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CSSS MA Programme

CSSS MA Programme

MA in Sociology

The Master's degree program in Sociology is oriented towards the study of social systems, sociological theories, research methodology and other areas of study like sociology of knowledge, sociology of professions, social psychology, anthropological theories, sociology of gender, cultural studies, Indian social thought, ethnic minorities and marginal social groups, social ecology, social demography and sociology of science/medicine etc.

Several courses offered at the Centre are inter-disciplinary and are drawn from anthropology, psychology, economics, political science and history. In addition, courses at the Master's level also incorporate problems relating to globalization, development, mass media and social change etc. Out of 16 courses offered, 8 are in the areas of sociological theories, thinkers and methodology, and the remaining 8 focus on different aspects of Indian society such as social stratification, family life and kinship, polity, economy, religion, urban life, population, education and social change. 16 optional courses are also offered from which the students have to choose 5 (the students are also encouraged to opt for some courses in the related disciplines from other Centre's of the School).

In addition to a number of merit-cum-means scholarships, the Centre grants annually the "T K OOMMEN AWARD" to the topper of the MA program


MA Courses

Compulsory Courses
SS 451N - Methodology of Social Sciences
SS 452N - Sociological Thinkers
SS 453N - Culture, Personality and Society
SS 454N - Family Life and Kinship in India
SS 455N - Anthropological Theories
SS 456N - Economy and Society in India
SS 457N - Sociology of Social Stratification in India
SS 458N - Religion and Society in India
SS 459N - Sociological Theory
SS 460N - Techniques of Social Research
SS 461N - Polity and Society in India
Optional Courses
SS 413N - Industry and Society in India
SS 414N - Sociology of Knowledge
SS 415N - Law and Society in India
SS 416N - Sociology of Medicine
SS 417N - Sociology of Science
SS 418N - Sociology of Minorities and Ethnic Groups
SS 419N - Bureaucracy and Development in India
SS 420N - Sociology of Education in India
SS 421N - Tribal Sociology in India
SS 422N - Peasant Sociology in India
SS 423N - Sociology of Urban Life in India
SS 424N - Sociology of Professions
SS 425N - Themes in Social Anthropology - Analysis of Monographs
SS 426N - Statistics in Social Sciences
SS 427N - Population and Society in India
SS 428N - Women and Society in India - A Comparative Perspective
SS 429N - Modern Indian Social Thought
SS 430N - Modes of Cultural Analysis
SS 431N - Ecology and Society
SS 435N - South Asian Social Thought and Media
SS 436N - Modernization and Development - Perspectives from South Asia
SS 437N - Globalization, International Institutions and Society
SS 438N - Rural India - Perspectives on Development and Agrarian Change
SS 462N - Indian Society - Structure and Process
SS 463N - Cinema and Culture in India

Note: All MA courses carry 4 credits each. To qualify for the MA degree, students are required to complete a total of 16 courses, out of which 11 are compulsory. As stipulated under Clause 9.5 of the Ordinance relating to the Award of MA degree, a student in order to be eligible for the award of Master's degree of the University must have fulfilled the following requirements:

a.    She/he has taken and passed all the prescribed courses as laid down; and
b.    She/he has obtained a CGPA of 4 at the end of the program

Provided further that the students of MA program who are otherwise eligible for award of degree but have secured a CGPA less then 6 at the end of the permissible period of four semesters may be allowed by the Centre/School concerned to repeat MA level courses in the 5th and the 6th semester, as per provisions contained in Clause 8.6 of the Ordinance for improvement of CGPA.


Undergraduate/MA/MPhil Courses

At the request of the School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, the Centre has been offering 2 optional courses in Sociology and Social Anthropology for the undergraduate students since 1997:

SS 201N - Anthropological Theories of Society and Culture
SS 202N - Themes in Indian Society - Structure and Change

Note: These courses are optional and carry 3 credits each.

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.