डॉ. बी. आर. अम्बेडकर विश्‍वविद्यालय दिल्ली
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi
Established by The Government of NCT of Delhi

Objectives

• • To introduce students to the Sociological Study of Social Inequalities.

Course Outline:

Unit 1. Introducing Stratification: Difference, Inequalities and Hierarchy Conceptual Understanding (2 weeks)

This module focuses on the broader concepts of difference, inequality, and hierarchy in society. Students will explore how various dimensions of difference, such as race, ethnicity,

culture, and religion, intersect with systems of inequality and hierarchy. The unit encourages critical thinking about the implications of these intersections for individuals and society.

Essential Readings

Béteille, Andre, 1983, The Idea of Natural Inequality and Other Essays, Oxford University Press, Delhi

Haralambos, M. Holborn.M 2014, Sociology Themes and Perspectives, Harper Collins. Pp-18-89.

Gupta, Dipankar, 2004, ‘Social Stratification’, in Handbook of Indian Sociology, ed. Veena Das, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, part 2 Chap. 3]

Unit 2. Approaches to Stratification (2 weeks)

1. 1. Marx, Weber and Class
   2. Functionalism
   3. Anthropological approach

In this unit we will understand and outline the evolutionary processes in

societies and social stratification; discuss its: social principles of organization; status, wealth and power, occupation and Income etc and Non-social criteria of social organization: age, sex and kinship. We will discuss similarities, differences and limitations of different approaches.

Essential Readings

Hurton. B. Paul & Hunt, L. C. 2012, Sociology, Tata Mc-GrawHill. Pp. 343-350,

Giddens and Sutton P.W. (eds.)2010 Sociology: Introductory Readings, Chapter 9, 3rd edition, Polity Press

Smith, M.G., 1964, 'Pre-industrial stratification Systems', S.M. Lipset and N.J. Smelser (ed.) Social Structure and Mobility in Economic Development, London. Routldege and Kegan Paul, pp. 14 1-76.

Haralambos, M. Holborn.M 2008, Sociology Themes and Perspectives, Collins

Unit:3 Forms of Stratification: Caste, Class and Tribe (3 weeks)

This unit will cover the major theories on caste, with a focus on contemporary India. Empirical studies on caste, including on caste in the labour market etc. will be covered (here and in subsequent modules). We will also cover empirical studies on class in particular (economic) class stratification.

Essential Readings

Vinay Kumar Srivastava 2020, India’s Tribes: Unfolding Realities California, London and Singapore: SAGE Publications, New Delhi 2021; pp 1-20

B.R. Ambedkar, “Untouchables or the Children of India’s Ghetto”, In Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches Vol. 5, edited by Vasant Moon, Mumbai: Government of Maharashtra,

p. 29.

Gopal Guru, “Caste”, In The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, edited by Hilary Callan, London: Wiley, 2018.

Hurton. B. Paul & Hunt, L. C. 2012, Sociology, Tata Mc-GrawHill. Pp. 362-365.

Virginius Xaxa. 1999, Transformation of Tribes in India: Terms of Discourse, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 34, No. 24 (Jun. 12-18, 1999), pp. 1519-1524 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4408077.

Aloysius.G. 1999, Caste in and above history, Volume 48, issue 1-2, march-september, Sociological Bulletin Sage publication.

Bryant, C.G.A., & Jary, D. (1991). Coming to terms with Anthony Giddens. In C.G.A. Bryant & D. Jary (Eds.), Giddens' theory of structuration: A critical appreciation (pp. 1-32). New York, NY: Routledge.

Jodhka, S. S. 2012. Caste. Oxford India Short Introductions. Delhi: Oxford University Press. Giddens, A. 1980. The Class Structure of the Advanced Societies. London: Unwin. [Introduction, Chapter 1 (Marx), Chapter 2 (Weber)]

http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/01.Caste%20in%20India.htm Unit 4: Gender and Stratification (2 weeks)

This module will move beyond the question of gender and stratification in terms of inequality between men and women and in terms of subordination of women alone.In this module we will explore how gender informs and organises social stratification as one of the organising principles like race, class, caste or status. Gender in interface with race and class determines the structure Gender and Social Stratification of western society, whereas caste and gender enter into class laying down the structure of action for its members in the Indian context. The understanding of status implications in social life and everyday routine of men and women are symbolically represented in ideological and material aspects of society.

The Essential Readings:

Dube, L. 1996. ‘Caste and Women’ in M. N. Srinivas (ed.) Caste: In Its 20th century Avatar. Delhi: Viking

Dube L. 2001. Anthropological Explorations in Gender: Intersecting Fields. New Delhi: Sage de Beauvoir, S. 2010. “Woman – The Second Sex?” pp. 143-46 in A. Giddens and Sutton

P.W. (eds.) Sociology: Introductory Readings, 3 rd edition, Polity Press

Rege, Sharmila 2013 Writing Caste/Writing Gender Narrating Dalit Women’s Testimonios, Zubaan Publication. New Delhi.

Shinde,T. 1982. A Comparison between Women and Men: An Essay to Show Who’s Really Wicked and Immoral,Women or Men. In A Comparison between Women and Men: Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India. R. O’Hanlon. (1994). p-73-134. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

Unit 5: Social Mobility and Social Structure (2 Weeks)

This module we describe the connection between social mobility and social structure, we will also explore patterns of social mobility in open and closed form of structures, grasp how social structures influence social mobility and appreciate how social mobility and social structure reinforce earth others.

This module covers some of these other issues which are emerging as critical for the study of social stratification; such as: race, ethnicity and disability as well as the significance of social mobility for the reproduction of inequalities.