IGNOU BA Sociology Study Material
Source : Sociology – eGyanKosh
IGNOU BA Sociology Study Material in ENGLISH DOWNLOAD !
An overview of the core components of Indian society, examining its social structures, key institutions, systems of hierarchy, and the dynamics of social change.
Block-1: Social Structure – Rural and Urban
This block examines the two primary settings of social life in India: the village and the city. It explores their distinct social structures, economic bases, and ways of life, while also acknowledging their increasing interconnectedness.
- Rural Social Structure: Traditionally, the Indian village has been seen as the bedrock of the nation’s social life. Its structure is characterized by a close-knit community, a predominantly agrarian economy, the pervasive influence of the caste system (jajmani system), and the dominance of traditional norms and values. Social relationships are often personal and based on kinship and caste ties.
- Urban Social Structure: In contrast, urban centers are characterized by a high density of population, a non-agricultural economy based on industry and services, and a more heterogeneous and anonymous social life. Urban society is marked by greater social mobility, a formal organization of life, and the presence of modern institutions. While caste and kinship ties persist, they often play a less overt role than in villages.
Block-2: Family, Marriage, and Kinship
This section delves into the foundational institutions that govern an individual’s life from birth to death. These institutions are central to social organization, property inheritance, and the socialization of new generations.
- Family: The primary social unit in India is traditionally the joint family, an extended family system where multiple generations live together, sharing a common residence and kitchen, and holding property in common. However, with urbanization and modernization, the nuclear family (comprising a couple and their children) is becoming more prevalent.
- Marriage: Marriage in India is largely viewed as a social and religious duty and an alliance between two families, rather than just a union of two individuals. It is governed by rules of endogamy (marrying within one’s caste or group) and exogamy (marrying outside one’s gotra or village). Arranged marriages are still the norm, though love marriages are gaining acceptance.
- Kinship: This refers to the complex web of social relationships based on blood ties and marriage. The kinship system defines an individual’s rights, obligations, and social position. It is a crucial organizing principle, particularly in rural India, influencing everything from property rights to political affiliations.
Block-3: Economy and Polity
This block explores the traditional economic and political organization of Indian society, particularly at the local level.
- Economy: The traditional rural economy was organized around the jajmani system, a reciprocal system of exchange of goods and services between different caste groups. For instance, artisan and service castes would provide their services to landowning castes in return for a fixed share of the harvest. The block also examines different land tenure systems that have shaped agrarian relationships.
- Polity: The traditional political structure at the village level was the caste panchayat (a council for a specific caste) and the village panchayat (a council for the entire village). These bodies resolved disputes and managed village affairs. In modern India, the Panchayati Raj system has been constitutionally established as a form of local self-government to empower rural communities.
Block-4: Social Organisation
This section provides a broader look at how social life is organized in India. It examines the principles that structure interactions and create a cohesive, albeit hierarchical, social order. This includes the interplay of the institutions discussed above—caste, kinship, village community, and religious affiliations. It explores how these different elements fit together to form the complex mosaic of Indian society, governing an individual’s identity, status, and life choices from a macro perspective.
Block-5: Caste and Class
This block focuses on the two most important systems of social stratification in India.
- Caste: The caste system is a unique and rigid form of social hierarchy based on birth. It traditionally dictated an individual’s occupation, social status, and interactions. Key features include hierarchy (with Brahmins at the top and Dalits, or former “untouchables,” at the bottom), hereditary membership, and rules of endogamy. Though discrimination based on caste is illegal, it remains a powerful social reality.
- Class: A class is a system of stratification based primarily on economic position (wealth, income, occupation). Unlike caste, class is, in principle, an achieved status. In modern India, the class structure coexists and often overlaps with the caste system. Urbanization and economic development have led to the growth of new classes, such as the industrial working class and a large urban middle class.
Block-6: Tribes in India
This section is dedicated to the study of India’s indigenous populations, known as Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis. They constitute a significant portion of the population and have distinct cultural and social characteristics.
- Characteristics: Tribal societies are often characterized by their relative isolation, close connection to a specific territory (especially forests), a strong sense of community and kinship, egalitarian social structures (compared to the caste system), and unique cultural and religious practices, often centered on nature worship.
- Distribution: Tribal communities are spread across various parts of India, with major concentrations in Central India, the Northeast, and the southern states.
- Problems: The block examines the major problems faced by tribal communities, including poverty, indebtedness, loss of land and access to forests, and the erosion of their cultural identity due to pressures from mainstream society and development projects.
Block-7: Women and Society
This block provides a critical examination of the position and status of women in Indian society. It highlights the patriarchal nature of society while also acknowledging the regional and cultural variations in women’s roles.
- Traditional Status: Traditionally, the status of women in India has been paradoxical. While revered as mothers and goddesses in religious texts, their practical, social, and economic position has often been subordinate to men.
- Roles and Challenges: The course examines the roles of women within the family and society and the numerous challenges they face, including gender discrimination (often starting before birth with female foeticide), lack of access to education and healthcare, domestic violence, and limited economic and political participation.
- Empowerment: It also focuses on the ongoing processes of women’s empowerment, driven by education, social reform movements, legal reforms, and the growing participation of women in the workforce and politics.
Block-8: Social Change
This concluding block analyzes the processes of transformation that have been reshaping Indian society, particularly over the last two centuries. It moves beyond a static picture to explore the dynamic nature of social life.
- Sanskritization: A process identified by sociologist M.N. Srinivas, where lower castes adopt the cultural patterns, customs, and rituals of higher castes to try and improve their social status within the caste hierarchy.
- Westernization: This refers to the changes brought about in Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule. It encompasses the adoption of Western technology, institutions, ideologies, and values.
- Modernization: A broader concept that involves a shift from traditional to modern social, economic, and political structures. In India, this is associated with processes like industrialization, urbanization, the spread of education, and the development of a democratic polity. These forces are continually interacting with traditional structures, leading to complex patterns of social change.