyse high suicide rates of contemporary Indian society with Durkheim's theory? (c) Evaluate if social stratification is functional for society.

(a) Does collapse of functionalism and bankruptcy of Marxism coincide with the rupture of modernity? Discuss. (b) Define patriarchy. How does patriarchy manifest in interpersonal relations? (c) What is the difference between anomie in Merton and Durkheim? Explain.

(a) According to Marx, how are human beings alienated from their human potential and what does he suggest to change this? (b) Schooling does not ensure upward mobility of all members of the society. Discuss with reference to class societies. (c) Discuss the challenges thrown by religious revivalism to a secular nation-state.

(a) Is the theory of cultural lag valid in present times? Discuss. (b) Are social movements primordial in means and progressive in agenda? Explain. (c) Does scientific method make Sociology a science? Illustrate your answer with Durkheim's method. (d) Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection with suitable examples from Indian society. (e) Is social mobility possible in closed systems of stratification? Illustrate from research work.

(a) Discuss the nature of social organisation of work in capitalist society with reference to the 'Limits of the working day'. (b) Distinguish between family and household with reference to the concept of development of the household. (c) Explain with examples, the explanatory and exploratory designs of social research.

(a) How can Parsons' AGIL framework be used to analyse key problems in a society? Discuss. (b) What is labour commitment? Discuss it with reference to studies of manufacturing industry. (c) What, according to Pareto, are the basic characteristics of elites? Discuss.

(a) "The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relationship between the two in a society." — C.W. Mills. Explain. (b) What are sects? Discuss their role in multi-religious societies with empirical examples. (c) In what way did Durkheim perceive religion as functional to society?

(a) Do you think that 'demonetization' has accelerated the economic growth in India? How do you understand the informalization of labour, underemployment and gender discrimination in this context? (b) Discuss the implications of 'Swachha Bharat Abhiyan'. Do you think that civil society has a role to play here? Substantiate your answer with examples. (c) Do you agree that social movements are caused by opportunity structures that are generated by media? Why?

(a) Indian caste system is unique and has been unhealthy for the growth of sociology of India. How far do you agree with this view? (b) Discuss Whitehead's contention that caste has potential to displace class and colonial contradiction. (c) Indian rural society is a faction-ridden society. Discuss.

(a) Discuss the conceptual issues about lineage and descent in India. Give suitable illustrations. (b) Analyze household dimensions of family in India. (c) Write a note on 'cultural pluralism' in multi-religious society like India.

(a) What are the reactions of R.K. Merton to the functionalism of social anthropologists? Bring out the limitations of latent functions. (b) How are Hierarchy and Exclusion the major impediments in the transformation of societies? Discuss. (c) Explain democracy as an order of society. What are the factors preventing people's participation in politics?

(a) Is humanity at the mercy of Nature, Science and Technology? Comment in the light of pandemic situation. (b) According to Durkheim, "The major function of education is the transmission of society's norms and values." Discuss. (c) Critically assess social mobility in closed and open systems.

(a) Technology has accelerated the process of development and dependency. Discuss. (b) Phenomenological perspectives in sociology reject many of the assumptions of positivism. Comment. (c) Critically assess the Marxian theory of 'Alienation'.

(a) How does Marx view social conflict as an essential element in social change? (b) What is the impact of gender division of labour on the development of society? (c) Examine how social movements come to an end. Illustrate with examples.

(a) Europe was the first and the only place where modernity emerged. Comment. (b) Do you think ethnomethodology helps us in getting reliable and valid data? Justify your answer. (c) Discuss the challenges involved in collecting data through census method. (d) Explain whether Durkheim's theory of Division of Labour is relevant in the present day context. (e) Critically examine Max Weber's theory of Social Stratification.

(a) From the viewpoint of growing importance of multidisciplinarity, how do you relate sociology to other social sciences? (b) How far are sociologists justified in using positivist approach to understand social reality? Explain with suitable illustrations. (c) How is sociology related to common sense?

(a) How do qualitative and quantitative methods supplement each other in sociological enquiry? (b) Critically examine the dialectics involved in each mode of production as propounded by Karl Marx. (c) Do you agree with Max Weber's idea that bureaucracy has the potential to become an iron cage? Justify your answer.

(a) Elucidate the main problems and challenges faced by the migrant labourers in the recent 'Lockdown period'. (b) Explain how political parties and pressure groups are dialectically related to each other in terms of achieving their goals. (c) Give your comments on the growth of religious revivalism in the present day context.

(a) Explain how the pattern of patriarchy is being altered in a family and at the workplace in the present context. (b) Critically examine the contribution of dependency theories in understanding the present global scenario. (c) Explain the growing salience of ethnicity in the contemporary world with illustrations.

(a) Discuss the changing nature of kinship relations in the contemporary world. (b) Describe the role of Science and Technology in enabling us to face the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. (c) Highlight the roles and functions of civil society in a democratic system.

(a) Caste system studies in India have been dominated by the "book-view" initially. How did the entry of "field-view" bring about a balance in the study of Indian caste system? Discuss. (b) What does Dr. B. R. Ambedkar mean by the concept of "Annihilation of caste"? (c) Discuss different forms of kinship system in India. (d) Critically examine briefly the phrase "Little Republics" as used to denote India's villages. (e) Caste-like formations are present in Non-Hindu religious communities as well. Discuss with examples.

(a) What is identity politics? Discuss the main trends in Dalit movements in India. (b) Is Indian society moving from "Hierarchy" towards "differentiation"? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples. (c) Discuss the salient features of 'new middle class' in India.

(a) Discuss in detail the major contribution of Prof. Yogendra Singh in theorizing India's modernization. (b) Examine the factors responsible for the rural unrest in contemporary India. (c) Discuss the changing dimensions of family structure in urban India.

(a) What are the sociological reasons and implication of "reverse migration" during the recent pandemic in India? (b) Discuss the main features of the debate between G. S. Ghurye and V. Elwin on tribal development. (c) What are the various forms of untouchability in India? Critically examine.

(a) Critically examine the relevance of Durkheim's views on religion in contemporary society. (b) Discuss various theoretical perspectives on the family. (c) Explain the implications of feminization of work in the developing societies. (d) Write a note on global trends of secularization. (e) Trace the trajectory of development perspectives on social change.

(a) Critically analyse Parsons views on society as a social system. (b) Discuss how 'environmentalism' can be explained with new social movements approach. (c) Illustrate with examples the role of pressure groups in the formulation of social policies.

(a) Examine the social background of growth of Indian nationalism. (b) Explain how land reforms brought about desired agrarian transformation. (c) Discuss the challenges during village studies in India.

(a) What is the distinctiveness of the feminist method of social research? Comment. (b) Discuss the relationship between sociology and political science. (c) How does the dramaturgical perspective enable our understanding of everyday life? (d) Is reference group theory a universally applicable model? Elucidate. (e) Do you think that the boundary line between ethnicity and race is blurred? Justify your answer.

(a) Examine the relevance of corporate social responsibility in a world marked by increasing environmental crises. (b) How is civil society useful in deepening the roots of democracy? (c) What functions does religion perform in a pluralistic society? (d) Analyze critically David Morgan's views on family practices. (e) Does women's education help to eradicate patriarchal discriminations? Reflect with illustrations.

(a) Highlight the significant features of A.R. Desai's 'Dialectical Perspective' to study Indian Society. (b) The decade of 1950s was the golden period of village studies in Indian Sociology. Explain the statement. (c) Analyse the differences between the attributional and interactional approach in studying the caste system. (d) Are Tradition and Modernity antithetical to each other? Comment. (e) Discuss the main features of Land Reforms in post-independence India.

(a) Discuss the nature of Sociology. Highlight its relationship with Social Anthropology. (b) Analyse the changing nature of caste as a status group. (c) Marriage as an institution has undergone a radical transformation from 'ritual' to 'commercial' in its outlook. Explain the factors behind this change. (d) Democracy needs a vibrant culture of civil society in order to strengthen its foundation of citizenship. Comment. (e) What are the 'basic and irreducible' functions of the family as proposed by Talcott Parsons ? Explain.

(a) Sociology is the product of European enlightenment and renaissance. Critically examine this statement. (b) Do you think 'objectivity' is an over-hyped idea in sociological research? Discuss the merits and demerits of non-positivist methods. (c) What is social mobility ? Critically examine the classification of 'closed' and 'open' models of social stratification.

(a) Give an account of the recent trends of marriage in the Indian context. How are these different from traditional practices? (b) What would you identify as the similarities and differences in the elite theories of Mosca, Michels and Pareto? Discuss their main/crucial issues. (c) Critically analyze the sociological significance of informal sector in the economy of developing societies.

(a) In what way is the scope of sociology unique? Explain. (b) Does the structural-functionalist perspective on social stratification promote a status quo? Give reasons for your answer. (c) Do you think that the formal workspaces are free of gender bias? Argue your case. (d) How does Weber's Verstehen address the objectivity-subjectivity debate in sociology? (e) To what extent can education and skill development be an agent of social change? Critically analyze.

(a) What is science? Do you think that the methods used in natural sciences can be applied to sociology? Give reasons for your answer. (b) What do you understand by gender-based domestic division of labour? Is it undergoing a change in the wake of increasing participation of women in formal employment? Clarify your answer with illustrations. (c) How can you assess the significance of social movements in the digital era? Explain.

(a) Who is said to be the pioneer of village studies in India? Illustratively describe contributions of some Indian sociologists on village studies. How their approaches are distinct from each other? (b) Industrial class structure is a function of social structure of Indian society. Do you agree with this statement? Analyze. (c) What is kinship? Briefly explain G. P. Murdock's contribution to the study of the kinship system.

(a) The transfer of land from cultivating to the non-cultivating owners is bringing about transformation in Indian society. Justify your answer by giving suitable illustrations. (b) Bring out various factors responsible for declining of village Industries in India. (c) Discuss the social bases of political mobilization in Independent India. Has some change occurred in these during the last 60-70 years? (d) What are the major problems faced by the labour migrants while working in informal sectors of Indian States? Discuss. (e) Do you think that law has been able to abolish child labour in India? Comment.

(a) In what respects have the constitutional provisions changed the socio-economic and political conditions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India? Critically examine. (b) Discuss the trend of urbanization in India. Do you think that Industrialization is the only precondition of urbanization? Give you arguments. (c) Which measures would you suggest for preventing caste conflicts in India? Justify your argument.

(a) In what ways do class and caste intersect and overlap in shaping social structure? (b) Critically examine the position of women in the informal economy. (c) Discuss the role of geographical factors in social change and development. (d) Although sociology, as a subject of study, overarches all disciplines in social sciences yet it maintains its distinctiveness. Comment. (e) Explain in brief the relationship between social movement, collective action and revolution in bringing about social and political changes.

(a) Discuss the relationship between religion and science in modern society. Do they necessarily remain in conflict? (b) Is 'interpretativism' more effective than 'positivism' in analysing social reality? Discuss. (c) How does Emile Durkheim conceptualize religion as a 'social fact'? Explain.

(a) Elaborate major sociological theories of power. How do power elite shape the political process in modern societies? (b) Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of migration on rural households. (c) 'The methods of sociology are inadequate in understanding the complex social phenomena'. Discuss.

(a) The major challenge for sociology researchers is to analyze social reality objectively. Critically analyze. (b) Explain the concept of 'definition of the situation' and its significance in sociology. (c) In what way the concept of 'patriarchal bargain' be applied to the institution of marriage? Comment. (d) How does Max Weber's 'theory of authority' shape bureaucracy? Analyse. (e) How do different theories explain social dimensions of social movements? Discuss.

(a) How are the concepts of nation, state and citizenship interrelated in a democracy? Elaborate. (b) Critically evaluate the relevance of the cyclical theory of social change in understanding contemporary societies. (c) Discuss the significance and limitations of 'intersectionality' in social research.

(a) Differentiate between protests and movements. Discuss some of those movements which changed the fabric of Indian agrarian society during the colonial period. (b) Synchronise the developmental programmes and social change in India, and describe them through visible and lived experiences. (c) Why was the category of 'criminal tribe' created by law during the colonial period in India? Discuss its implications.

(a) Explain how sociology has emerged as a distinct discipline based on rationality and scientific temper. (b) Examine ethnomethodological and phenomenological perspectives as critique of positivism. (c) Illustrate with example the significance of variables in sociological research. (d) Critically analyse Talcott Parsons' conception of 'Pattern Variables'. (e) Can we equate 'poverty' with 'poor living' ? Elaborate your answer.

(a) Discuss distinct sociological method adopted by Emile Durkheim in his study of 'suicide'. (b) Analyse Marxian conception of historical materialism as a critique of Hegelian dialectics. (c) Examine epistemological foundations of qualitative methods of social research.

(a) What is Weberian critique of Marxist notion of social stratification ? (b) Examine gender, ethnicity and race as major dimensions of social stratification. (c) How can one resolve the issue of reliability and validity in the context of sociological research on inequality ?

(a) What do you understand by 'informalisation of labour' ? Write your answer with special reference to India. (b) Discuss the changing interface between state and civil society in post-independent India. (c) Give an assessment of Durkheimian notion of 'sacred' and 'profane' in sociology of religion. (d) Examine 'patriarchal bargain' as gendered division of work in contemporary India. (e) Assess the role of mass media as an agent of social change.

(a) Trace the changing nature of organisation of work in capitalist society over the years. (b) What is new in 'new social movements' ? Elaborate your answer with special reference to India. (c) Examine the dynamics of pressure groups in multi-party political system.

(a) Examine the relationship between the contemporary trends in marriage and changing forms of family. (b) Discuss the regional variations of kinship system in Indian society. (c) Problematise the concept of secularism in the present context.