Tribhuvan University (Nepal)

Master of Arts in Sociology / Anthropology

1st Year Syllabus

Degree Campus Biratnagar - 1

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)

Degree Campus Biratnagar - 2

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

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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(RadcliffeBrown), 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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- 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

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- 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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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E. Measures of association between ordinal and interval/ratio variables: assumptions, calculation and interpretation of Spearmans rank order and Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient

IX. The QualQuan Approach

A. Combining qualitative and quantitative research tools and techniques B. Combining qualitative and quantitative research analysis

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