Introduction to Social Sciences: Natural science and social science – social science perspective: characteristics – the general theory of social science: Comte, Durkheim, Marx – subdivisions of social sciences: sociology, anthropology, ethnography, political science, economics, psychology and philosophy – social science and space.

Macrocosms: Social Structure, Society: society – different types of societies – culture, socialization, agencies of socialization – race, ethnicity – caste and tribe – transparency, civil society and good governance – femininities, masculinities and gender relations, sexuality and gender.

Microcosm: Problems of the Marginalized: tribal society – development induced displacement, poverty – women, increasing violence – children, foeticide & infanticide, unequal sex ratio, child marriage, child labour and trafficking – elderly in India – people with disabilities – sexual minorities.

Ethics: introduction to ethics – professional ethics – personal ethics.

1. Perry, J. A. and Perry, E. K., Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science, 13th ed., Routledge (2011).

2. Strada, M. J., Through the Global Lens: An Introduction to Social Sciences, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall (2008).

3. Ahuja, R., Social Problems in India, 3rd ed., Rawat Publications (2014).

4. Singer, P. (Ed.), A Companion to Ethics, Wiley-Blackwell (1993).

5. Martin, M. W. and Schinzinger, R., Ethics in Engineering, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill (2004).

Further Reading:

1. Introduction to Sociology, Wikibooks.

2. Flyvbjerg, B., Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How it Can Succeed Again, Cambridge Univ. Press (2001).

3. Singleton Jr., R. A. and Straits, B. C., Approaches to Social Research, Oxford Univ. Press (2009).

4. Hutchinson, P., Read, R., and Sharrock, W., There is No Such Thing as a Social Science: In Defence of Peter Winch, Routledge (2008).