Session: January to April 2012

Syllabus (2
nd
Semester, Sociology)
Title of the Course: Sociological Thought
Course Instructors: Dr. Sujit Kumar Choudhary, Dr. Ayan Hazra & Dr. Uttam Kumar
Panda
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Unit 1: Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
Biographical Sketch, Methodology, Law of Three Stages, Hierarchy of the Sciences,
Static & Dynamic Sociology, Scientific Theory of Morality & Religion of Humanity
Unit 2: Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
Biographical Sketch, View on Sociology, Theory of Social Evolution, Theory of Organic
Analogy, Analysis of the Evolution of Societies
Unit 3: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Biographical sketch, Rules of Sociological Method, Division of Labour, Elementary
Forms of Religious Life, Theory of Suicide
Unit 4: Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Biographical Sketch, Historical Materialism, Theory of Capitalism, Theory of Alienation,
Theory of Class & Class Struggle, Law of Dialectics
Unit 5: Max Weber (1864-1920)
Biographical Sketch, Methodology, Social Action, Theory of Religion, Power, Authority
& Legitimacy
Unit 6: Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)
Biographical sketch, Action Theory, System Theory, Functional Prerequisites, Pattern
Variables, Social Change
Selected Readings
Anthony Giddens (1971). Capitalism and Modern Social Theory An analysis of the writings of
Marx, Durkheim and Weber, Cambridge University Press.
Kemmeth Allan. Contemporary Social and Sociological Theory. Sage Publications
Lewis Coser. Masters in Sociological Thought. Rawat Publications.
Reymond Aron. Main Currents in Sociological Thought, Vol. I and II, Penguin.
Scott Appelrouth. Sociological Theory in Contemporary Era. Sage Publications
Sujit Kumar Choudhary. Thinkers and Theories in Sociology: From Comte to Giddens,
Gagandeep Publications.
Timasheff, Nicholas S. Sociological Theory, NewYork: Random House.