Objectives of the department:

The department officially came into being in December 2001, though teaching Sociology started much earlier, in 1992, as a component of the Humanities course for students in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. The Department started offering a two-year M Phil Programme in Sociology, the first of its kind in West Bengal, from July 2002. Since 2005 it started four Extra Departmental courses for under-graduate students of various departments of the arts faculty of the University. Department has now launched, since July 2006, a Master’s Programme (MA) in Sociology. At present the Department offers a rigorous programme of theoretical scholarship and substantive research training leading to the MA,  M Phil and Ph D degrees.

The basic character of Sociology lies in its criticality and reflexive nature. In Sociology one searches for and looks at recurrent patterns in the familiar social world quite differently from the way one is conventionally accustomed to do. In doing so students build up a store of sociological knowledge that provides them with necessary faculties to sharpen their observational ingenuity or develop their analytical capability. In a very important sense Sociology thus empowers its students and practitioners by equipping them with powerful insights into the social forces and processes that mould human lives and experiences, opportunities and constraints, and problems and possibilities in the contemporary, and yet historically specific, modern society. This is the liberating spirit that animates and inspires everyone who is concerned with the academic programmes and activities in the Department of Sociology at Jadavpur.

The sociological curriculum here at Jadavpur seeks to promote, on the one hand, disciplinary excellence in a wide range of theoretical perspectives and innovative approaches within both the existing and emerging areas of Sociology; on the other hand, students are also required to learn a fairly large variety of historical, qualitative and quantitative methods, keeping in view the vital differences as well as relations between methods and methodology. The students are required to carry out different types of assignments that involve participant/non-participant observation, intensive interviewing, recording of naturally occurring events, large and small scale sample surveys, tapping archival sources, analysis of census and other types of collected data, examining and interpreting historical and contemporary documents, undertaking content, narrative and semiotic analyses, etc. One very important area of emphasis of this Department is contemporary India, a society, which is changing fast in the era of globalisation. At the international level Indian society has become an important global player. At the domestic level, on the one hand, one may notice some positive trends like the growing economy, the aggressive take-over by Indian corporate giants, rapid urbanization in some pockets and the expanding middle class with its changed style of living. On the other hand, there is a growing socio-economic divide among people. The continuing debate on quota-question is one among many indicators of the prevalence of various types of social exclusion as well as unfavourable inclusion still practiced in a formally all-inclusive democratic, equalitarian Indian society. The contradiction becomes more evident from the fact that though it fails to universalize even  primary level education, it follows the current pragmatic trend with a focus on sponsored research and market-responsive applied professional training. All these paradoxes make Indian social reality a very interesting ‘problem’ for sociological research and analysis.  

            While the PhD students undertake supervised research work, all entering the M Phil course are required to complete the core courses as well as two specialized optional courses in the first year. Upon successful completion of their qualifying examination at the end of the first year, the students are to work with their chosen supervisor for developing a research proposal and then completing it in the second year. In the four-semester MA programme the students at the university have the opportunity of studying quite a variety of courses. In the fourth semester there are provisions for optional courses (two courses to be taken out of six courses offered by the Department) and a dissertation work, which is equivalent to two courses.

            An important feature of the Sociology Programme here at Jadavpur is that it emphasizes interdisciplinary study and research. There are a host of issues and problems almost in all the courses in the MA and M Phil syllabi, where Sociology meets a number of other disciplines that are taught in the faculties of Arts, Science, Engineering and Technology, the last one being a vital component of Jadavpur University’s academic programmes. And this explains the inclusion of many sub-fields such as Sociology of Science, Sociology of Industry and Work, Sociology of Environment, Sociology of Education, Sociology of Organizations, Professions and Occupations, Globalization and Society, Social Gerontology, or Medical Sociology. Its faculty offered and is still offering courses to the students of engineering and technology at different levels, sensitizing them to the enormous social implications of what they learn and what they will have to do in their future professional role. This sociological orientation, which they gain, does not simply assist them in performance of their narrow technical obligations; indeed, it goes a long way towards enabling them to fulfill their social obligations as citizens in the emergent information/knowledge society in our country.

            Sociological skills constitute a gateway to many different and satisfying career opportunities. These range from teaching assignments in academic institutions to many challenging positions such as researchers, social analysts, managers, administrators, counselors, social workers, journalists, planners and policy analysts, personnel and labor relations specialists in a wide variety of government and non-government organizations and agencies. As obvious, these may be concerned with almost every conceivable sphere of activities and services, viz. law and criminal justice, health services (counselling, nursing, etc.) and public hygiene, census and other statistical operations, field surveys, rural development, urban planning and management, industry and business, community service, counseling and social welfare resource development and management, public policy, public administration etc.

                 This newly born Department has also set up a Computer Laboratory, where students can access electronic reading resources through the internet. It regularly offers Refresher Courses and organizes seminars, workshops and interactive sessions attended by prominent sociologists, eminent scholars from other disciplines and social activists of different fields.

Departmental Profile

Year of Establishment: 2001

Number of Teachers (Current Year): 3 (full time), 10 (part-time)  

Number of Administrative Staff (Current Year): 2

Name of the Head: Dr Dalia Chakrabarti

Courses Offered: 1.Ph. D

                             2.M.Phil in Sociology

                             3.M.A in Sociology 

                             4.Extra Departmental courses at the under-graduate level :

                                                                              General Sociology ED 2.16 SemesterII

                                                                              Indian Society ED 3.13 Semester III

                                                                              Social Work I ED 3.12 Semester III  

                                                                              Social Work II ED 4.3 Semester IV

List of Faculty Members:

 Thrust areas of the departmental research activity:

1.Science  and Technology

2.Environment

3. Sociology of Health

4.Aging

5.Sociology of Religion

6.Occupational Sociology

7.Cultural Studies

8. Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy

Admission policy and eligibility criteria

                For M Phil programme – MA in Sociology with at least 55% marks from any University/recognized Institution; 50% marks for (1) permanent full time college teachers possessing 5 years teaching experience in Government recognized colleges, (2) permanently disabled candidates; and  40% marks for SC and ST candidates.

               Selection of candidates will be made in order of merit ascertained on the basis of 50% weightage on the MA results and 50% weightage on a written admission test. The minimum qualifying marks in the written admission test will be 50.

                For MA programme-       BA (honours) in Sociology from a recognized University with at least 50% marks in honours subject or BA (Honours) in any other social science subject with at least 55% marks in honours papers. Candidates with Sociology honours will be selected in order of merit on the basis of marks secured in the honours papers. Candidates from other social science background will be selected on the basis of marks secured in the written test. The minimum qualifying marks in the admission test will be 50 out of 100. Relaxation as per rules for SC/ST/PD candidates.

                For Extra Departmental courses – Open to all undergraduate students of different departments under Faculty of Arts in Jadavpur University      

Syllabus

Master of Arts Programme

First Semester

Course – I (SOC/PG/1)

                        Classical Sociological Theory

Course – II (SOC/PG/1.2)

                        Modern Sociological Theory

Course – III (SOC/PG/1.3)

                        Indian Sociological Thought

Course – IV (SOC/PG/1.4)

                        Indian Society: Selected Issues

Second Semester

Course – V (SOC/PG/2.1)

                        Social Stratification

Course – VI (SOC/PG/2.2)

                        Sociology of Organizations, Occupations and Professions

Course – VII (SOC/PG/2.3)

                        Research Methods

Course – VIII (SOC/PG/2.4)

                        Social Statistics

Third Semester 

Course – IX (SOC/PG/3.1)

                        Sociology of Technology

Course – X (SOC/PG/3.2)

                        Modernization and Development

Course – XI (SOC/PG/3.3)

                        Sociology of Environment

Course - XII (SOC/PG./3.4)

                        Sociology of Health, Illness and Ageing

Fourth Semester

Course - XIII (SOC/PG/4.1)

                        Sociology of Gender

Course – XIV (SOC/PG/4.2)

                        Sociology of Information Society

Course – XV (SOC/PG/4.3)

                        Sociology of Crime, Deviance and Correction

Course – XVI (SOC/PG/4.4)

                        Sociology of Education

Course – XVII (SOC/PG/4.5)

                        Sociology of Work and Industry

Course – XVIII (SOC/PG/4.6)

                        Globalization and Society

Master of Philosophy Programme

Paper – I

            Group  - A: Advanced Sociological Theory

            Group – B : Sociological Research Methods and Social Statistics

Paper – II

            Group – A: Selected Aspects of the Sociology of Science, Technology, and

                        Environment

            Group – B: Sociology of Medicine and Ageing

            Group – C: Selected Issues in Indian Societies

            Group – D: Sociology of Crime, Deviance and Human Rights

Academic calendar : First Semester/Third Semester : July- December

                                  Second Semester/ Fourth Semester :  January- May  

Assessment schedule: Internal Assessment (in the form of written test/ term paper/ seminar presentation/ group discussion - to be decided by the course teacher) during the semester, and End Semester Test (written test) at the end of the semester, following the Academic Calendar.

Research Facility : M Phil Dissertation and Doctoral Programmes for the students, and research projects, funded by University , UGC or any other institution, for the faculty members.

Number of National/International Seminars Organised by the Department ( last 5 year)

1. National Seminar on  ‘Marginalisation and Technology: The Dialogue and the Dialectic’ on 15-16 Nov, 2002

2. UGC sponsored National Seminar on Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy on 26^th February 2007

3. Interactive Session with Prof. Alberto Abruzzee of IULM University in Milan, Italy, on 22^nd March 2007

 Number of Refresher Courses Conducted (Last 5 Years): 1^st Refresher Course:    28.1.2003- 22.2.2003 ;  2^nd Refresher Course: 21.11.05-10.12.05

Plan of action of the department for the next five years:

1. Expansion of MA programme (introduction of new compulsory and optional courses)
2. Opening of a departmental library
3. Bringing down the student-teacher ratio through fresh recruitment of teachers

                                                                       (full-time as well as guest-teachers)

4. Expansion of research activity by recruitment of research scholars, fellows etc.
5. Introduction of the proposed Centre for the study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy
6. Introduction of BA Honours course in Sociology and a few Extra Departmental courses at under graduate level
7. Introduction of combined  MA programme in Sociology and Social Work