Syllabus (SOCIOLOGY)

Course Type: MAJ-15

Semester: 8

Course Code: BSOCMAJ15T

Course Title: Political Sociology

(L-P-Tu): 3-0-1

Credit: 4

Practical/Theory: Theory

Course Objective: Political Sociology is one of the core areas of sociology. The course examines the bases of social power and the relationship between politics and society. Thereby, the course equips students to grasp the essential historicity of political processes, inst

Learning Outcome: After completing this course students will be able to • Understand the political systems and its working nature. • Understand the power structure and the related politics of the society. • Analyse the role and importance of decentralised power struc

Contents of the Course

1. Emergence and Scope of Political Sociology

2. Theoretical Traditions

Marxist (State), Pareteian (Circulation of Elites), Weberian (Authority), Foucauldian (Governmentality)

3. Political System

Democratic (Multi-Party System), Segmentary and Totalitarian

4. Local Self Government

5. Contemporary Political Realities

6. Non- political Politics

Readings and References

1. Gupta, D. (1996). Political sociology in India: contemporary trends. Orient Blackswan.
2. Nash, K., & Scott, A. (Eds.). (2008). The Blackwell companion to political sociology. John Wiley & Sons.
3. Ritzer, George. (2011). Sociological Theory (Fifth Edition). Tata McGraw-Hill.
4. Haralambos, M., & Heald, R. M. (2009). Sociology, themes and perspectives. Oxford University Press.
5. Nash, K. (2009). Contemporary political sociology: Globalization, politics and power. John Wiley & Sons.
6. Dobratz, B. A. (2015). Power, politics, and society: an introduction to political sociology. Routledge.
7. Kaviraj, S. (2018). The trajectories of the Indian State. Permanent Black.
8. Mills, C. W., & Horowitz, I. L. (1964). Power, politics and people: The collected essays of C. Wright Mills. Science and Society, 28(4).
9. Mills, C. W. (2000). The power elite. Oxford University Press.
10. Keller, S. I. (1991). Beyond the ruling class: strategic elites in modern society. Transaction Publishers.
11. Pakulski, J. (2018). Classical elite theory: Pareto and Weber. The Palgrave handbook of political elites, 17-24.
12. Giddens, A. (2003). Runaway world: How globalization is reshaping our lives. Taylor & Francis.
13. Janoski, T., Alford, R. R., Hicks, A. M., & Schwartz, M. A. (Eds.). (2005). The handbook of political sociology: States, civil societies, and globalization. Cambridge University Press.
14. Sassen, S. (2007). A Sociology of Globalization. W. W. Norton & Company.
15. Bottomore, T. (2006). Elites and society. Routledge.
16. Maddick, H. (1970). Panchayati Raj: a study of rural local government in India. Panchayati Raj: a study of rural local government in India.
17. Ghosh, B., & Kumar, G. (2003). State politics and panchayats in India.
18. Bardhan, P., &Mookherjee, D. (Eds.). (2006). Decentralization and local governance in developing countries: A comparative perspective. Mit Press.
19. R. and A. Mason. (2003) Political Concepts. Manchester University Press.
20. Gaus, G. (2018). Political concepts and political theories. Routledge.
21. Marshall, T. H., & Bottomore, T. B. (1992). Citizenship and social class (Vol. 2). London: Pluto Press.
22. Pai, S. (2013). Handbook of politics in Indian states: region, parties, and economic reforms. Oxford University Press.
23. Mukhopadhyay, Amal Kumar. (ed.). 1987. Political Sociology: An Introductory Analysis. Calcutta: K.P. Bagchi & Company.