Prospectus

Bachelor’s Program (BSS) in Sociology

Master’s Program (MSS) in Sociology
M. Phil and PhD Program in Sociology

Department of Sociology
Faculty of Social Sciences
University of Chittagong
Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

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 Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong

Vision: Our vision is to prepare the students equipped with adequate knowledge leading to
societal development for serving entire mankind.

Mission: The mission of the Department of Sociology is to promote a congenial environment to

create products as human capital with proper understanding in social research and learning and
also address the needs of the common people from sociological view point.

Curriculum Structure
Year Major Related Sessional Viva-Voce Total Total
Courses Courses Marks Credits
Marks Credits Marks Credits Marks Credits Marks Credits
First 500 20 200 8 25 1 25 1 750 30
Second 500 20 200 8 25 1 25 1 750 30
Third 600 24 100 4 25 1 25 1 750 30
Fourth 700 28 - - 25 1 25 1 750 30
Total 2300 92 500 20 100 4 100 4 3000 120

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 Bachelor’s Program in Sociology
Courses at a glance
Session: 2019-20 & 2020-21
[Total Credits: 120; Total Marks: 3000]

First Year B.S.S. (Honours)

Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 500 & Related Courses: 200]

Major Courses [500 Marks]

SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
SOC 102: Social History and World Civilizations
SOC 103: Traditions in Social Thought
SOC 104: Introduction to Anthropology
SOC 105: Introduction to Social Psychology

Related Courses [Any Two]

SOC 106: Economy and Society
SOC 107: Politics and Governance
……………………………….
SOC 001: Functional English

Second Year B.S.S. (Honours)

Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 500 & Related Courses: 200]

Major Courses [500 Marks]

SOC 201: Social Structure of Bangladesh
SOC 202: Rural Sociology
SOC 203: Gender Relations and Feminism
SOC 204: Social Research Methodology-I
SOC 205: Social Statistics

Related Courses [Any Two]

SOC 206: Sociology of Environment
SOC 207: Sociology of Poverty
SOC 208: Sociology of Ethnicity and Minority
SOC 209: Sociology of Religion

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 Third Year B.S.S. (Honours)
Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 600 & Related Courses: 100]

Major Courses
SOC 301: Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 302: Criminology
SOC 303: Urban Sociology
SOC 304: Sociology of Development
SOC 305: Social Demography
SOC 306: Social Stratification and Inequality

Related Courses [any one]

SOC 307: Medical Sociology
SOC 308: Sociology of Communication and Information Technology
SOC 309: Gerontology

Fourth Year B.S.S. (Honours)

Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 700]

Major Courses
SOC 401: Modern Sociological Theory
SOC 402: Sociology of Education
SOC 403: Industrial Sociology
SOC 404: Marxist Sociology
SOC-405: Political Sociology
SOC 406: Sociology of Contemporary Bangladesh
SOC 407: Social Research Methodology-II
[Theoretical-50 & Research Monograph-50]

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 Master’s Program in Sociology
Courses at a glance
Session: 2019-20 & 2020-21
[Total Credits: 24; Total Marks: 600]
[Tutorial: 50 marks; Terminal: 25 marks; Viva-voce: 25 marks]

Compulsory Courses [One]

SOC 501: Postmodernism and Social Theory

Alternate Courses (Any Four)

SOC 502: Sociology of Global Issues
SOC 503: Comparative Social Structure and Development
SOC 504: Social Change in South Asia
SOC 505: Selected Texts [any two]
(a) Anupam Sen---The State, Industrialization and Class Formations in India
(b) Anthony Giddens--- New Rules of Sociological Method
(c) Katy Gardener---Discordant Development: Global Capitalism and the Struggle for
Connection in Bangladesh
SOC 506: Logic and Science
SOC 507: Sociology of Disaster and Vulnerability
SOC 508: Advanced Research Monograph

[Students willing to undertake thesis must submit the topic of the research in a proposal form
necessary approval of the academic committee within 30 days of the commencement of the
first class of M.S.S. programme. A limited number of students, on the basis of merit (not less
than CGPA 3.00), may be taken in thesis group upon recommendation of the academic
committee. The students will present their thesis before the teachers of the department after
completion of the thesis. The examination committee will arrange the presentation session and
the academic committee will determine the alternative course of a particular session.]

Course Distribution of the M.Phil Program

[Course Work =200, Oral Exam. =100, Total =300]

M.Phil. (SOC 601): The New Social Theories

M.Phil. (SOC 602): Advanced Research Methodology

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 University of Chittagong
Chittagong, Bangladesh

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

ORDINANCE FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE WITH HONOURS
WITH EFFECT FROM THE SESSION 2009-2010

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 UNIVERSITY OF CHITTAGONG
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
ORDINANCE FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE WITH HONOURS
WITH EFFECT FROM THE SESSION 2009-2010

1. DURATION OF THE PROGRAMME OF STUDY

The programme of study for the Degree of Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) with Honours
shall extend over a period of 4(four) academic years and shall be completed by a student in
not more than 6(six) academic years.

2. SUBJECTS
There shall be the following subjects in the Faculty of Social Sciences of this University: i.
Economics; ii. Political Science; iii. Sociology; iv. Public Administration; v. Anthropology;
vi. Communication and Journalism; vii. International Relations, and any other subject/s as
may be approved by the University Authority from time to time.

3. QUALIFICATION FOR ADMISSION

Students passing the Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C.) examination from an Education
Board of Bangladesh or a recognized equivalent examination from home and abroad may be
admitted to the programme of' Bachelor of Social Science with Honours in any of the above
mentioned subjects in this University on such terms and conditions as may be determined by
the University Authority from time to time.

4. REGISTRATION

i. A candidate shall attain studentship of the University on admission to a programme as per

rules. S/he shall be required to be registered with the University through such processes and
on payment of such fees as determined by the University Authority from time to time.

ii. A student shall never take admission in more than one subject other than certificate/diploma
courses. If it is so reported/found, his/her studentship and examinations, if appeared/passed,
shall be immediately cancelled.

5. COURSE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

Each course shall be designated by three/four letters for the subject/discipline as decided by
the concerned department. A three-digit number for the course of which the first digit shall
correspond to the year and next two digits to course number, for example, ECON.101 for the
first course of first year in Economics, POL.405 for the fifth course of fourth year in
Political Science and so on. English course shall be denoted by ENG.001.

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 6. MARKS AND CORRESPONDING CREDITS
Theoretical/practical courses/sessional and viva-voce of 25, 50, 75 and 100 marks are
equivalent to 1, 2, 3 and 4 credits, respectively.

7. NATURE OF COURSES AND DISTRIBUTION OF MARKS

i. The B. S. S. (Hons.) degree programme shall be an integrated
one -consisting of major
and related courses, carrying a total of 3000 marks as
distributed below (year-wise):
Year Major Related Sessional Viva-Voce Total Total
ii. Courses Courses Marks Credits
The
Marks Credits Marks Credits Marks Credits Marks Credits
First 500 20 200 8 25 1 25 1 750 30
Second 500 20 200 8 25 1 25 1 750 30
Third 600 24 100 4 25 1 25 1 750 30
Fourth 700 28 - - 25 1 25 1 750 30
Total 2300 92 500 20 100 4 100 4 3000 120

related courses shall be from at least two subjects other than the major subject as decided by
the Academic Committee of the concerned Department of Honours subject. The Committee
of Courses and Studies of' the Department shall prepare the syllabus. In preparing the
syllabus of' related courses, teachers of relevant subjects should be invited to attend the
committee meeting.

iii. Sessional means tutorial, term paper, class test, field works, field tour, study tour, class
attendance etc. The Academic Committee of the Department shall decide the system of
conducting sessional for each year.

iv. The department can allot 25%-35% of the total marks (from major and related courses) for
practical in each year wherever necessary.
8. ENGLISH COURSE
Apart from the credit courses mentioned above, one English course of 100 marks must
be taken by a student in the first year. This course will be examined with the first year
examination. If s/he does not appear or fails to pass the examination, s/he shall have to
appear at the examination positively with the immediate next batch, failing which s/he
will not be allowed to sit for the examination on this course again. Points secured in this
course in excess of 12.00 shall be added in calculating CGPA. Minimum pass marks for
English is 25. Students securing marks between 25 and below 65 will be awarded
‘Pass’. The F grade will be awarded to the students scoring less than 25 marks. If a
student fails to appear even in the second time, “Incomplete” will be written in
her/his transcript as shown in the following table:

Numerical Grade Letter Grade

65% and above B+ and above
25% to less than 65% Pass
Less than 25% F
Not appeared in the examination Incomplete

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9.CLASS HOURS (45 MINUTES EACH)
Theoretical and practical courses shall be so designed as to be completed in minimum of'
the following class hours.
a. Theoretical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 15 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 30 class
hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 45 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 60 class hours.
b. Practical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 8 x 3 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 15 x 3
class hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 20 x 3 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 30 x 3
class hours.

10. DURATION OF EXAMINATION

Examinations shall be held on academic year (annual) basis. Time allotted for examinations
shall be as follows:
a. Theoretical courses: 2 hours for 25 marks, 3 hours for 50 marks and 4 hours for 75 -
100 marks.
b. Practical courses: 4 hours for 25 marks, 6 hours for 50 marks, 9 hours for 75 marks
and 12 hours for 100 marks.

11. MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND EXAMINATION

The medium of instruction and answer in the examination scripts shall be either English or
Bengali. Mixing English and Bengali in the answer script of any course shall not be
acceptable.
12. ELIGIBILITY TO APPEAR AT THE EXAMINATIONS
i. In order to be eligible for appearing at the examination, a candidate shall be required to attend
on an average not less than 70% of the lectures. The Academic Committee of the
Department may recommend marginal cases of shortage of attendance (not less than 60%)
on special ground with documentary evidences. In this case, the candidate shall have to pay
the requisite non-collegiate fee as determined by the University Authority as per General
Rules and Regulations No. 1(viii).
ii. The course teacher must submit the class attendance register and report to the Chairman of the
Department processing the examination entry forms. The Department shall verify the
eligibility of the candidates and send these to the Provost of the concerned hall for necessary
action.
iii. The Chairman of the Department and the Provost of the concerned hall shall make necessary
verification of the forms and send them to the Comptroller of Accounts for necessary action.
iv. The Controller of Examinations shall issue admit card only to the eligible candidates as per
rules and send these to the concerned Department and the Chairman shall distribute the same
to the candidates. If the examination entry forms are found incomplete, admit cards shall not
be issued. Each student shall mention his/her ID number with session in the entry form.

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13. GRADING SYSTEM
Letter grades and corresponding grade points shall be awarded as follows:
14. Numerical Letter Grade Numerical Letter grade PASS
Grade Grade Point Grade Grade Point
80% and above A+ 4.00 50% to less than 55% C+ 2.50
75% to less than 80% A 3.75 45% to less than 50% C 2.25
70% to less than 75% A- 3.50 40% to less than 45% D 2.00
65% to less than 70% B+ 3.25 Less than 40% F 0.00
60% to less than 65% B 3.00 Incomplete/Absent X X
55% to less than 60% B- 2.75

MARKS

Course marks 100 75 50 25

Pass marks 40 30 20 10

15. GPA/CGPA CALCULATION

i. No credits are granted for grade less than D. Calculation of GPA and CGPA (Cumulative
Grade Point Average) is shown in Appendix-A. To calculate CGPA, no grades from any
source other than that of the prescribed credits will be considered.
ii. In the Academic Transcript/Grade sheet, only Letter Grade (LG), corresponding Grade
Points (GP), Points Secured (PS) and finally GPA and CGPA, not the numerical marks,
shall be shown.
iii. 0.05 Points Secured will be added to the total Points Secured by
candidates who will study Military Science and score 70% or above
marks at the time of calculating CGPA.
iv. In GPA or CGPA calculation, if either of them comes up with fractional part and non-zero
value appears in the 3rd and/or 4th digit(s) after the decimal point, the 2nd digit should be
round up to next higher digit. Illustration: (i) suppose, a total of 32 credits are offered in a
class and a student earns total point secured (TPS) of 113 in that class, then his/her GPA will
be 3.54 while the precise value is 3.53125, (ii) suppose, a total of 26 credits are offered in a
class and a student earns total point secured (TPS) of 84 in that class, then his/her GPA will
be 3.24 while the precise value is 3.230769..., (iii) suppose, a total of 160 credits are offered
in a 4-year program and a student earns total point secured (TPS) of 585 in that program,
then his/her CGPA will be 3.66 while the precise value is 3.65625. (07.03.2015 Zvwi‡L AbywôZ
GKv‡WwgK KvDw݇ji 228 Zg mfvi 71 bs wm×vš— Ges 13.03.2015 Zvwi‡L AbywôZ wmwÛ‡K‡Ui 496 Zg mfvi
4bs wm×v‡š— ms‡hvwRZ)
16. PROMOTION TO HIGHER CLASS (FROM 1ST YEAR TO 4TH YEAR)
A student is required to fulfill the following conditions for promotion to the next higher class.
i. A student must earn at least GPA 1.75 without sessional and viva-voce at his/her respective
examination of the year, failing which s/he shall be declared to have failed in the respective
examination.

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ii. At this stage, a student shall be allowed to improve his/her GPA of the 1st/2nd/3rd year by
appearing at the examination of the immediate next batch only.
iii. Promotion to 2nd/3rd/4th year after the respective examination shall be given effect on the
basis of the results published by the Controller of Examinations.
17. VIVA-VOCE
i. A regular student must appear at the viva-voce of the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination. At
the end of each examination, the Examination Committee shall hold a viva-voce. The viva-
voce marks shall not be taken into consideration for the determination of yearly GPA. All
marks of 4 viva-voce will be added up to determine LG, GP and PS and to Calculate CGPA.
ii. If a student fails to appear at the viva-voce, the Examination Committee may recommend
him/her for appearing at the viva-voce within 30 days from the date of preceding regular
viva-voce and also before publication of the respective examination. However the candidate
shall have to take permission from the Vice-chancellor producing necessary documents. In
this case, s/he shall have to bear all expenses to conduct the viva-voce as fixed by the
University Authority.
iii. If a student does not avail the above clause i. & ii. i.e., does not appear at the annual viva-
voce, s/he shall be declared to have failed in the respective examination.
18. SESSIONAL
i. A regular student must complete his/her sessional of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year. The
sessional marks shall not be taken into consideration for the determination of yearly GPA.
All marks of 4 years’ sessionals shall be added up to determine LG, GP and PS and to
calculate CGPA.
ii. If a student fails to appear at his/her sessional of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year, s/he shall be
declared to have failed in the respective examination.

19. IMPROVEMENT OF GRADES

i. A regular student earning C, D and F grade in any course in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
year examination/1st , 2nd , 3rd ,4th 5th, 6th & 7th Semester Examination may
improve their grade/s by appearing at the annual/Semesteral examination of the
same course/s only with the immediate next batch. If such a student fails to
improve his/her grade/s, the previous grade/s of the same course shall remain valid.

ii If a student appears at the Improvement Examination of any course/s as mentioned

in the clause i. above, the word “Improved” shall be written to the right column of
the Transcript corresponding to the improved course/s.

iii. No improvement shall be allowed in English course, sessional and viva-voce.

iv. For improvement of his/her grade in a particular course, the student shall apply to the
Chairman of the Department at least 4 weeks before the start of the next annual examination.

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v. The Chairman of the Department shall prepare list/s of candidates for the regular, irregular
and improvement categories and send one copy of each to the office of the Controller of
examinations after the last date of filling up of examination entry forms.
20. DEGREE REQUIREMENT
For the degree of Bachelor of Social Science with Honours, a student shall require to fulfill
the following conditions:
i. A student must earn a minimum CGPA 2.25 and s/he must earn a minimum GPA 1.75 in lst,
2nd, 3rd and 4th year examination separately, failing which s/he shall be declared failed in
the programme.
ii. A student must earn a minimum GP 2.00 in consolidated sessional, failing which s/he shall
be declared failed in the programme.
iii. A student must earn a minimum GP 2.00 in consolidated viva-voce, failing which s/he shall
be declared failed in the programme.
iv. A student earning CGPA 4.00 shall be awarded B.S.S. (Hons.) degree with Distinction and
citation so made in the academic transcript.
v. A student who shall earn CGPA 2.00 to less than 2.25 after completion of 4-year course shall
be awarded B.S.S. Pass Degree without any class but s/he must earn a minimum GPA 1.75
in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year examination, GP 2.00 in consolidated sessional and GP 2.00 in
consolidated viva voce separately. The student with a Pass Degree shall not be eligible for
admission into Masters programme.
21. FAILED STUDENT
i. If a student fails to earn required GPA for promotion mentioned in clause 16i. of the
1st/2nd/3rd year examination, s/he shall be treated as a failed student and shall not be
promoted to the next higher class.
The failed student shall be allowed to appear in the failed course/s with the batch that
immediately follows as an irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the
programme.
ii. If a student fails to appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination after depositing
examination fees, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. The failed student shall be allowed
to appear at the examination with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular
candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
iii. If a failed student earns required GPA for promotion as an irregular candidate in the
lst/2nd/3rd year examination, but failed in any course/s, s/he shall not be allowed to appear in
the failed course/s to improve GPA under any consideration for the third time.
iv. If a student fails to appear at the viva-voce of the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as per
clause 17, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. In such a case, s/he shall be allowed to
appear at the viva-voce with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular candidate,
failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
v. If a student fails to appear at the sessional of the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as per
clause 18, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. In such a case, s/he shall be allowed to
appear in sessional with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular candidate with
permission of the Academic Committee of the Department, failing which s/he shall be
dropped out of the programme.

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vi. The failed student shall appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as an irregular
candidate, generally as per syllabus in force without any re-admission. If any drastic
changes in the syllabus are made, the irregular candidate shall appear at the examination in
his/her original syllabus on the recommendation of the Academic Committee of the
Department.
vii. After completing 1st/2nd/3rd year examination as irregular candidate, the above categories of
students shall have to be admitted provisionally to the next higher class within the date fixed
by the Academic Committee of the concerned department. If the student fails at the
respective examination, his/her provisional admission shall automatically be cancelled.
viii. If a student fails to pass or fails to appear at the examination twice in a particular year or
more than twice in the entire programme, s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
ix. A student failing to earn a minimum GPA 1.75 in 4th year examination shall be treated as
failed. Such student is allowed to improve his/her GPA by appearing in 4th year course/s at
the examination with the immediate next batch only as an irregular candidate, but it must be
within six consecutive academic years from the session of' his/her first admission failing
which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
x. A student failing to earn required GP in consolidated sessional during finalization of 4-year
results will have to appear at an ESSAY examination of 100 marks with the immediate next
batch only as an irregular candidate. But it must take place within six consecutive academic
years from the session of his/her first admission failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the
programme.
xi. A student failing to earn required GP in consolidated viva-voce during finalization of 4-year
results will have to appear at a viva voce of 100 marks with the immediate next batch only as
an irregular candidate. But it must take place within six consecutive academic years from the
session of his/her first admission, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
22. RE-ADMISSION
i. If a student fails to appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination due to shortage of required
percentage of class attendance or any other reason, s/he shall have to get himself/herself re-
admitted as an irregular student with the batch that immediately follows on recommendation
of and within the date fixed by the Academic Committee of the Department. S/he must have
to fulfill the requisite class attendance for appearing at the examination as an irregular
candidate.

The student shall be allowed to appear at the respective examination only once with the batch
that immediately follows as an irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of
the programme. If a re-admitted student earns required GPA for promotion as an irregular
candidate in 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination, but failed in any course/s, s/he shall not be
allowed to appear in the failed course/ to improve GPA under any consideration.
ii. Re-admission will not be allowed in the first year, if percentage of class attendance of the
student is below 30, then his/her studentship will be treated as cancelled, i.e. s/he will be
dropped out of the programme.
iii. A student may be allowed for re-admission for not more than once in a particular year and
not more than twice in the entire programme.

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23. IMPROVEMENT OF RESULTS
A student can also improve his/her CGPA after the degree is awarded (either Honours or
Pass) by appearing only once in 4th year course/s earning C, D and F grade at the
examination with the immediate next batch but it must be within six consecutive years from
the session of his/her first admission. If a student improves his/her CGPA, the word
'Improvement' and 'the year' of improvement examination should be mentioned in his/her
academic transcript and certificates.
A student willing to cancel his / her improved CGPA and to keep the
previous results valid shall apply in this respect to the Controller of
Examinations through the Chairman of the Department and the Provost of the concerned hall
with necessary fees prescribed by the University Authority from time to time.

24. FORMATION OF THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

There shall be separate Examination Committee for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year examinations.
i. The 1st year Examination Committee shall consist of - one Chairman, two Internal Members
on the major subjects and one External Member (from another public University). In
addition, one member on each related course and one member on language course shall be
included in the Examination Committee. The members on the related and language
course/s will moderate question papers only of related and language course/s
respectively and not conduct viva-voce.
ii. The 2nd year Examination Committee shall consist of - one Chairman, two Internal Members
on the major subjects and one External Member (from another public University). In
addition, one member on each related course shall be included in the Examination
Committee. The members from the related course will moderate question papers only of
related courses and not conduct viva-voce.

iii. The 3rd and 4th year Examination Committee shall consist of - one Chairman, two Internal
Members and one External member (from another public University).
25. GENERAI, RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOURS, MASTERS, M.
PHIL. AND ANY OTHER DEGREE / CERTIFICATE/ DIPLOMA EXAMINATIONS
OFTHE UNIVERSITY
i. Functions of the Academic Committee/Chairman/Director of the Departments/
Institutes/RCMPS shall be according to General rules and regulations no. 1.
ii. Functions of the Examination Committee shall be according to General rules and
regulations no.2.
iii. Functions of the Chairman of the Examination Committee shall be according to General
rules and regulations no. 3.
iv. Functions of the course teacher/examiner shall be according to General rules and
regulations no. 4.
v. Functions of the tabulators for finalization of the results shall be according to General rules
and regulations no. 5.

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vi. Functions of the Controller of Examinations regarding examinations and publication of
results shall be according to General rules and regulations no. 6.
26. COLLECTION OF TUITION FEES
The Comptroller of Accounts will make arrangement to collect tuition and session fees of
respective session from a student who will be promoted to 2nd/3rd/4th year, within two
months after publication of result of 1st/2nd/3rd year examination. If s/he fails to deposit
fees within the time, s/he may be given another 30 days to deposit the same with late fine
fixed by the University Authority, failing which his/her name shall be struck off from the
University Register i.e., s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.

27. ADIMISSION OF THE EXPELLED STUDENT

i. If a student adopts unfair means in 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination, and s/he if is penalized
with cancellation of result of his/her respective year, then his/her results of the previous
year/s, if any, shall remain valid.
ii. If a student of 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year is expelled from the university for any reason as the case
may be, s/he shall have to get himself/herself re-admitted to the subsequent 1Ist/2nd/3rd/4th
year respectively for once only. Generally, the syllabus in force for the examination
concerned will be applicable for such a student. If any, drastic changes in the syllabus are
made, s/he shall have to appear at the examination with his/her original syllabus on the
recommendation of the Academic Committee of the Department.
iii.The expelled period shall not be counted for calculating maximum available period (6 years)
in clause 1.
28. ACADEMIC CALENDAR
The Academic Committee of the concerned Department shall prepare an Academic Calendar
showing the beginning of each academic year, date for commencement and suspension of
classes, commencement of each examination. Classes of any year shall be suspended at least
30 days before the commencement of each examination. There should be a gap of at least 30
days from the date of publication of results of a particular year (e.g. 2nd year 2002) and date
of commencement of the examination of next year (e.g. 2nd year 2003).
29. REVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE
The ordinance may be reviewed by the Academic Council on recommendation of the Faculty
through Ordinance Committee.
30. EFFECT OF THE ORDINANCE
This ordinance shall be effective from the academic session 2009-2010.
As per recommendation of 221st Extraordinary meeting of the Academic Council vide
resolution no-1 (Kha) held on 24-07-2010 & approved by 467th meeting of the
Syndicate vide resolution no. 6 held on 09-08-2010 and later on amended and revised as
per the Syndicate empowerment).

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 APPENDIX - A:
CALCULATION OF GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) AND
CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE (CGPA)

PS
GPA = –––––, where PS means total Points Secured in a year and Cr means
Cr. Total Credits offered in a year.

Example: GPA calculation of one year

Course No. of Marks Letter Grade Points GPA

credits (%) grade points secured
C-101 4 60 A 3.50 14.00
C-102 4 43 C 2.50 10.00
C-103 4 60 A 3.50 14.00
C-104 4 34 F 0.00 00.00
C-105 4 48 B+ 3.25 13.00 78.00/26=3.00
C-106 4 60 A 3.50 14.00
C-107 2 48 B+ 3.25 13.00
Total 26 - - - 78.00

Example:

TPS of (1st year + 2nd year + 3rd year + 4th year) + PS of 4 Years
Sessional + PS of 4 years Viva voce + Excess PS of English Course
CGPA = ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total number of credits offered in the whole programme

Year Total Points Total No. of CGPA

Secured Credits
First 78.00 26
Second 80.00 26
Third 83.00 30
Fourth 95.00 30
Sessional 12.00 04
Viva-Voce 12.00 04 360.00/120=3.00
English/French/Other LG ......
Language Course
Total 360.00 120

21. FAILED STUDENT

i. If a student fails to earn required GPA for promotion mentioned in clause 16i. of the
1st/2nd/3rd year examination, s/he shall be treated as a failed student and shall not be
promoted to the next higher class.

16
 The failed student shall be allowed to appear in the failed course/s with the batch that
immediately follows as an irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the
programme.
The failed students can also appear at the improvement examination in the courses
earning C and D along with the failed course/s only once. In this case if s/he improves
grade/s a letter grade not above B will be written in the Tabulation sheet and Grade
Sheet for the improvement courses (originally earning C or D).

ii. If a student fails to appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination after depositing
examination fees, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. The failed student shall be allowed
to appear at the examination with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular
candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.

iii. If a failed student earns required GPA for promotion as an irregular candidate in the
lst/2nd/3rd year examination, but failed in any course/s, s/he shall not be allowed to appear in
the failed course/s to improve GPA under any consideration for the third time.
iv. If a student fails to appear at the viva-voce of the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as per
clause 17, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. In such a case, s/he shall be allowed to
appear at the viva-voce with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular candidate,
failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
v. If a student fails to appear at the sessional of the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as per
clause 18, s/he shall be treated as a failed student. In such a case, s/he shall be allowed to
appear in sessional with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular candidate with
permission of the Academic Committee of the Department, failing which s/he shall be
dropped out of the programme.
vi. The failed student shall appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination as an irregular
candidate, generally as per syllabus in force without any re-admission. If any drastic
changes in the syllabus are made, the irregular candidate shall appear at the examination in
his/her original syllabus on the recommendation of the Academic Committee of the
Department.
vii. After completing 1st/2nd/3rd year examination as irregular candidate, the above categories of
students shall have to be admitted provisionally to the next higher class within the date fixed
by the Academic Committee of the concerned department. If the student fails at the
respective examination, his/her provisional admission shall automatically be cancelled.
viii. If a student fails to pass or fails to appear at the examination twice in a particular year or
more than twice in the entire programme, s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
ix. A student failing to earn a minimum GPA 1.75 in 4th year examination shall be treated as
failed. Such student is allowed to improve his/her GPA by appearing in 4th year course/s at
the examination with the immediate next batch only as an irregular candidate, but it must be
within six consecutive academic years from the session of' his/her first admission failing
which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
x. A student failing to earn required GP in consolidated sessional during finalization of 4-year
results will have to appear at an ESSAY examination of 100 marks with the immediate next
batch only as an irregular candidate. But it must take place within six consecutive academic

17
 years from the session of his/her first admission failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the
programme.
xi. A student failing to earn required GP in consolidated viva-voce during finalization of 4-year
results will have to appear at a viva voce of 100 marks with the immediate next batch only as
an irregular candidate. But it must take place within six consecutive academic years from the
session of his/her first admission, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.
22. RE-ADMISSION
i. If a student fails to appear at the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination due to shortage of required
percentage of class attendance or any other reason, s/he shall have to get himself/herself re-
admitted as an irregular student with the batch that immediately follows on recommendation
of and within the date fixed by the Academic Committee of the Department. S/he must have
to fulfill the requisite class attendance for appearing at the examination as an irregular
candidate.

The student shall be allowed to appear at the respective examination only once with the batch
that immediately follows as an irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of
the programme. If a re-admitted student earns required GPA for promotion as an irregular
candidate in 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year examination, but failed in any course/s, s/he shall not be
allowed to appear in the failed course/ to improve GPA under any consideration for the third
time.
ii. Re-admission will not be allowed in the first year, if percentage of class attendance of the
student is below 30, then his/her studentship will be treated as cancelled, i.e. s/he will be
dropped out of the programme.
iii. A student may be allowed for re-admission for not more than once in a particular year and
not more than twice in the entire programme.

18
Course Outlines of the Bachelor’s Program [B.S.S (Hons.)]

1st Year B.S.S (Honours)

Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 500 & Related Courses: 200]

Major Courses

SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology

SOC 102: Social History and World Civilizations

SOC 103: Traditions in Social Thought

SOC 104: Introduction to Anthropology
SOC 105: Introduction to Social Psychology

Related Courses [Any Two]

SOC 106: Economy and Society

SOC 107: Politics and Governance

……………………………….
SOC 001: Functional English

19
 SOC 101: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Rationale: This course is designed to introduce a range of basic sociological principles to

develop the sociological imagination.

Objectives: The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of

sociology. This course introduces fundamental concepts used in sociology so that students can
relate and understand the social issues from the sociological perspective. It will cover various
structural social issues like major social institutions, social structure, culture, population,
socialization, globalization, stratification, urbanization, gender and inequality.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify and analyze major theoretical perspectives on society and sociological concepts
of everyday life.
2. Understand underlying reasons of social stereotyping from global to the local perspective
3. Analyze how behaviors, attitudes and beliefs are shaped by individual and group
experiences.
4. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and formulate ideas clearly in writing.

Course Contents
1. The Foundations of Sociology
a. The Sociological Perspective
b. Understanding sociology
c. Sociology and other social sciences
d. Development of sociological thinking
e. Major perspectives in sociology
2. Human Inquiry and Sociological Investigation
a. Comman sense and Science
b. Elements of science: concept, variables, reliability and validity,
relationships among variables, objectivity
c. Methods of sociological research
d. Steps in sociological investigation
e. Ethics of research
3. Culture and Society
a. Concept of culture and society
b. Elements of culture
c. Development of culture around the world
d. Types of society
e. Four visions of society: Gerhand and Lenski, K.Marx, M. Weber, T. Parsons
4. Socialization
a. Understanding socialization process: Freud, Piaget and Mead
b. Agents of Socialization
c. Socialization and the life cycle
d. Role of socialization

20
 5. Interaction, Groups and Organization
a. Social Structure
b. Interaction
c. Role and status
d. Social groups: typology
e. Understanding organization
6. Major Social Institutions
a. Family
b. Education
c. Economy
d. Religion
e. Politics and government
7. Social Stratification, Class and Inequality
a. Concept of class stratification and inequality
b. Theories of class and stratification
c. Dimensions of inequality
d. Global stratification and inequality
e. Social mobility
8. Media and Communication
a. Theories of the media
b. Impact of media
c. Modern communication technology: mobile phone, internet.
d. Global media and human interaction
9. Population, Urbanization and Environment
a. Dynamics of population change
b. Population and urbanization
c. Urbanization : The growth of cilies
d. Society and the environment
e. Global environmental issues
10. Social Change and Modernization
a. Understanding social change and modernization
b. Sources of social change
c. Theories of social change and modernization
d. Globalization and social change
Recommended Texts:
Giddens, Anthony. 2009. Sociology. London : The Polity Press
Macionis, John J. 2014. Sociology . New Jersy : Pearson

21
 SOC 102: SOCIAL HISTORY AND WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
Rationale: This an introductory course on sociology designed to provide basic concept of social
history and world civilization to the students covering from the very beginning to recent world
civilization to recent world and looking to the future.

Course Objectives: This course is designed (1) to provide students the basic concepts and ideas
of social history and historical methodology; (2) to familiarize students with the trends of social
formation in both orient and occident; (3) to impart in-depth knowledge on the major
civilizations in the world history.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the social history, historiography and historical methodology.
2. Learn about the civilization in history of the world i.e. Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indus &
Chinese, Greek & Roman and Aztec & Mayan civilization.
3. Acquire detailed knowledge about medieval period, the rise of Europe and the rise of
modernity.
4. Comprehend about the colonialism in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and nationalism in
India, Pakistan and Middle East.
5. Identify the globalization and worldwide connectivity and the recent world and looking to
the future.

Course Contents:
1. Introducing Social History
a. Defining History, Prehistory and Social History
b. Scope and Sources of Social History
c. Relationship of Social History with Sociology and History
2. Historiography and Historical Methodology
a. Concept of Historiography
b. Ancient Historiography; Medieval Historiography
c. Historiography in the age of Enlightenment
d. Modern Historiography
3. Civilizations in History
a. Mesopotamian Civilization
b. Egyptian Civilization
c. Indus and Chinese Civilization
d. Greek and Roman Civilization
e. Aztec and Mayan Civilization
4. Medieval Period and the Rise of Europe
a. Europe in the Early Middle Age
b. High Middle Ages
c. Late Middle Ages
5. The Rise of Modernity
a. Renaissance and Reformation
b. Political Economic and Intellectual Transformation in Europe

22
 6. The French Revolution
a. Meaning of the Freach Revolution
b. The Destruction of the Old Regime
c. Napoleon and France
d. Consequence of Freach Revolution
7. The Industrial Revolution
a. The Rise of the Industry
b. Transformation of Society
c. Modernization and Imperialism
d. Urbanization and Class Consciousness
8. Colonialism, Imperialism, Decolonization and Development
a. Asia
b. Africa
c. Latin America
9. Nationalism and Revolution
a. India
b. Pakistan
c. Middle East
10. The Recent World and Looking to the Future
a. New World Order
b. Globalization and World Wide Connectivity
c. Modern Technology and Rapid Changes in the World
d. Civilization and the Dilemma of Progress

Recommended Texts
Marvin Perry - Western Civilization
J.E. Swain - A History of World Civilization
T.W. Wallbank and AM Tylor - Western Civilization: Past and Present (Vol 1 &2)
Burns - World Civilizations (7th ed.)

23
 SOC 103: TRADITIONS IN SOCIAL THOUGHT
Rationale: This course is designed to familiarize students with the study of timeless western
social thoughts from antiquity to enlightenment.

Objectives: This course aims to the critical examination of the works of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero,
Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and other core thinkers.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand western political heritage
• Analyze the works of Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Niccolo Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
• Investigate the failure of the city-state.
• Examine the thinking of early protestant reformers

Course Contents:
1. Western Political Heritage
a. The World of the Polis
b. Thoughts before Plato
c. The Trial and Death of Socrates
2. Plato
a. Platonic Idealism
b. Plato’s Republic
c. Justice, Property, Family, Education and Ideal State
3. Aristotle
a. Aristotle’s Ethnics & Politics
b. Revolution, Property, Slavery
c. State and Government
4. The Failure of the City-Sate
a. The Epicureans; the Cynics
b. Hellenistic Philosophies
c. Roman Cosmpolitanism
5. Saint Augustine and the Early Church Fathers
a. Christian Obedience
b. Medieval Church-State
c. Saint Augustine: City of God
6. Saint Thomas Aquinas and Scholasticism
a. Nature and Society
b. Western Christendom
c. The Nature of Law
7. Niccolo Machiavelli: Theory of Nation State
a. Modern Absolutism
b. Moral Indifference and Omnipotent Legislator
c. Republicanism and Nationalism

24
 8. The Early Protestant Reformers
a. Martin Luther
b. John Calvin and the Power of the Church
c. Calvin and Passive Obedience
9. Thomas Hobbes
a. Materialism and Natural Law
b. Rational Self-Preservation
c. The State and the Church
d. Hobbes’s Individualism
10. John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau
a. Locke: La of Nature; Right to Property; Society and Government
b. Rousseau and Nationalism: Paradox of Freedom
c. Rousseau: Man as Citizen; General Will and Social Contract

Readings
Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey. History of Political Philosophy
H.M. Joad, Political Thought from Plato to the present
William Ebenstain, Modern Political Thought
Brian R Nelson, Western Political Thought
Robert Nisbet, The Social Philosophers
George H. Sabine, A History of Political Theory:
Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy
mi`vi dRjyj Kwig, G¨vwi÷Uj-Gi cwjwUKm, †cø‡Uv-Gi wicvewjK (Abyev` MÖš’)

25
 SOC 104: INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY
Rationale: This course is designed for a holistic understanding of the human condition.

Objectives: The key objectives of this course are: (1) to identify and understand cultural holism;
(2) to compare and contrast between various cultures including that of past and present; (3) to
examine the role of modernization and globalization in shaping culture throughout the world.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain the concept Anthropology
• Understand methods and techniques of anthropological research
• Study of culture and social institutions through a comparative examination of non-literate
peoples, early civilizations and modern societies.
• Describe the knowledge of theory and methods in Anthropology
• Examine the religion from Anthropological perspective
• Investigate the Anthropology of Bangladesh
• The study of human evolution and the effects of cultural and biological factors in that
evolution.

Course Contents:
1. Introducing Anthropology
a. Definition and scope of anthropology; anthropological approach: “Holism”
b. Development of Anthropology as a Scientific Discipline.
c. Historical perspectives and debates: Is anthropology a brainchild of colonialism?
d. Major sub-fields: Physical and social (cultural) anthropology
and their branches discussion on Genetics
2. Paradigmatic Shifts in Anthropology: Evolutionism, Functionalism, Diffusionism,
Historical Particularism, Structural functionalism, Post-modernism.
3. Human Paleontology and Genetic
a. Dominant forms of life associated with each geological era
b. Morphological distinction between Homo Sapiens and Primates
c. Sapienization, evolution, genetic drift
d. Natural selection and survival of the fittest; Mendel’s law of inheritance
e. Evolution, Ethnicity and Race
4. Issues of Culture in Anthropology
a. Origin and Evolution of mankind
b. “Culture” as an Anthropological concept: Cultural dynamism, cultural diversity,
cultural pluralism, cultural symbolism, culture change, cultural relativism, subculture,
counter culture, cultural universe, ethnocentrism, cultural ecology, cultural materialism.
5. Methods and Techniques of Anthropological Research
a. Anthropological research: strengths and limitations of qualitative methods
b. Ethnography and ethnology
c. Recent anthropological analytical approaches: “Etic” Analysis
d. Doing fieldwork: cross cultural studies of different dimensions of social life.

26
 6. Cultural Biology
a. Biological Population and “Race”
b. Racial Classifications based on external Physical traits
c. “Pure Race” debate: Is pure race a myth?
d. Race and Ethnicity
7. Economic Anthropology
a. Primitive Subsistence practices, property ownership, exchange
and distribution system, reciprocity in the peasant societies
b. Roger Foster’s “Image of Limited good”
c. Poverty, economy and culture: Oscar Lewis’s “Culture of poverty”
8. Social Anthropology
a. Conceptualizing marriage, family and kinship
b. Types of marriage: preferential, prescriptive and fictive
marriage; Monogamy, Polygamy, Polygyny and Polyandry
c. Kinship system and family, Rules of descents and types of
descent groups, Kinship terminology systems, Clan and lineage
9. Religious Anthropology
a. Magic and Religion; Theories of Religion: Tylor, Marret, Frazer,
Durkheim
b. Religion as a means of ecological adaptation: India’s sacred cow
and the Aztec cannibalism
c. Role of myth, rites-rituals and ceremonies in society.
10. Anthropology of Bangladesh
a. The trends and developments of anthropological study and
research in Bangladesh
b. Prospects of applied anthropology in Bangladesh
c. Readings on ethnic and indigenous communities of Bangladesh
d. Study of other culture: ‘representation’ and ‘otherness’

Recommended Texts
Kessing, R. and F.M. Kessing, New Perspective in Cultural Anthropology
Ember, Carol E. and Melvin R. Ember. 2010. Anthropology New Jersey : Pearson.
Kottak, Conrard. 2010. Cultural Anthropology. New York : McGraw Hill.

27
 SOC 105: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Rationale: This course is designed for the students to think about how social psychology focuses
on events going on around the world and their own lives.

Objectives: The objective of this course is to explain how thoughts, feelings and behaviour are
influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other people.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the basic psychological theories, principles, and concepts explaining
social cognition, attitude formation, decision making, group processes, pro-social
behavior, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice.
• Relate knowledge of theory as well as current and past research in social
psychology to situations in everyday life such as interpersonal and group
relations.
• Explain how human behavior is influenced by such social factors as groups,
authority figures, in-group bias, gender roles, cognitive dissonance, etc.
• Predict the outcomes of various social situations through application of social
psychology principles (for example, attributions, cognitive dissonance, in-
group/out-group behavior, etc.).
• Relate major concepts and methods of the field to understand interpersonal and
group relationships.
• Assess and critically analyze theories, research methods and findings (outcomes),
and applications developed by psychologists and made available through
textbooks, newspapers, professional and the internet.
• Realize applied social psychology.

Course Contents:
1. The Problems and Methods of Social Psychology
a. Levels of Social Behavior: Individual, Interpersonal, Group
b. Definition, Nature and Scope of Social Psychology
c. Relation of Social Psychology with Other Social and Biological
Sciences
d. Origin and Development of Social Psychology as a Separate
Discipline
e. Methods of Social Psychology
2. Sensation, Perception and Cognition
a. Non-verbal Communications; Processes in Sensation; Process of
Perception
b. Attribution: Jones & Davis Theory of Correspondent Inference;
Kelley’s Theory of Causal Attribution
c. Impression Formation and Impression Management
d. Schemas and Prototypes: Mental Framework for Holding and
Using Social Information
e. Affect and Cognition: How Thoughts Shapes Feelings and Feelings Shape Thought

28
3. The Social Self and Socialization
a. Sociological Versus Psychological Approaches to the Self
b. Socialization and Life Course; Anticipatory Socialization and Resocialization
c. Agents of Socialization: Family, Schools, Peers, Media,
Workplace, Religion and State
d. Theoretical Perspectives Sigmund Freud, George Herbert Mead,
Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget
4. Social Motives and Attitudes
a. Social Motives and Needs; Motive and Drive; Motive and Emotion
b. Theories Regarding Needs: Abraham Maslow
c. The Nature of Attitudes; Scales of Attitude Measurement:
Thurston, Likert, Guttman and Bogardus
d. Persuation: The Process of Changing Attitudes; Resistance to Persuation
e. Cognitive Dissonance
5. Collective Behaviour and Social Movements
a. Theories of collective behavior
b. Forms of collective behavior: Crowds and mobs; disaster behavior; fads and fashions;
panics and crazes; public opinion and propaganda; social movements
c. Structure and Function of Mass Communication is Society;
Psychology of Co-operation and Conflict
d. Communications and the globalization of collective behavior
6. Social Learning
a. Concept and theories of learning: Classical Conditioning,
Operant Conditioning, Behaviorists, Gestalt
b. The process of extinction, discrimination and generalization
c. Programmed learning, probability learning, self-instructional learning
d. Reinforcement, escape, avoidance and punishment; modeling
and social learning
7. Personality
a. Personality Defined; Factors and Structure of Personality;
Personality Types & Traits
b. Theories of Personality: Freud, Adler, Kardiner
8. Leaders and Leadership
a. Leadership Defined; Functions of Leaders
b. Types of Leaders and Categories of Leadership
c. Personal Characteristics of Leaders
d. Leader and Social Learning
9. Social Psychology of Aggression
a. Theoretical Perspectives on Aggression: Instinct Theories; Biological Theories; Drive
Theories; Social Learning Theories; Cognitive Theories
b. Social Determinants of Aggression
c. Personal Causes of Aggression
d. Child Abuse and Work Place Violence
e. The Prevention and Control of Violence

29
 10. Applied Social Psychology
a. Application of social Psychology in Legal System and Policing
b. Social Psychology and Business: Organizational Behaviour
c. Social Psychology of Health and Illness; Environmental
Psychology
d. Ethnic and Rural Psychology of Bangladesh: Religious and
Ethnic Minority

Recommended Texts
Henry Clay Lindgren - An Introduction to Social Psychology
Robert A. Baron and Donn Byrne - Social Psychology
Sargent and Williamson - Social Psychology
Mukherjee and Gupta - Introduction Social Psychology
Brown R. - Social Psychology

30
 SOC 106: ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

Rationale: Students will develop the knowledge of key approaches in economic sociology, a
greater awareness of the importance of economic life for social life more broadly, and an
increased capacity to locate economic life within broader social contexts.

Objectives: The aim of this course is to present an overview of the economic life from the
standpoint of sociology: from production in economic units, to distribution in markets, to the
consumption of goods and services, and to the structure of the economy more generally.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the determinants of demand and supply and how supply and demand
determine equilibrium prices and quantities.
• Demonstrate the sociological analysis of economic process.
• Understand the meaning of unemployment and inflation and their effects on economy.
• Gain comprehensive knowledge of the economic activities such as agriculture,
manufacturing, service and trade.
• Provide rationale for discrimination in the labour market.
• Explain different modes of production under slavery, feudalism, capitalism, and
socialism.

Course Contents:
1. Basic concepts and tools used in economics; Sociological aspects of economic life; the
analytic focus of economic sociology; Factors of production; Laws of demand and
supply, market equilibrium; Opportunity cost, Division of Labour
2. Sociological analysis of economic processes – the production process; distribution and
exchange; the process of consumption
3. Mode of production and production relations –Slavery and feudalism; Capitalism and
socialism; the informal economy
4. History of economic thought – Socialist alternatives to classical theory: Marx
5. Unemployment and Inflation – Meaning of unemployment; types and causes of
unemployment; the social costs of unemployment; unemployment in Bangladesh; types
and causes of inflation; the social costs of inflation.
6. Labour Market – the actors in the labour market; Education in the labour market; Labour
market discrimination - Employer discrimination, Employee discrimination; Customer
discrimination; Discrimination against other groups
7. Growth and Structure of the Bangladesh Economy – National Income Accounts; GNP
and GDP; Sectoral contributions-agriculture, industry, and services.

31
 8. The Institutional Financial Relations among People and Nations –the structure of
international banking and capital markets; Capital market instruments; the foreign
exchange market; the international monetary fund (IMF), IBRD (World Bank), islamic
development bank (IDB), asian development bank (ADB)
9. Women and work-women and the workplace; the growth in women’s economic activity;
gender and inequalities at work; changes in the domestic division of labour.

Recommended Texts:
Asiatic society of Bangladesh – Banglapedia
Baumol, W.J. and Blinder A.S. (1991). Economics: Principles and Policy. New York: Harcourt,
Brace and Jovanovich.
BBS – Bangladesh Statistical Yearbook and Statistical Pocketbook of Bangladesh (various
issues)
Durkheim, Emile (1966). The Division of Labour in Society. New York: Free Press.
Ehrenberg, R.G & Smith R.S (2018). Modern Labour Economics: Theory and Public Policy.
New York: Routledge
Freedman, R. (1982). Marx on Economics. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
Giddens, Anthony. Sociology.
Holton, Robert J. (1990). Max Weber on Economy and Society. London: Routledge
Leftwich, Richard H. and Ansel M. Sharp (1984), Economics of Social Issues. New York:
Business Publications.
Lowe, Dr. Adolf (1935) . Economics and Sociology. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.
Mankiw, N.G. (2008). Principles of Microeconomics. South-Western College Publications.
Snower, D. J. & Dehesa, G. (eds.) (1997). Unemployment Policy: Government Options for
Labour Market. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Roll, E. (1992). A History of Economic Thought. Faber and Faber.
Marx, Karl (1904). A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. Calcutta: Calcutta
Bharati Library.
Giddens, A. (2006). Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. Beijing: Peking University.
Sweezy, P.M. (2016). Theory of Capitalist Development. Aakar Books.
Sen, A. (2018). State, Industrialization and Class Formaion in India: a neo-Marxist Perspective
on Colonialism, Underdevelopment and Development. London: Routledge.
Smelser, Neil J. (1963). The Sociology of Economic Life. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

32
 SOC 107: POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

Rationale: To develop student’s ability to critically engage with the intersections between
politics and governance.

Objectives: The aim of this course is to promote scholarly research and communication about
politics and government, and prepare students to be effective citizens.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• The student’s familiarity with problems of state-building, governance and his/her
ability to exploit this knowledge for comparative political science analysis.
• The student’s familiarity with the concepts of political science and public
administration and the ability to critically appraise and apply these.
• To develop the student’s general analytical skills including parliament, election,
bureaucracy and governance problems in Bangladesh.
• To understand the structure and process of civil services including the role of
Bangladesh Public Service Commission.

Course Contents:
1. Nature, Scope and methods of political science; Politics as the study of governance
2. Basic concepts of political science: State, sovereignty, law, liberty and equality
3. Forms of government and organs of government
4. Classification and characteristics of constitution, Constitutional experimentation in
Bangladesh (constitution and its amendments); Parliament and parliamentary standing
committees.
5. Political parties and political culture
6. Meaning, nature, scope and significance of public administration; Public administration
and private administration; Governance in public administration
7. Electoral governance, E-governance, Corporate governance
8. Governance issues and governance problems in Bangladesh
9. Bureaucracy and local government in Bangladesh
10. The structure and process of civil services; Bangladesh Public Service Commission
(BPSC).

Recommended Texts:
Agarwal, R.C. (2004). Political Theory. New Delhi: S. Chand and Co.
Aminuzzaman, Salahuddin M. (2017). Governance and Integrity: The National Integrity System
in Bangladesh. Dhaka: The University Press Limited.
Ball, R. Alan (1977). Modern Politics and Government. London: McMillan Press.
Chalam, K.S. eds. (2014). Governance in South Asia. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt.
Ltd.

33
Constitution of Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh.
Garner, J.W. (1910). Introduction to Political Science. New York: American Book Com.
Jahan, Rounaq (1980). Bangladesh Politics: Problems and Issues. Dhaka: The University Prss
Ltd.
Jamil, Ishtiaq (2007). Administrative Culture in Bangladesh. Dhaka: A. H. Development
Publishing House.
Laski, H.J. (1931). A Grammar of Politics. London: Allen & Unwin Ltd.
Majumder, Md. Nazmul Amin (2005). Civil Service Ethics and Good Governance. Dhaka:
College Gate Binding.
Rahman, Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahaman (2014). Good Governance: Theory and Practice. Dhaka:
Shrabon Prokashani.
Siddiqui, Kamal (2000). Local Governance in Bangladesh: Leading Issues and Major
Challanges. Dhaka: The University Press Ltd.
White, L.D. (1926). Introduction to the Study of Public Administration. New York: The Free
Press.

34
 2nd Year B.S.S. (Honours)
Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 500 & Related Courses: 200]

Major Courses

SOC 201: Social Structure of Bangladesh

SOC 202: Rural Sociology

SOC 203: Gender Relations and Feminism

SOC 204: Social Research Methodology-I

SOC 205: Social Statistics

Related Courses [any two]

SOC 206: Sociology of Environment

SOC 207: Sociology of Poverty

SOC 208: Sociology of Ethnicity and Minority

SOC 209: Sociology of Religion

35
 SOC 201: SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF BANGLADESH

Rationale: This course is designed to understand and analyze the vital historical events of
Bangladesh from sociological perspective

Objectives: This course intends to introduce some of the basic driving forces of the emergence
of Bangladesh. It also makes students capable of analyzing the contemporary debate on the
social structure of Bangladesh.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Describe how global processes shape local social structures of Bangladesh.
• Show how institutions interconnect in their effects on each other and on individuals in
pre-British and British Indian society.
• Demonstrate how social change factors, such as population, urbanization, or technology
affect social structure and individuals.
• Learn the growth of Bengali nationalism.
• Understand how social structure varies across time and place and the effects of such
variations.
• Demonstrate how social change affects social structure and individuals
• Assess the privatization policy and the new social classes

Course Contents:
1. Concepts and Theories of Social Structures
a. Social structure as central concept of Sociology
b. Models and theories of social structure
c. Forces of stability, strains and changes in social structure.
2. Differential Changes of Social Structure in the Pre-British
Indian Society
a. Nature and foundations of early civilizations in the sub-continent
b. Historical perspective: Evolution of economic and social structures.
c. Formation in self-sufficient village communities; development
of social stratification.
d. Rise of commercial classes: new social hierarchy.
3. Impact of Ideology on the Social Structure
a. Penetration of Islam into Bengal
b. Bawsnovism, Sufism and popular Islam
4. The Advent of the British
a. Nature of commercial and industrial development in the colonial period
b. Introduction of new land tenure system-new educational and legal systems.
c. Transformation of rural and urban social structure.
5. Freedom Movement and Reformation in Indian Society
a. Sociological analysis of the battle of palassey and the first war of independent (1857)

36
 b. Movement against British; santal movement swadeshi movement, non-cooperation
movement, Faraide, wahabi and fakairi movements.
6. Development of New Classes in British Period
a. Reform movement and Bengali renaissance
b. Role of Raja Rammahan Roy, Vidyasagar and others.
7. Impact of British Rule and Emergence of Nationalism
a. Early socio-political and religious movements
b. Thought and impacts of Nawab Abdul Latif, Ser Syed Ahmed
Khan, Syed Amir Ali and others.
c. Rise of nationalism-partition of India.
8. Evolution of the Social Structure Since 1947
a. Major regional differences in former Pakistan: social structures, language and culture
b. Socio-economic and political disparities
c. Movement for political and economic rights and self-determination.
9. Independence Movement of Bangladesh
a. Growth of Bengali nationalism
c. Conflict between religious identity and national identity.
d. War of independence, formation of Mukti Bahini
e. Genocide and war crimes during liberation war; crime tribunal.
10. Class Formation and Social Change in Bangladesh Since 1971
a. Nationalization policy till 1975
b. Privatization policy and creation of new social classes
c. Lumpen proletarianization and lumpen development.

Required Readings
Desai, A.R- Social Background of Indian Nationalism
Kosambi, D.D.- An Introduction to the Study of Indian History
Karim, A.K.N. -Changing Society in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
Karim, A.K.N. - Dynamics of Bangladesh Society
Sen, A.- The State, Industrialization and Class Formations in India
Misra, B.B.- The Indian Middle Classes
B.K.Jahangir- Differentiation, Polarisation and Confrontation in Rural Bangladesh
Atiur Rahman - Peasants and Classes: A Study in Differentiation in Bangladesh
Abul Barakat- Economics Fundamentalism and the Growth of Political Islam in
Bangladesh
Habib Irfan- Agrarian System of Mughal India
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37
 SOC 202: RURAL SOCIOLOGY

Rationale: This course is designed to develop fundamental knowledge and understanding of

social structure and its changes in rural Bangladesh from the perspective of sociology.

Objectives: This course aims to evaluate and better understand rural society. With the help of
theoretical insights and methodological tools, it also aims to analyze issues concerning rural
Bangladesh.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the peasant and agrarian society
• Analyze rural power structure
• Identify the problems in rural economy
• Explain peasant culture and social organization
• Assess land tenure and land reform system in rural Bangladesh
• Analyze the impact of globalization on rural society
• Evaluate the rural development programmes in rural Bangladesh.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction to Rural Sociology
a. Origin, nature, subject matter and importance of rural sociology
b. Definition and major features of peasants and agrarian society
2. Rural Social Structure
a. Agrarian structure, stratification system, class relations
b. Agrarian structure in historical perspective: feudal, colonial and capitalist.
3. Land Tenure and Land Reform
a. Land tenure and land reform in ancient Bengal
b. Socio-political history of rural Bangladesh: Moghal, British and Pakistan period
4. Peasant Culture and Social Organization
a. Traditionality peasant culture, traditionality to modernity
b. Land distribution, size of holdings
c. Peasant family and Changing pattern, marriage, kinship, corporate-hood, caste system
5. Rural Economy
a. System of agriculture production, distribution and market exchange, credit and
financial sources
b. Green revolution and its impact
c. Bonded and migrant labourers; major changes in rural society
6. Rural Power and Political Structure
a. Power structure, patron client relations, control over material
and non-material resources
b. Changing pattern of rural power structure
c. Rural-urban network, conflict and cohesion
7. Theoretical Approaches
a. Chayanov, Shanin, Utsa Patnaik, Maot Se Tung

38
 8. Peasant Movements and Rural Dynamics
a. Migration, mobility, movements, dynamics of emerging
identities
b. Peasantry and ideological order
c. Peasant revolts-Tebhaga, naxalbari, nankar, tanka etc.
9. Globalization, Urbanization and New World Order
a. Impact of urbanization on rural society, emergence and development of market
mechanism and technology on peasant society
b. Commercialization of agriculture; introduction of cash crops; new technology and
production
c. Commercialization and differentiation; agrarian conflicts; everyday forms of resistance
10. Rural Development Programmes in Bangladesh
a. The politics and ideology of agrarian reform; agents and agencies of social change in
rural Bangladesh; formal and informal leadership
b. Village aid, Comilla approach, Swanirvor Andolon, Cluster village, BRDP, NGO
model of development, Grameen Bank, local government institutions, governmental
welfare programmes (VGD, VGF, Elderly benefit etc).

Readings
Desai, A.R. (1996): Rural Sociology in India, Rural India in Transition
Smith & Zone-Principles of Inductive Rural Sociology
Dube, S.C. (1988): India’s changing Village: Human Factor in Community Development
Abu Abdullah- Land Reform and Agrarian Change in Bangladesh
Mohiuddin Khan- Land Reform in Bangladesh
B.K. Jahangir-Differentiation, Polarization and Confrontation in Rural Bangladesh
Pradhan, P.K. (1988): Land, Labour and Rural Poverty
Kamal Siddique-Land Reforms in Bangladesh
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39
 SOC-203: GENDER RELATIONS AND FEMINISM

Rationale: This course is designed to develop knowledge and strategies for the advancement of
gender equity, skills and capacity in gender analysis.

Course Objective: The course is designed to provide students a firm grounding in contemporary
concepts and theories about gender and development. Students will develop an understanding of
contemporary feminist debates about gender and development and the relationship of these
debates to other areas of social enquiry.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Show the difference between gender and sex
2. Understand the social construction of gender
3. Define and discuss feminism and feminist theories
4. Rethink about WID, GAD, and WED
5. Identify the roles of NGO in women development
6. Analyze the situation of women in Bangladesh

Course Contents:
1.Introduction
a. Difference and different between gender and sex
b. Social construction of gendered
c. Origin and development of gender studies
2.Basic Concepts
a. Family and socialization
b. Social values
c. Monogamy, polygamy, matriarchy and patriarchy
d. Gender role and status, empowerment
e. Gender distinction
3.Feminist Theories
a. Early feminist thought
b. Radical feminism on gender and sexuality
c. Post modern feminism: Three Perspectives
d. Existentialist feminism
4. Gender and Development
a. Women in Development (WID)
b. Gender and Development (GAD)
c. Women, Environment and Development (WED)
5. Gender and Politics
a. Women’s participation in politics
b. Sexuality and sexual politics: conflict and contradictions
c. Women and national Policy
d. Women and media politics

40
 6. Gender and Economy
a. Division of labour in household
b. Money, Power and division of household labour
c. Gender inequality
d. Women and urban informal economy
7. Gender and Age
a. Gender stratification
b. Gender role
c. Attitudes about gender
d. Men and women in the public world
8. Women and Development Global and Bangladesh Perspective
a. UN Charter, CEDAW
b. Role of NGO’s in Women Development
c. Women’s movements and organizations
9. Gender and Violence
a. Violence against Women
b. Causes and conssquaceace of women violence
c. Policy Issues
10. Women in Bangladesh (Situation analysis)
a. Economic, Political and cultural status
b. Empowerment of women
c. Women and environment
d. Political leadership (local and national level)

Readings
Boserup : Women’s Role in Economic Development
Barbara, Beckard : The Women’s Movement
Women for Women : Women for Women in Bangladesh, 1975
G. Lee : Family Structure and Interaction-A comparative study
Koczberski, Gina, (1998), “Women in Development: A Critical Analysis,” in Third
World Quarterly, Vol 19, No. 3, pp. 395-409.

41
 SOC 204: SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY – I

Rationale: This course is designed to articulate the basic tenets of quantitative and qualitative
methods used in sociology.

Objective: The main objective of the course is to provide sociological knowledge through
quantitative and qualitative research methodology.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the principles and basic elements of social research
• Learn how to design quantitative and qualitative research
• Clarify the ethics in research
• Develop testable hypotheses derived from a theory
• Learn how to use sampling and measurement in research
• Describe basic techniques for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Science, research and social research
b. Types of social research
c. Elements of the process of social research
d. Theory and research
e. Epistemological and ontological consideration
f. principles of scientific investigation
2. Ethics in Social Research
a. Ethical issues and principles
b. Politics in social Research
c. Cultural consideration and diversity in qualitative research
3. Qualitative Approach
a. Concept of Qualitative Research
b. Qualitative Research Strategies
c. Philosophical and Theoretical Framework
4. Quantitative Approach
a. Concept of Quantitative Research
b. Stages of Quantitative Research
c. Types of variables, Causal Relationships and Hypotheses
5. Research Design And Research Proposal
a. Research Question
b. Types of Research Design
c. Key Concepts Relating to Research Design
d. How to Design a Research Project
e. Nature and Types of Research Proposal
f. Components of Research Proposal

42
 6. Measurement And Scales
a. Conceptualization, Operationalization and Scaling Procedure
b. Validity of Measurement
c. Reliability of Measurement
d. Scales of Measurement
7. Sampling
a. The Logic of Sampling
b. Sampling Frames
c. Types of Sampling
d. Sample Size Determination
8. Quantitative Data Collection
a. Survey: Questionnaires and Interviewing
b. Experiments
c. Structured Observation
d. Problems of Data Collection
9. Qualitative Data Collection
a. Case Study
b. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
c. Participant Observation
d. Qualitative Interview
e. Documents
f. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)
g. Visual Method
h. Key Informant Interview (KII)
i. Problems of Data Collection

Required Readings
1. Babbie (2001) The practice of Social research (9th ed).
2. Bailey (1987) Methods of social research (3rd ed.)
3. Nan Lin (1976) Foundations of Social research.
4. Sufian (1998) Methods and Techniques of Social Research
5. Neuman (2000) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.
6. Punch (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

Recommended Readings
1. Denzin and Lincoln (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research
2. Creswell (1994) Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.
3. Sarantakos (2005) Social Research

43
 SOC 205: SOCIAL STATISTICS

Rationale: This course is designed to understand the statistical techniques in sociological

analysis.

Objectives: This course aims to apply quantitative problem-solving skills to social scientific
questions.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
• Explain basic concepts of social statistics by computing descriptive statistics and by
creating tables and graphs
• Understand the level of measurement
• learn how to use correlation for measuring relations and regression for predicting future
performance from past performance
• Select, apply and interpret hypothesis testing methods in social science research.
• Appreciate the basic concepts and critical interpretation of probability
• Understand the uses and characteristics of normal distribution
• Learn how to test hypotheses for group differences in means (Non-parametric test) and
for association between two variables (Parametric test)
• Use SPSS to conduct statistical analysis of data.
• Explain the differences among various statistical techniques and identify an appropriate
technique for a given set of variables and research works.

Course Contents
1. Introduction
a. Definition and uses of statistics and social statistics
b. Relationship between statistics and sociology
c. Statistical Concepts: Variable, Constant, Attribute, Universe/ Population, Census/
complete count, Sample, Parameter, Causation, Co-efficient, Function, Index, Ratio,
Proportion, Rate, Percentage, Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis.
d. Descriptive and inferential statistics
e. Parametric and non-parametric statistics
f. Scale of Measurement; Nominal, Ordinal, Interval and Ratio
2. Presentation and summarization of Data
a. Classification and Tabulation of data.
b. Frequency distribution, proportion, percentage, ratio and rate
c. Graphical Presentation of data: Bar diagram, Histogram, Frequency Polygon, Ogives
and Pie Chart
3. Measures of Central Tendency
a. Mean Median and Mode.
b. Properties, and advantages and disadvantages of mean, median and mode.
c. Mean: Computing mean from grouped and ungrouped data
d. Median: Computing median from grouped and ungrouped data; Calculating median
through graph and interpolation

44
 e. Mode: Computing mode from grouped and ungrouped data; Indirect computations of
mode; Locating mode through graph
f. Choosing a measure of central tendency.
4. Measure of Dispersion
a. Properties and importance of measures of dispersion
b. Types of measures of dispersion
c. Absolute measures: range, Inter quartile range, mean deviation, standard deviation
and variance
d. Relative measure: coefficient of variation, coefficient of quartile deviation,
coefficient of mean deviation
5. Correlation: Measuring Relations
a. Meaning and types of Correlation: coefficient, rank and point bi-serial
b. Significance of the study of Correlation
c. Co-efficient of Correlation and its measuring methods
6. Regression: Predicting Future Performance from Past Performance
a. Meaning and types of Regression
b. Co-efficient of Regression and their applications
c. Making and evaluating Prediction by using Regression Analysis
7. Testing Hypothesis
a. Statistical hypothesis: null and alternative hypothesis
b. Test of Significance: Parametric and Non-parametric tests
c. Parametric test (t-test, z-test), Non-Parametric test(sign-test, chi-square test)
8. One-Way Analysis of Variance
a. The Basic Logic of ANOVA
b. Determining Statistical Significance: Mean Square and F Ratio
c. Multiple Comparisons and a computer example of One-Way ANOVA
9. Probability and Normal Distribution
a. Basic concepts and mathematical properties of probability
b. Counting rules of probability: permutation and combination
c. Uses and characteristics of normal distribution
d. The standard normal distribution and areas under normal curve
e. Using the normal curve to estimate probabilities
10. Introduction to the Computer, SPSS and STATA
a. Use of SPSS and STATA in computer.
Required Readings
1. Walsh, Anthony – Statistics for the Social Sciences
2. Schmidt, Marty J. – Understanding and Using Statistics
3. Witte, R.S. & Witte, John S. – Statistics (6th Edition)
4. Blalock, Hubert – Social Statistics
5. Healey, Joseph F. - Statistics: A Tool for Social Research
6. Muller, John M. and Scheussler, Karl S.- Statistical Reasoning in Sociology
7. Gupta, S.P.- Statistical Method
8. Ahmed & Hossain – Methods of Statistics.

45
 SOC 206: SOCIOLOGY OF ENVIRONMENT
Rationale: This course is designed to provide students with a thorough, comprehensive
understanding of the key theories, literature, and issues in environmental sociology.

Objectives: Beginning with the foundations of environmental sociology, it aims to the key
topical areas within the field including: development, population and consumption, the
realism/constructivism debates, Marxist/materialist approaches to environmental sociology,
environmental social movements, environmental justice, ecological modernization, etc.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand core concepts and methods from ecological and physical sciences and their
application in environmental problem-solving.
• Explain key concepts from economic, political, and social analysis as they pertain to the
design and evaluation of environmental policies and institutions.
• Describe the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of environmental issues and the
links between human and natural systems.
• Appreciate that one can apply systems concepts and methodologies to analyze and
understand interactions between social and environmental processes.
• Reflect critically about their roles and identities as citizens, consumers and environmental
actors in a complex, interconnected world
• Understand the disaster management system in Bangladesh.

Course Contents:
1. Understanding Environmental Sociology
a. Sociology and the environment
b. Emergence of environmental sociology
c. The ecological crisis
2. Environment, Capitalism and Development
a. Ecological condition before Industrial Revolution
b. The environment and Industrial Revolution
c. Ecological imperialism, Consumerism and environment
d. Living in risk society; development vs. sustainable development
3. Theoretical Perspectives
a. Environmental Sociology: a new paradigm
b. Environment thinking of classical sociologists
c. Environmental realism vs. social constructionism
d. The treadmill of production, ecological modernization
e. Eco-feminism, political ecology perspective
4. Environmental Movements and Global Change
a. The origin of modern environmentalism
b. Environmental movements: Bangladesh and beyond
5. Global Environmental Issues
a. Population and environment

46
 b. Technology and environment
c. Environmental degradation
6. Forest, Forest Resources and Human Society
a. The State of forests; context of deforestation and conseauences
b. Reforestation social forestry and environmental management
7. Environmental Politics and Law
a. Environmental Justice
b. International environmental conventions, protocols treaties and standards
c. Environmental governance in Bangladesh
8. Climate Change and Sociology
a. Global warming impacts of climate change
b. Social and human dimensions of climate change
9. Responses to Climate Change
a. Politics of climate change
b. Mitigation, adaptation and climate change
10. Causes, Impacts and Management of Disaster
a. Understanding disaster: concepts and theories
b. Disaster Management system in Bangladesh

Readings
John Bellamy Foster (1994) The Vulnerable Planet, New York: Monthly Review Press
Michael Mayerfeld Bell (2013)-An Invitation to Environmental Sociology, New Delhi:
Sage
John A. Hannigan (1995) Environmental Sociology, London: Routledge
Gain Philip (ed.) (1998) Bangladesh Environment: Facing the 21th Century, Dhaka:
SEHD
Anthony Giddens (2009) Sociology (Chapter 5), Cambridge: Polity Press
Wisner et al. (2004) At Risk, London: Routledge
Vandana Shiva (1988) Staying Alive: Women Ecology and Development, London: Zed
Books
V. Desai and R.B. Potter (2008) The Companion to Development Studies (Chapter 6),
London: Hodder Education
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47
 SOC 207: SOCIOLOGY OF POVERTY
Rationale: The course is designed to sketch out the prominent issues associated with defining
and measuring poverty.

Objectives: The course aims to apply sociological perspectives in analyzing the causes and
consequences of poverty and evaluating social actions and policies.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and appreciate the concept poverty
• Understand the political context of poverty
• Identify who experiences poverty in Bangladesh and the reasons for their poverty
• Understand and apply individual and structural theories/perspectives on poverty
• Discuss the origins of poverty and history of poverty in Bangladesh
• Define and explain poverty line
• Assess the poverty alleviation strategies in Bangladesh
• Identify the causes, consequences and cures of global poverty.

Course Contents:
1. The Context of Poverty
a. Definition of Poverty: Problem of Defining Poverty; Absolute and Relative Poverty
b. Political Context of Poverty-Extent of poverty-Poverty and
Inequality-Persistence of Poverty
c. Comparison of Poverty-International Comparison of Poverty,
Trends in Urban and Rural Poverty.
2. Perspectives of Poverty
a. Poverty: Identification and Aggregation, Starvation and Famines
b. The Entitlement Approach; Entitlements and Deprivation;
Poverty as Capability Deprivation
c. Structural and Individual Theories of Poverty
d. Cultural Perspective of Poverty
3. Dimension and Measurement of Poverty
a. Gender Dimension; Race, Ethnicity and Poverty; Spatial
Distribution of Poverty
b. Problem of Measuring Poverty-Quantitative Measures-
Qualitative Measures-Multidimensional Poverty
4. Measurement of Poverty Line
Concept of Poverty Line-Approaches to Poverty Line-Food Ratio
Method-Relative Deprivation
5. Consequences of Poverty
Intergenerational Inequality, Health Consequences, Crime and
Poverty, Famine and other Crises

48
 6. Households Family and Poverty
Individuals and Household Size and Structure-Equivalence Scales-Life Cycle Changes-
Inter-Household Transfers-Dependency-Aging and Poverty
7. Racism and Poverty
Racism and Ethnic Minority, Inequality in Industrial Society-Disadvantage and
Deprivation, Underclass, Ethnic Minority in Inequality in Colonial Societies.
8. Poverty Alleviation
The Politics of Poverty-Anti-Poverty Strategies: Pockets of Poverty-Government
Initiatives-Microcredit and Poverty Alleviation
9. Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Bangladesh
Government Initiatives and Plans (MDG, PRSP, Vision 2020)-NGO Intervention: Anti-
Poverty Programmes of NGO’s-Failure and Success of NGO Programmes-Future
Strategies of Rural and Urban Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh
10. Globalization and Poverty
a. Globalization and Poverty: a Single Global Process
b. Global Poverty: Causes, Consequences and Cures
c. Does Globalization Cause poverty?

Readings
Sen, Amartya-Poverty and Famines
Peter Alcock, Understanding Poverty (1993)
Sen, Amartya-Development as Freedom
Daniel P. Moynihan (ed) on Understanding Poverty
Cornia G.A. Inequality and Poverty in the era of Liberalization and Globalization
Ravallion, M-Poverty Comparisons
Aiken, Will and Lafolette, Hush (eds) World Hunger and Morality
Befitz, C.-Political Theory and International Relations
Shue, Henry-Basic Rights
Rawls, John-The Law of Peoples

49
 SOC 208: SOCIOLOGY OF ETHNICITY AND MINORITY

Rationale: This course is designed to provide a sociological approach to minority and ethnicity.

Objectives: The course aims to examine key concepts and issues in the study of minority and
ethnicity, including the social construction of minority and ethnicity, personal and institutional
forms of discrimination. Students will examine the historical construction and significance of
minority and ethnicity, as well as explore the ways in which minority and ethnicity are made
meaningful in Bangladesh.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain the basic concepts of ethnicity and minority
• Examine the experiences of various racial and ethnic groups.
• Analyze and evaluate sociological theories of race relations.
• Examine social structures and ideologies which lead to or perpetuate inequality.
• Understand enemy (vested) property act
• Compare racial or ethnic-minority and dominant group experiences in Bangladesh and
globally.
• Explore solutions to current ethnic-minority problems in Bangladesh
• Assess the CHT peace treaty
• Identify the adverse impacts of development policies and programmes for the minority
groups

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Basic Concepts: Race, Ethnicity and Minorities, Prejudice and Discrimination,
Multiculturalism, Prejudice and discrimination, Stereotype, Assimilation and Cultural
Pluralism, Ethnic Cleansing, Assimilation, Segregation, Scapegoating, Culture Diversity
b. Sociology of Ethnic Relations; Types of Minorities
2. Minority and Ethnicity Studies
a. Origin of Ethnic and Racial group; Ethnic group and ethnic identity formation
b. Minority and indigenous culture; Nation & Nationality;
Minorities and indigenous People
3. Theoretical Perspectives
a. Sociological Perspective on Ethnicity and Minority
b. The Funcitonalist Perspective
c. The Conflict Perspective
d. the Symbolic Integrationist Perspective
4. Situation Analysis of Minorities and Ethnic People
a. Socio-economic and Political Conditions of Minority People
b. Socio-economic and Political Conditions of Ethnic People

50
 5. Ethnic Communities and Minorities in Bangladesh
a. Religious Minorities: Hindus, Christian, Buddhist, Ahamidays etc
b. Ethnic communities: Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, Tripura,
Garo, Santals, Rakhains etc
6. Minorities and International Law
Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), 1965),
UN Declaration on the Fights of Minorities of 1992, ILO policy etc.
7. Enemy (vested) Property Act and its impact on the Minority Hindu
Community
8. CHT Peace Treaty; Riots and Communal Attacks on the
Minorities in Bangladesh; Minority and the Political parties
9. Discrimination of Minorities and Ethnic Groups
a. Socio-economic, Legal and Institutional
b. Political Economy of Deprivation of Hindu Minority in Bangladesh; Role of Civil
Society in Combating Violence Against Religious and Ethnic Minorities
10. Development Interventions, Minority and Ethnicity
a. Role of Quota Policy
b. Adverse Impact of Development Policies and Programs

Readings
Kabir, Golam-Minority Political in Bangladesh
Dasgupta et al. (2011)-Minorities and the State: Changing Social and Political Landscape
of Bangladesh
Dasgupta, Abhijit-On the Margins: Cast, Tribes and Other Social Categories
Samadder, ranbir-The marginal nation: Transborder Migration from Bangladesh to West
Bengal
Barakat et al.-Political Economy of the Vested Property Act in Rural Bangladesh
Philip, Gain-Bangladesh Land Forest and Forest People
Gomes, F.S.-the Paharies: A Glimpse of Tribal Life in Northwestern Bangladesh

51
 SOC 209: SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION

Rationale: This course is designed to introduce religion’s role in shaping people and societies in
the contemporary world from a sociological perspective.

Objectives: This course aims to the nature and function of religious beliefs, practices, and
institutions, with special emphasis on the socially constructed nature of religion and its impact on
society.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain science, magic and religion
• Compare and contrast theoretical ideas about the importance of religion by classical and
contemporary theorists.
• Identify common organizational problems faced by religious movements.
• Address such questions as how religious movements give meaning to the human life
course, how believers socially construct practical and meaningful blends of worldly and
otherworldly interests, how congregations cope with outsiders and deviants, the effect of
literacy has on religious traditions, etc.
• Address the relationships between religion and the family, politics, the economy,
education, etc.
• Understand comparative studies of world religion
• Identify differences among empirical religious groups.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Definition, Nature and Objectives
b. Sociological Approach to Region
c. Sociology of Religion and Sociology
d. Sociology of Religion and Theology
2. Religion-Morals-Magic and Science
a. Problems of Defining Religion
b. Religion and Morals
c. Religion and Magic
d. Religion and Science
3. Sociological Theories of Religion
a. An Overview of the Theories of the Origin of Religion
b. The Functional Approach to Religion (Simmel, Durkheim, Malinowski)
c. Religion as an Integrator of Society
d. The Conflict Approach to Religion (Marx)
4. Religion and Personality
a. Religious Responses to Frustration and Suffering
b. Religious Roads to Salvation
c. Social Factors in Religions Interest
d. Secular Alternative to Religious Action
e. Secular Alternative to Religious Action

52
 5. Religion and Social Stratification
a. Occupation and Religion
b. Religion and Social Class and Status
6. Religion and Society
a. Religion and Types of Society
b. Ethnology of Religious Divisions
7. Religion and Politics
a. Relationship between Religion and Politics
b. The Church and State
c. Revivalism
8. Religion and Economics
a. Religion and Technology
b. Religion and Distribution of Wealth
c. Religion and Development of Commerce and Capitalistic
d. The Weberian Thesis: The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
9. Religious Change and Social Change
a. Religious Change as a Result of Social Change
b. Religion as a Cause of Social Change
10. Comparative Studies of World Religious
a. Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam
b. Unity Among Diversities

Required Readings
J. Milton Yinger- Religion, Society and the Individual
Ninian Smart- The World’s Religions
William A. Loos- Religious Faith and World Culture.

53
 3rd Year B.S.S. (Honours)
Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 600 & Related Courses: 100]

Major Courses

SOC 301: Classical Sociological Theory

SOC 302: Criminology

SOC 303: Urban Sociology

SOC 304: Sociology of Development

SOC 305: Social Demography

SOC 306: Social Stratification and Inequality

Related Courses [any one]

SOC 307: Medical Sociology

SOC 308: Sociology of Communication and Information Technology

SOC 309: Gerontology

54
 SOC 301: CLASSICAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

Rationale: This course is designed to introduce classical sociological theories which shaped the
discipline of Sociology.

Objectives: Students will critically read and discuss the sociological works of classical thinkers
including Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, and V.
Pareto.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Articulate what theory is and how it is used.
• Explain how classical theory is still used by contemporary scholars.
• Demonstrate ability to analyze original source material in the form of monographs and
articles by classical thinkers.
• Apply key classical social theories to current social problems and issues.
• Construct outline of the history of the emergence of the discipline of sociology and the
social sciences.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Social Forces in the Development of Sociological Theory
b. Enlightenment Philosophy and Classical Theories of Sociology
c. Types and Nature of Sociological Theory
d. Origin of Classical Sociological Theory
2. Auguste Comte
a. Methods of Inquiry
b. Stages of Social Evolution
c. Hierarchy of the Science and Positivism
d. Social Statics and Dynamics
3. Herbert Spencer
a. Biological Foundations
b. Evolution of Society
c. Homogenety to Heterogeneity
4. Karl Marx
a. Marx and Engels
b. Marx’s Methodology
c. Alienation
d. Historical and Dialectical Materialism
e. Class Theory and Class Struggle
f. Modes of Production

55
 5. Emile Durkheim
a. Durkheims Intellectual Context
b. Methodology
c. Division of Labors in Society
d. Sucide
e. Sociology of Religion
f. Philosophy and Morality
6. Max Weber
a. Methodology
b. Economy and Society
c. Power – Authority
d. Bureaucracy and Rationality

Recommended Text
Coser—Masters of Sociological Thought
E. Barker-The Political Thought of Plato and Aristotle.
Eric Voegelin-Plato and Aristotle.
Aron— Main Currents in Sociological Thought
Ritzer—George. 2008, Classical Sociological Theory, New York : McGraw Hill.
Ritzer, George. 2012. Sociological Theory.
Zeitlin, Irving M. Zool. Ideology and the Development of Sociological Theory, New
Jersey : Prientice Hall.

56
 SOC 302: CRIMINOLOGY

Rationale: This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding about crime and
criminal behavior from the sociological perspective.

Objectives: This course aims to develop an understanding of patterns and causes of criminality
and the operations of the criminal justice system, and equip students with the skills needed to
collect, interpret and evaluate information about crime and criminal justice.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain crime, criminal law and criminology
• Recognize the types of crime
• Understand the sociological theories of crime
• Identify the process of how behaviors become criminalized.
• Analyze the media critically as regards the presentation of crime.
• Understand social inequalities to criminality and social control
• Appreciate the causes of juvenile delinquency in Bangladesh
• Identify the measures of crime prevention
• Evaluate the roles of law enforcing agencies
• Assess the correction methods in Bangladesh

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Definition, nature and scope of criminology
b. Crime, criminology and criminal law
c. Emergence of criminology as a separate discipline
2. Methods of Criminological Research
a. Measuring crime; measuring crime through surveys: crime
victimization survey, survey of offenders
b. Techniques of crime data collection: in person interview surveys, observation methods,
cohort study, case study, content analysis and document research
3. Types of Crime
a. White collar crime, organized crime, corporate crime
b. Terrorism, domestic violence, political crime, cyber crime
4. Pre-classical, Classical and Neoclassical Theoretical Origins
a. Pre-Scientific approaches to crime
b. Cesare Beccaria
c. Neoclassical theories
5. Early and Contemporary Positivism
a. Biological positivism and Cesare Lombroso
b. Psychological Positivism and Freudian theory

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 6. Sociological Theories
a. Anomie theory: Durkheim and Merton
b. Differential association theory: Sutherland
c. Social bond theory: Hirschi
d. Labeling theory Haward Becker
e. Marxist Criminology
7. Juvenile Delinquency
a. Definition, causes of juvenile delinquency
b. Controlling juvenile delinquency in Bangladesh
8. Crime Prevention in Bangladesh
a. Concept of crime prevention and its importance
b. Measure of preventing crime: criminal law, penal code etc.
c. Agencies of crime prevention: Role of enforcing agencies
9. Correction Methods
a. Prison system, prison administration, open prison system
b. Method of probation and parole
c. Method of after care service
10. Penalogy
a. Punishment
b. Forms of Punishment
c. Theories of Punishment

Readings
Hagan, Frank (1986) Introduction to Criminology: Theories, Methods and Criminal
Behavior, Chicago: Nelson-Hall
Akers Ronald I. (1985) Deviant Behaviro: A Social Learning Approach, Belmont CA:
Wadsworth
Braithwaite John (1989), Crime Shame and Reintegration Cambridge: Oxford University
Press.
Hirschi Travis (1996) Causes of Delinquency, Berkeley: University of California Press

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 SOC 303: URBAN SOCIOLOGY

Rationale: This course is designed to understand conceptual and theoretical issues associated
with sociological study of the city.

Objectives: This course will focus on social organization and urban life style, social
stratification and power in the metropolis, urban economy, metropolitan problems, World
urbanization, and urban ecology and planning. This course will also focus on urban system and
structure of urbanization in Bangladesh

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the central analytical components of traditional "human ecology" perspectives on
cities, and how they describe processes of growth and development associated with
industrial cities.
• Describe the central insights and arguments presented by political economy perspective
in Urban Sociology, and how they differ from traditional perspectives.
• Explain the history of post-war suburbanization, and how it has changed spatial patterns
and introduced new challenges to both urban equality and governability.
• Distinguish among measures of segregation commonly used in the United States, and use
them to make comparisons across metropolitan areas.
• Analyze relationships of stratification within cities, especially race and class, and how
that impacts personal interactions and political dynamics in urban settings
• Understand the structure of urbanization in Bangladesh

Course Contents
1. Introduction
a. The Emergence of Urban Sociology (European and American Tradition)
b. Definition, Nature and Scope of Urban Sociology
2. Urban Growth and Urbanization: Historical Patterns
a. Urban growth
b. Urbanization
c. Stages of Urban Development
d. Reasons for Urban Growth and Urbanization
e. Stages of Global Urban Development
3. Theories of Urban Sociology
a. Classical Perspectives: K. Marx, F. Tonnis, E. Durkheim, G.
Simmel, M. Weber and Du Bois.
b. Contemporary Perspectives: Robert Park, Louis Wirth, Emest Burgess, Homer Hoyt,
H. Ullmen, David Harvey and Allen Scott, Gordon, Storper and Walker
4. Social Organization and Urban Life Style
a. Kinship and Family
b. Urban Life Style
c. Neighborhoods and Neighboring
d. Urbanism, Sub Urbanism and Anti urbanism

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 5. Social Stratification and Power in the Metropolis
a. Level of Urban Social Stratification
b. Ethnicity, Regionalism, Majority and Minority
c. Urban Politics
6. Urban Economy
a. Urban Economic Institutions
b. Urban Informal and Formal Sector
c. Urban Labour Market and Employment Trends
7. Dimension of Metropolitan Problems
a. Poverty and Crime in the City
b. Urban Housing Sprawl and Slum
c. Transportation and Pollution
d. Homelessness and Street People
8. World Cities and World Wide Urbanization
a. The Hierarchy of World Cities
b. The Growth and Activities of the Institutions of Global Capital
c. Urbanization in Developed and Developing Countries
d. Future of Urbanization
9. Urban Ecology and Planning
a. History of City Planning
b. Population, Environment and City Planning
c. Social Planning of the City
10. Urbanization, Urban System and Structure of Urbanization in
Bangladesh
a. Urban Hierarchy
b. Major Cities and Towns in Bangladesh
c. Characteristics of Urbanization in Bangladesh
d. Changing the Structure of Urbanization
e. Consequences of Urbanization

Recommended Texts
Abrahamson-Urban Sociology
Mike Savage, Warde and Ward-Urban Sociology, Capitalism-Modernity (2003)
Susan S. Fainstein and Scott Campbell-(eds.) Readings in Urban Theory (2011)
Readings
Gold-The Sociology of Urban Life
Brees (ed)—The City in Newly Developing Countries
Weber—The City
Simmel—The Metropolis and Mental Life
G. Edward (2011)—The Triumph of the City
Gilbert and Gugler—Cities Poverty and Development
Lowder, S.—In Side the Third World City
Little, K.—Urbanization as a Social Process
P.M.Hauser—City, The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.4
J.D. Kasarda—Third World Urbanization: Dimensions, Theories and Determinants
Palen—Urban World

60
 SOC 304: SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT

Rationale: The course is designed to provide an in-depth examination of the bases and fundamental
issues of development and underdevelopment from the sociological perspectives.

Objectives: This course focuses on the development and underdevelopment of developing world in
the global context. This course will broaden and deepen students’ understanding of the nature and
forms of development and progress.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand sociological perspectives on globalisation, global inequality and
development;
• Appreciate the theories of development
• Explain the political and historical developments that have shaped concepts such
as the third world, progress and development
• Identify the reasons behind industrialization of developing countries
• Understand the development strategies of developing countries
• Analyse the relationship between the local and the global in the context of
development
• Assess the agencies of development
• Evaluate the role of foreign aid in development

Course Contents:
1. The History of Development and Underdevelopment
a. Social Change, progress, development and underdevelopment
b. Colonial expansion as process of underdevelopment
c. De-colonization
d. The invention of development
2. The Emergence of Developing Countries
a. Emergence of the concept of Third World
b. Developing countries, neocolonialism and neo-imperialism
3. Theories of Development
a. Theories of modernization
b. Dependency theories c. Neo-Marxist theories:
d. World system theory
e. Postmodernist perspective of development
4. Globalization and Development
a. Concept of globalization, winners and losers of globalization
b. Perspectives on globalizations
c. Globalization and poverty
5. Development Strategies
a. Top-down vs. bottom-up policies; Indigenous knowledge and development
b. Democracy and development
c. Micro credit, social business and development

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 6. Industrialization for Development
a. Pattern, trends and models of industrialization
b. Reasons behind industrialization of developing countries
c. Globalization and industrialization: export-led industrialization; Fair trade
7. Development through Urbanization in Developing Countries
a. Urbanization in developing countries, urban growth and urbanism
b. World cities and development; urban bias
8. Foreign Aid & Trade
a. Aid and trade-
b. Aid as an instrument of dependence (WB, IMF, WTO)
c. Role and impacts of foreign aid-aid conditionality
d. Multinational Corporations
9. The Management of Developing Countries
a. Global Governance: United Nations (UN) system and others
b. Agencies of development: state, market and NGOs
c. MDGs, good governance and beyond
10. Problems and Prospects for Developing Countries: Bangladesh
Perspective
a. Poverty—Population—Natural Resources—Environment
b. Bangladesh—crisis of socio-economic transformation
c. Globalization and Devlopment

Readings
Rist, G.- The History of Development
Desai and Potter (2009)- The Companion to Development Studies
Escobar, A.-Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World
Anupam Sen-The state, Industrialization and Class Formations in India
Riddle, R.G.-Does Aid Work?
Hoogvelt – Sociology of Developing Societies
Rapley, John (2007) – Understanding Development : Theory and Practice in the Third
World Wesoter, Andrew (1997) Introduction to the Sociology of Development.
Anderson, J. et al. ed.(1995) –A Global World
Amartya Sen -Development as Freedom

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 SOC 305: SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY

Rationale: This course is designed to understand the influence of population on social

phenomena.

Objectives: This course acquaints students the demographic features and trends of Bangladesh
society vis-à-vis World population. It also helps students to make clear themselves how to
prepare a population policy in a country for effective development.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Explain demographic concepts, theories and principles.
• Describe population and policy, and apply this to critically evaluate the complexity of
policy and human population issues.
• Analyze contemporary population issues using sociological theory and methods.
• Explain the connections between social processes and their differential impact on
demographic social categories, such a race, ethnicity, social class, age, and disability.
• Use of technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze and
represent demographic information.
• Explain basic quantitative demography as a means to analyze population problems: i.e.,
fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization; and statistical characteristics of populations:
e.g., social problems - social deviance.
• Demonstrate an ability to execute basic demographic measures and interpret demographic
information
• Understand fertility, mortality and migration in Bangladesh.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Definition and types
b. Origin and Development of Social Demography
c. History of World Population Growth
d. Global variation in Population
e. Demographic Concepts
2. Theories of Population
a. Premodern Population Doctrinc
b. Matthusian Theory
c. Marxist Theory
d. Mill Dumont and Durkhein
e. Demographic Transition Theory
3. Demographic Data
a. Overview of Population Censuses
b. Registration and Vital Statistics
c. Sample Surveys
d. Historical Sources

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 4. Population Structure
a. Age and Sex Structure
b. How Structure Affects the Population Processes
c. How the population Processes Detersive structure
d. Dynamics of Population Structure
5. Population Processes
a. Mortality
b. Fertility
c. Migration
6. Migration and Urbanization
a. Definition and types of Migration
b. Determinate of Migration
c. Migration Problems and Policies
d. Demographic Compensate of Urbanization
e. Impact of Urbanization an Population
7. Population and Development
a. Population Growth and Development
b. Population, Politics and Development
c. Some can Studies from the Developing World
8. Population and Environment
a. Population, Food and Famine
b. Population and Environmental Pollution
c. Role of Population in Environmental Degradation
9. Population Policy and Planning
a. Population Policy
b. Difference between Development and Developing Countries
c. Social Policy and Planning
10. Population of Bangladesh
a. Age , Sex Structure
b. Fertility, Mortality and Migration
c. Morbidity and health
d. Population Problems and Policy
e. Population consures and Analysis

Recommended Texts
Weeks—Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues (17th 1999)
Readings
Yaukey and others—Demography The Study of Human Population (2007)
Shryock and Siegel—The Methods and Materials of Demography.

64
 SOC 306: SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND INEQUALITY

Rationale: This course is designed to deal with social stratification and social inequality from
sociological perspective.

Objectives: This course aims to equip students with conceptual tools (concepts and theories),
methods and empirical facts concerning social stratification or the causes, patterns, processes and
effects of inequalities in contemporary society.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define social inequality and social stratification
• Identify and describe the major forms of social stratification
• Describe biological, psychological and sociological perspectives on human behavior,
particularly theories explaining human differentiation (stratification) patterns.
• Appreciate the history of human stratification and its development.
• Describe the patterns, issues and theories about stratification
• Evaluate village studies of social stratification and inequalities in rural Bangladesh
• Analyze the types and forms of social mobility
• Appreciate the changing social stratification

Course Contents
1. Social Inequality – Definition – Importance
2. Social Structure and Social Inequality and Problems of Social Integration
3. Social Stratification – Definition – Major Forms of Social Stratification – Slavery, Estate
Caste – Caste and Sub – Caste – and Class – Characterstics of Social Stratification –
Social differentiation – Gender Stratification, Racial and Ethnic Inequality
4. Occupation : Significant Empirical Referent in Studding Social Stratificaiton and
Inequality
5. Determinants of Social Inequality and Stratification – Biological and Social
6. Caste System – Is it Peculiar to Hindus only or Application to all Religious
Communities? A New Perspective based on Empirical Data
Class – Definition – Methods of Measuring Class positions – Objective – Subjective –
Reputational – Bangladesh Contexts – Rural and Urban Communities
7. Origin of Social Inequality – Theological – Sociological- Theories of Karl Marx, Max
Weber, Davis and Moore, Talcott Parsons, Gerhard Lenski, Ralf Dahrendorf, Loyed
Warner, W. mills A Dahl, V. S. D’Souza.
8. Village Studies of Social Stratification and Inequalities in Rural Bangladsesh (Muheree,
A K N. Karim, P. Rangalal Sen, Bessaignet, F R Khan, A Chowdhury, Bertocii, B K
Jahangir, S M Zaidi, Arens and Boudon, Imam Ali. – Critical Analysis
9. Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Communities – Social Stratification, Interactions
10. Changing Rural Social Stratification, Interactional Patterns
11. Social Mobility – Its types and forms
12. Occupational Mobility – Diversity among Muslim Hindu Community in Bangladesh

65
 13. Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Communities:Stratification and Inequality-
Religious Stratification Buhhist Community of Bangladesh – Educational Inequalities
14. Social I Equality, Stratification, Social Exclusion and Problems of Social Integration –
Viewed from Cultural Plural, Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Models.
15. Changing Social Stratification : Cross Cultural Comparison (India and Bangladesh)

Suggested Readings
Dahrendorf, R.-Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society
Marx, K. & Engels, F.-Manifesto of the Communist Party
Bottomore, T.B.-Sociology: A Guide to Problem and Literature
D’Souza, V.S.-Changing Status of Scheduled Caste
Schaefer, R.T.-Sociology: A Brief Introduction
Giddens, A.-Sociology

66
 SOC 307: MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY

Rationale: The course is designed to understand health and illness from sociological
perspective.

Objectives: The objective of this course is to explain an understanding of social structure and its
impacts on health, illness, health care and health care delivery.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain health, illness, disease, sickness, morbidity, and mortality
• Understand health in a social context
• Assess the theoretical perspectives on health and illness
• Understand the structure and delivery of health care
• Evaluate health policy of the government of Bangladesh
• Appreciate global health situation
• Identify the roles of civil society in health and development

Course Contents:
1. Introduction to Medical Sociology
a. Definition, nature and scope of medical sociology
b. Fundamental definitions: health; illness, disease, sickness, morbidity, mortality etc
c. Historical development of medical sociology
d. Science of medicine and its relevance to social institutions
2. Study of Health in a Social Context
a. Medical model of illness and sociological model of illness
b. Medical hegemony, social changes in the development of medicine
c. Epidemiology, epidemiological transition & social epidemiology
d. Limits of epidemiology
3. Social Construction of Health and Illness
a. Social meaning of illness
b. Labeling and sick role
4. Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine within Sociology
a. Functional approach
b. Conflict approach
c. Interactions approach
d. Post-modern critique
5. Social Production of Health and Illness
a. Social causes as fundamental causes
b. Inequality, poverty and health
6. Social Structure & Health
1. Economy, population & health-culture & health-social class & disorders of health
2. Social mobility & disorders of health-mating & marriage
3. Who chooses modern medicines & why?

67
 7. Structure and Delivery of Health Care: Global and Bangladesh
Perspective
a. Models of health care delivery
b. Health professions and physician socialization
c. Health care providers: public, private and integrated service deliver
8. The State and Health
a. Health as a fundamental right; health policy of government of
Bangladesh; financing of health care
b. Impact of privatization and globalization on health care in Bangladesh
9. International Health
a. Global health situation: an introduction
b. Public health; landscape of malnutrition and under-nutrition and hunger; water and
sanitation
10. Agents of Change: Health Social Movement
a. Social policy to health
b. Disability rights movement
c. Role of civil society in health and development

Readings
Cockerham, W. C.-The Blackwell Companion to Medical Sociology.
Mumford, Emily-Medical Sociology: Patients, Providers and Policies
Cockerham, W. C.-Medical Sociology
David Tuckett. An introduction to Medical Sociology
Conrad, Peter et al. 2000. Handbook of Medical Sociology
Kafiluddin, A.K.M., Human Health, Diseases and the Environment: Dissemination of
research findings and emerging and re-emerging diseases (part I & II)

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 SOC 308: SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION &
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Rationale: This course is designed to deal with communication and information technology
from sociological perspective.

Objectives: This course aims to equip students with conceptual tools (concepts and theories),
methods and empirical facts concerning communication and information technology in
contemporary society.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Think critically about the nature, society, science and technology

• Understand the development of information technology
• Explain and apply the basic social theories on information
• Assess the role of transmission technology
• Understand health information technology
• Evaluate the role of information technology in governance
• Appreciate the right to free access to information

Course Contents:
1. Society and its Formation
Acquiring Knowledge on Nature, Environment-Development of Science and
Technology-Usage of Energy-Production of Information-Role of Information in Social
Development-Evolution and Change-Development of Knowledge-Emergence of Various
Discipline as Information-Emergence of Sociology as Information-Industrial Revolution-
Electronic Revolution Electronic Gadgets and Information.
2. Development of Information Technology
Means of Production as Technology and Information-Production Relations as Society-
Super Structure as Information-Informational Interaction and Social Structure.
3. Basic Social Theories on Information
Marx, White, Mcluhan-Information and Values, Ideology-Morality Information as a Key
to Social Domination-Information Imperialism-New International Information Order-
Golbal Society and Information.
4. Information and Its Dissemination or Transmission
Transmission technology-Communication Technology and Information-Inventions fo
Cone Type Sound Microphone, Fire, Bill, Drums, Telephone, Radio, Television,
Computer, Mobile Phones and Relation fo these with Society-Mcrowave and
Communication-Microwave Specturm and Human Health-Environmental Hazard and
Information Technology.
5. Computer as a Mean of Communication
Production Information-Hardware, Software, Computerization, Automation Robotics
Interaction of Men with Computers-Artificial Intelligence Cybernetics and etc,-Software
as a mean of Global Imperialism development of Internet and World Wide Web site and
Impact on Global Society-Emergence of Global Society-Cultural Imperialism-Extinction

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 of Culture Diversity-Digital Cultural Imperialism Extinction of Culture Diversity-Digital
Divide-Necessity of Inforamtion for Social Development.
6. Health Information Technology
Ergonomics Information Technology and Diseases, Computers and Working
Environment.
7. Information Technology and Environment
Environment Change and Information–Resource Harnessing through information
Technology Information Technology and Sustainable Development.
8. Information and Storage Media-Monument
Status Papyrus, Papers, Magnetic Tape, Hard Disk, Floppies and Other Information-Data-
Data-Bank.
9. Information Technology and governance
E Governance E-Commerce – E. Tranfer – Electronic Banking – Futuristic Prediction of
Second, Third Fourth Decades of 21st Century.
10. Consumerism and Information
Human Rights, Democracy and Right to Free Access to information-Crime-CyberCrime-
Cyber Law.
11. Trend fo Information Technology and Society
Developed Countries and Developing Countries-G8-Role of United Nations and other
International Forums in Reducing Gap between the Rich and Poors.

Suggested Readings
Loet Leydesdorff (2000) – A Sociological Theory of Communication.
Denis – Sociology of Mass Communication.

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 SOC 309: Gerontology

Rationale: This course examines the sociological aspects of aging, that is, how do the elderly
affect society and how does society affect the elderly.

Objectives: This course aims to place on understanding the normative changes associated with
the aging process.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify biological, social, cultural and psychological factors related to healthy aging
• Understand the sociological theories of aging
• Appreciate the psychology of aging
• Demonstrate sensitivity to diversity regarding aging as well as the cultural and family
influences on those attitudes.
• Apply inductive and deductive reasoning to create solutions for problems related to
aging.
• Apply the overview of the stages of the dying to options for end of life care.
• Identify economic and legal issues and local resources that assist elders with aging.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction to the Study of Aging: The Development of Social Gerontology-Major
Concep’s-The Field of Social Gerontoiogy-Definition Nature-Scope-Significance-
Research Methods in Sociail Gerontoiogy.
2. The Demographic Characteristics of the Older People: The age structure of a
population median age-Population pyramid-Demographic Transition-Dependency Ratio
Population Projection-Life Expectancy.
3. Aging in Socio-Cultural and Historical Context: Aging in Pre-Industrial Societics-
Aging Experience in Other cultures (Selected Cultures) Including Bangladesh Society
and Culture-Aging and Modernization.
4. Sociological Theories of Aging: The Activity Theory-The disengagement Theory-The
Sub-Culture Theory-The Exchange Theory-The Age Stratification Theory-I’ve
Phenomenological Theory.
5. Aging and Biological Change: Biological Theories of Aging-Hayflick’s Aging Clock-
The Error Theory-The Free-Radical Theory-The Cross-Linkage Theory-the Autoimmune
Theory-The Pituitary Theory-Physical Changes with Age Health-Disability-Illness etc.
6. The Psychology of Aging: The Sensorv Functioning of Aging Individuals-Perceptual
and Mental Functioning-Stress and Aging-Psychological Disorder and Related Problem-
Leaming-Memory-Ageism-Attitudes Towards Aging-Personauty and Aging.
7. Work, Retirerment and Leisure: Work and Retirement-Mandatory Retirement
Attitudes Towards Retirement-Consequences of Retirement-Aging and Leisure-The Use
of Time by the Elderly-Opportunities and constraints.
8. Aging and the Family: Aging and Joint or Extended Families-Aging and Nuclear
Family-Aging and Kinship-Divorce-Widowhood-The Conjugal Relations-Aging and
Sexuality.

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 9. The Problems of Old Age: An overview-Social Security and Welfare Activiucs-The
Aged as Victim-Role of Government and Non-Government Welfare Organizations.
10. Aging and the Future: Aging in a Post-Industrial Society-the Role of older People in a
post-industrial Society-Aging Around the world-growing social Movements-Policy and
Planning for the Aged.

Readings
1. Hiller, Susan and George M. Barrow. Aging, the Individual and Society, 7 Th Edition,
New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 1999.
2. Quadagno, Jill, Aging and the Life Course, 3rd Edition, New York: McGraw Hill Higher
Education, 2004.
3. Nancy R. Hooyman and H. Asuman Kiyak Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary
Perspective, 7th edition, Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 2005.

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 4th Year B.S.S (Honours)
Total Marks: 700 [Major Courses: 700]

Major Courses

SOC 401: Modern Sociological Theory

SOC 402: Sociology of Education

SOC 403: Industrial Sociology

SOC 404: Marxist Sociology

SOC-405: Political Sociology

SOC 406: Sociology of Contemporary Bangladesh

SOC 407: Social Research Methodology-II

[Theoretical-50 & Research Monograph-50]

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 SOC 401: MODERN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES

Rationale: This theoretical course is designed for the fourth year students to develop deep
theoretical insights to comprehend the complexity of the modern society. The classic modern
sociological theories successfully delineated are expected t reflect on the complexities of their
own society.

Objectives: the course will examine major works of modern sociological theorists. Students will
be exposed to the major works and contributions of Talcott Parsond, Robert K. Merton, Herbert
Blume, George H Mead, Erving Goffman, Peter Blau, C.W. Mills, Peter Berger, Dahrendorf and
others. Thereby, comprehensive theoretical insights would be developed y offerings this course.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain theory and sociological theory
• Understand structural functionalism
• Identify the social functions of conflict
• Explain the nature of exchange with reference to the theories of various exchange
theorists
• Discuss interpretive sociology in European and American trend
• Revise and/or rewrite Marx by Neo-Marxist theory.

Course Contents:
1. Sociology and Theory
Criteria of Theory-Types of theory-Characteristics of a Sociological Theory-Central
Problems of a Sociological Theory-Modern Sociological Theory-Theoretical Debate on
Modernity
2. Structural-functionalism
a. Parsonian Structural-functionalism: Social Structural Elements and AGIL, Social
System
b. Merton and Middle-range Theory; Revision of Functional Analysis; Theories of
Middle Range, Social Structure and Anomie, Manifest and Latent Functions,
Condification of Functional Analysis, Reference Group, Five Modes of Individual
Adaptation
3. Major Non-Marxist Conflict Theorists
a. C. Wright Mills and the Critique of Funcationalism
b. Ralf Dahrendorf, Lewis Coser and the Theory of Social Conflict
4. Various Exchange Theorists
a. George Homans, Peter Blau and Exchange Theory; Exchange Theory: Peter Blau-
Social Behaviorism to Rational Choice
b. George Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley and Symbolic Interactionism: Genesis
of the Self and Social Control, the Self and its Emergence in the Society
c. Erving Goffman and Dramaturgical Theory: Impression Management, Front Stage vs.
Back Stage

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 5. Interpretive Sociology [European and American Trend]
a. General Introduction to Sociology of Knowledge and
Phenomenology
b. Husserl and Schutz
c. Harold Garfinkel and Ethnomethodolgoy
6. Neo-Marxist Theory [Continuing attempts to revise and/or
rewrite Marx]
a. Antonio Gramsci: Hegemony and Mature Capitalism
b. Louis Althusser: Over Determination and Ideology
c. Frankfurt School: Late Capitalist Culture

Recommended Texts
Jonathan H. Turner-The Structure of Sociological Theory
M. Francis Abraham-Modern Sociological Theory
George Ritzer- Sociological Theory
Readings
Ashley, David & Orenstein-Sociological Theory: Classical Statements
Abraham & Morgan-Sociological Thought
George Ritzer & Douglas J. Goodman-Classical Sociological Theory

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 SOC 402: SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

Rationale: This course is designed to introduce to the field of education from the sociological
perspective.

Objectives: The course aims to discuss the functional, liberal, radical, Marxist, cultural and
feminist perspective within the framework of sociology of education. Issues such as education in
relation to stratification, state policies and reform agendas in education in the context of
Bangladesh will be critically analyzed.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain the concept education
• Discuss schools of education.
• Describe education as a social institution
• Show the gap between rural and urban education
• Assess the role of languages in education
• Explain how schools reproduce social structure.
• Evaluate national education system and policy of Bangladesh.

Course Contents:
1. Sociological Basic of Education
a. Definition of Education, Functions and Dysfunctions of Education
b. Scope and Limitations of Education, Impact of Education in Society
c. Educational Sociology and Sociology of Education
2. Philosophy of Education
a. John Dewey, Freire, Ivan Illich, John Holt
3. Schools of Education
a. Functionalist Theory: Durkheim and Parsons
b. Conflicy Theory: Marx, Weber and Collins
c. Symbolic Interactionist Theory : Mead and Colley
d. Critical Pespectives: Coleman, Bourdieu, etc.
e. Concept of Deschooling Society
4. Education as a Social Institution
a. Educational Institutions, Functions: Education as an Agency of Socialization
b. Education Inequality and Integration; Caste and Education
c. Educational Mobility, Types of Mobilty and External Constrains
5. Inequality, Education and Women
a. Education and Gender, Educational Levels and Gender Issues
b. Gap Between Rural and Urban Education
c. Education as Social Capital and Tools of Transformation
6. Education and Society
a. Education in Pre-British and British India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
b. Role of Languages in Education: Presian, English
c. English Education and the Emergence of New Middle Class

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 7. Social Classes and Types of Educational Institutions
a. Social Class and Education: Bengali Medium, English Medium, Madrasha
b. Education, Nationalism and Internationalism
8. Education in the Era of Glabalization, Liberalization and
Privatization
a. Transantional Education, Cross-border Education, Offshore
Education, Boarderless Education
b. Scope of transnational Education
c. global Recognition of Education as a Commodity: WTO, GATS,
UNESCO and OECD
9. Education and Bangladesh State
a. Nationalization of Primary Education Before 1975
b. Nationalization of Collage and High Schools During 1980
c. Privatization of Education: Estanlishment of Private
Universities, Medical Collages
10. National Education System and Policy of Bangladesh
a. Status of Education in Bangladesh Constitution
b. National Education Policies from Pakistan Period to Present
c. Commercialization of Education
d. Expansion of Madrasa Education since 1980s

Readings
Aristotie-Politics
D’Souza V.S.-Education, Social Structure an Democracv in India
Linch, L.-Deschooling Society
Kabir, H.-Indian Philosophy of Education
Mannheim-The Sociology of Knowledge
Plato-The Republic
Sarma, S.L.-Modernizing Effects of University Education
Sen, S.-Muslim Politics in Bangladesh (1937-1947)
Streeton, P.-Economic Development and Education
Cook and Cook-A Sociology Approaches to Education
The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

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 SOC 403: INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY
Rationale: The course is designed to analyze the structure and process of industrial
organizations from the sociological perspective.

Objectives: The course aims to examine and explain the sociological issues arising within work
and industry.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Familiar with the characteristics of industrial sociology and its scopes.
• Assess theoretical perspectives in industrial sociology
• Understand the findings of Hawthorne study
• Appreciate the social structure of industry
• Identify the problems of industrial society in Bangladesh
• Examine the role of trade union in Bangladesh
• Assess the trends of industrialization in Bangladesh
• Examine the present scenario of human resource development in Bangladesh.

Course Contents:
1. Introduction
a. Sociology and the study of Industrial Society
b. Origin and Development of Industrial Sociology
c. The Sociology of work
2. Theoretical Perspectives in Industrial Sociology
a. The managerial-psycho Logistic Perspective
b. The Interactionist Perspective
c. The Durkheim-systems Perspective
d. The Weberian-action Perspective
e. The Marxian Perspective
3. Industrialization
a. Pre-conditions of Industialization
b. Major consequences of Industialization
4. Social Structure of Industry
a. Status, Role Differentiation & Distribution
b. Authority and Normative Structure
c. Industrial Bureacracy
5. Industrial Relations
a. Major Approaches to Industrial Relations: Hawthorne Study
b. Issues and Trends of Industrial Relations
c. management Personnel & Industrial Leadership
d. Industrial Conflict Trade Union-Labour Welfare
6. Problems of Industrial Society
a. Forces of Stability and Strain
b. Institutional Conflict, Marginality and Individualism
c. Alienation and Anomic
d. Industrial Hazards

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 7. Organization Behavior
a. Introduction to Organization Behavior
b. Factors of Organization Behavior
c. Organizational Culture and Motivation
8. Industrialization in Bangladesh
a. Historical Overview of Industrialization in Bangladesh
b. Causes, Trends and Problems of Industrilization in Bangladesh
9. Trends of Industrialization in Bangladesh
a. Public Sector and Private Sector
b. Free Market Economy and Industrial Growth in Bangladesh
c. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
d. Garments Sector and EPZs
10. Industrilization and Socio-economic Development
a. Industrial Sector and Human Development in Bangladesh

Readings
Bordix-work and Authority in Industry
E.P. Thampson-The English working class
Engles-Condition of working class in England

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 SOC 404: MARXIST SOCIOLOGY
Rationale: First, the Marxist theoretical tradition continues to offer indispensable theoretical
tools for understanding the conditions for the future advance of a radical egalitarian project of
social change. Second, the Marxist tradition has a great deal offer to sociology in general even if
one does not identify strongly with the vision of human emancipation in that tradition. In
particular, class analysis in the Marxist tradition has considerable explanatory power for a wide
range of issues of sociological importance. Third, the Marxist tradition of social thought is
intellectually interesting and provocative. It contains some of the most elegant and ambitious
theoretical constructions in all of social science and raises all sorts of intriguing puzzles and
problems.

Objectives: The objective of this course is to provide a rigorous introduction to the core
concepts, ideas and theories in the Marxist tradition of critical social science. The course
provides the most systematic body of ideas and social theory for radical critics of capitalism as
an economic system and social order. Even those critics of capitalism who did not directly
identify with Marxism relied heavily on Marxist ideas about class, exploitation,
commodification, the state, ideology and many other themes.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand Marxism and capitalism;
2. Gain a comprehensive understanding of class structure, class formation and class
struggle;
3. Analyze the theory of the state and politics;
4. Explain the theory of history, Ideology and consciousness;
5. Understand imperialism and socialism;
6. Have knowledge about critical school.

Course Contents
1. Marxism, capitalism and the critique of capitalism
2. a. Dialectical method
b. Marx’s theory of Alienation
3. The classical Marxist theory of history
4. Theory of value as a social relation – Labour theory of value as a specific social
relation and exploitation.
5. a. Class structure
b. Class formation
6. a. Marx’s theory of the state
b. Dynamics of revolution

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 7. a. Imperialism
c. Socialism
8. a. Ideology and science
b. Gramsci and Lukacs: Hegemony and deconstruction of capitalism; Philosophy and
problems of Marxism; Class consciousness and reification of capitalism.
9. Critical school: Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse and Habermas: Convergence of Freud and
Marx; Dialectic of enlightenment; Critique of psychoanalysis; New left movement and
critique of one dimensional society; communicative rationality and the analysis of late
capitalism.

Readings
1. Burawoy and Wright, “Sociological Marxism,” in Jonathan Turner (ed), Handbook of
Sociological Theory
2. Sweezey, The Theory of Capitalist Development
3. Harvey, The Enigma of Capital
4. Szymanski, Class Structure: a critical perspective
5. Marx, Economic and Philosophical Manuscript of 1844.
6. Marx and Engles, The German Ideology.
7. Marx and Engles, The Communist Manifesto.
8. Marx, Capital (Vol. I, II and III)
9. Bottomore, Marxist Sociology
10. Bottomore and Rubel, Karl Marx: Selected Writings in Sociology and Social Philosophy.
11. Easton and Guddat, Writings of the Young Marx.
12. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.
13. Lefebre, The Sociology of Marx
14. Lefebre, Dialectical Materialism.
15. Lukacs, History and Class Consciousness.
16. McLellan, Marx before Marxism.
17. McLellan, The Thought of Karl Marx – An Introduction.
18. Gramsci, Selections from Prison Notebooks.
19. Lenin, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.
20. Anthony Brewer, Marxist Theories of Imperialism: A Critical Survey.
21. Metzaros, Marx’s Theory of Alienation.
22. Marcuse, One Dimensional Man.
23. Gample and Walton, From Alienation to Surplus Value.

81
 SOC 405: POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
Rationale: Political sociology is related to the distinction between the social and the political,
between society and state. The main focus has been on simultaneous changes in
the political order and the social system. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the
study of power, politics, and the state from a sociological point of view.

Course Objectives: This course aims to provide students with the sociological analysis of
political phenomena ranging from the State and civil society to the family, investigating topics
such as citizenship, social movements, and the sources of social power.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand the meaning and some basic concepts of political sociology;
2. Master the theoretical framework for the analysis of the development of state
3. Gain a comprehensive understanding of political culture and political socialization
4. Acquire analytical skill for examining the modern state from sociological point of
view;
5. Understand the dynamics of political change ;
6. Have knowledge about political power, movement and the politics of development.

Course Contents
1. a. Definition, nature, scope and importance of political sociology and its relevance
with other branches of social sciences
b. Key Theoretical perspectives of political sociology.

2. Major concepts of political sociology: political culture, political socialization, political

communication, political polarization, political mobilization and movement, political
ideology, cleavages and consensus, political revolution and integration.

3. a. Typology of the state

b. Origin and development of the modern state
c. Nature of state
4. Sociology of modern state: a. Political parties; b. Representations; c. electoral process
and voting behavior; d. pressure group; e. leadership; f. bureaucracy; g. political
participation; h. Class, politics and state; i. Elite theory.
5. a. Problems of power and separation of power, bases of power, authority and
legitimacy.
b. Political power at local, national and international levels.

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 6. Sociology of movements:
a. Conservatism, liberalism, fascism, socialism and communism.
b. Political context of social movements
c. Political and social movements in Bangladesh

7. a. Factors in the making of the state

b. Relation of the state to other institutions

8. Political sociology of Bangladesh: a. Historical background; b. Political elites in

Bangladesh; c. Interaction between political and military elites in Bangladesh; d.
Problems and prospects and institutionalization of democracy in Bangladesh.

9. Globalization, democracy and politics of development: a. Political development; b.

Globalization and transition to democracy; c. Crises in state and democracy

Readings
1. Poggi, Gianfranco, The State: Its Nature, Development, and Prospects.
2. Mills, C. Wright, The Power Elite.
3. Janoski, Alford, Hicks, and Schwartz (eds.), The Handbook of Political Sociology:
States, Civil Societies, and Globalization.
4. Coser, Lewis, Political Sociology.
5. Bottomore, T.B, Political Sociology.
6. Bottomore, T.B, Elites and Society.
7. Taylor, Graham, The New Political Sociology: Power, Ideology and Identity in an Age
of Complexity.
8. Washburn, Political Sociology.
9. Beck, U., Power in the Global Age.
10. Weber, Max, ‘Class, Status and Party’ in From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology
(translated and edited by H. H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills)
11. Weber, Max, Economy and Society
12. Sen, Rangalal, Political Elites in Bangladesh.
13. Nash, Kate, Political Sociology.
14. Diamond, Lary and Marc F. Plattner, The Global Resurgence of Democracy.
15. Rownak, Jahan, Bangladesh Politics: Problems and Issues.
16. Finke and Gable, Political Development and Social Change.
17. Smith, Anthony D., State and Nation in the Third World.
18. Runciman, Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy.
19. Engles, F., The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.
20. Porta, D. Donatella and Mario Diani, Social Movements: An Introduction.

83
 SOC 406: SOCIOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY BANGLADESH

Rationale: Knowledge of the historical, socio-economic and political background acts as a

precursor to the analysis of the present and future social structure of Bangladesh. It
encourages the careful study and rigorous analyses of the contemporary society and culture
of Bangladesh.

Objectives: The principle objective of the course is to familiarize students with the
ethnology of contemporary Bangladesh people with a specific focus on social, economic and
political organizations. It will also examine the issues of change and development in
contemporary Bangladesh society.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the various historical aspects of Bangladesh society and culture;
• Correlate historical events to current socio-economic development of Bangladesh;
• Gain comprehensive knowledge of the economic activities such as agriculture,
manufacturing, service and trade;
• Explain and evaluate social, economic and political life of Bangladesh;
• Understand the nature of family, marriage and kinship in Bangladesh;
• Analyse the impact of globalization in Bangladesh.

Course Contents
1. a. From early till the colonial period – land, people, language, religion, commodities
and trade;
b. Socio-economic background of the birth of Pakistan
c. Socio-economic background of the birth of Bangladesh

2. a. Historic speech (7th March 1971) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

b. Liberation war of Bangladesh

3. a. Economy of Bangladesh – rural economy, urban economy, informal economy,

migration and Bangladesh economy
b. Recent sectoral contributions of Bangladesh economy – agriculture, industry and
services
4. a. Changing pattern of families in Bangladesh
b. Changing Pattern of kinship in Bangladesh
c. Trends of marriage and divorce in contemporary Bangladesh
5. a. Geographical and demographic feature of Bangladesh
b. Cultural diversity in Bangladesh: mainstream culture, regional and indigenous
culture, sub-culture
c. Beliefs, rituals and religious practices – Impact of modernization on existing
beliefs, rituals and religious practices in Bangladesh

84
 6. a. Tribal society in Bangladesh
b. Changes in tribal societies.
7. a. Rural power structure – Formal and informal power structure – Changing power
structure and leadership
b. Rural development programmes in Bangladesh and their consequences
8. a. Trends of Urbanization in Bangladesh - Problems and issues of urbanization - Urban
Poor - Urban Planning.
b. Impact of urbanization and industrialization on the contemporary Bangladesh
society and culture.
9. Social, economic and political life in contemporary Bangladesh
10. a. Empowerment of women in Bangladesh – Changing roles of women in Bangladesh
b. Effect of free market and globalization in Bangladesh

Readings
1. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh History of Bangladesh (3 volumes)
2. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh Banglapedia
3. Dhurjati Prasad De Bengal Muslims in Search of Social Identity 1905-47
4. Nazmul Karim The Dynamics of Bangladesh Society
5. Safar Ali Akanda Language Movement and the Making of Bangladesh
6. Steve Jones Rural Development Programmes in Bangladesh
7. Azizur Rahman Khan and Mahabub Hossain The Development Strategy of Bangladesh
8. M. Ullah Bangladesh Economy: Turns of the Decades
9. Eiric G. Jansen Rural Bangladesh: Competition for Scarce Resources
10. B. K. Jahangir Differentiation, Polarization and Confrontation of Rural Bangladesh
11. Kamal Siddiqui Social Formation in Dhaka City
12. Mahmudul Haque (edited) Bangladesh: History, Politics, Economy, Society and
Culture; Essays in Honour of Professor Alamgir Muhammad Sirajuddin.
13. S. R. Osmani Poverty and Vulnerability in Rural Bangladesh
14. Muntassir Mamoon Bangladesh: Bangali Psyche, State Formation and Modernity
15. Kirsten Westergaard and Abul Hossain Boringram Revisted: Persistent Power
Structure and Agricultural Growth in a Bangladesh Village
16. David Lewis Bangladesh: Politics, Economy and Civil Society
17. Zillur R. Khan and Meghna Guhathakurta (edited) Regional Cooperation and
Globalization
18. Hossain Zillur Rahman and Mahbub Hossain Rethinking Rural Poverty: Bangladesh
as a Case Study

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 SOC 407: SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - II
[Theoretical – 50; Research Monograph - 50]

Rationale: This course is designed to introduce a research project to address a given research
question, including literature review and data analysis.

Objectives: This course aims to teach students about writing a sociological research monograph
by applying both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain the nature of literature review
• Systematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative data using quantitative and qualitative
data analysis software
• Interpret and draw conclusions from descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.
• Prepare written reports according to the stylistic conventions, using synthesis of scholarly
literature and evidence from data analyses to construct an argument about the social
world.

Course Contents
1. Pattern and Technique of Literature Review
a. Books, Journal Articles, and Other Documents

2. Quantitative Data Processing And Analysis

b. Editing, Coding and Tabulation
c. Descriptive Statistics and Inferential Statistics
d. SPSS

3. Qualitative Data Analysis

a. Thematic Analysis
b. Narrative Analysis
c. Secondary Analysis
d. Using CAQDS, NVivo

4. Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research

a. Arguments against Mixed Method Research
b. Approaches to Mixed Methods
5. Quantitative Report Writing
a. Types of Report
b. Structure of Quantitative Research Report
6. Qualitative Report Writing
a. Structure of Qualitative Research Report

86
Note: Students are required to write a research monograph on a particular topic. The respective
course teacher will approve the topic before he/she started to work on that topic.

Required Readings
1. Babbie (2001) The practice of Social research (9th ed)
2. Bailey (1987) Methods of social research (3rd ed.)
3. Nan Lin (1976) Foundations of Social research
4. Sufian (1998) Methods and Techniques of Social Research
5. Neuman (2000) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
6. Punch (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches
Recommended Readings
1. Denzin and Lincoln (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research
2. Bryman and Cramer (1994) Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Sciences
3. Miles and Huberman (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis

87
 University of Chittagong
Chittagong, Bangladesh.

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

SYLLABUS FOR M.S.S SOCIOLOGY
Session: 2019-20 & 2020-21

88
 Master’s Program in Sociology
Courses at a glance
Session: 2019-20 & 2020-21
[Total Credits: 24; Total Marks: 600]
[Tutorial: 50 marks; Terminal: 25 marks; Viva-voce: 25 marks]

Compulsory Courses [One]

SOC 501: Postmodernism and Social Theory

Alternate Courses (Any Four)

SOC 502: Sociology of Global Issues
SOC 503: Comparative Social Structure and Development
SOC 504: Social Change in South Asia
SOC 505: Selected Texts [any two]
(a) Anupam Sen---The State, Industrialization and Class Formations in India
(b) Anthony Giddens--- New Rules of Sociological Method
(c) Katy Gardener---Discordant Development: Global Capitalism and the Struggle for
Connection in Bangladesh
SOC 506: Logic and Science
SOC 507: Sociology of Disaster and Vulnerability
SOC 508: Advanced Research Monograph

[Students willing to undertake thesis must submit the topic of the research in a proposal form
necessary approval of the academic committee within 30 days of the commencement of the
first class of M.S.S. programme. A limited number of students, on the basis of merit (not less
than CGPA 3.00), may be taken in thesis group upon recommendation of the academic
committee. The students will present their thesis before the teachers of the department after
completion of the thesis. The examination committee will arrange the presentation session and
the academic committee will determine the alternative course of a particular session.]

89
 SOC 501: POSTMODERNISM AND SOCIAL THEORY

Rationale: Postmodernism is best understood as a questioning of the ideas and values

associated with a form of modernism that believes in progress and innovation. This course is
designed to understand and analyze the social and cultural features of late capitalism (post-
modernity), a critique of sociological theory as a modernist project, and an extension
of sociological inquiry into new domains.

Objectives: The objective of this course is to introduce students about postmodernism and social
theory and make them able to understand and relate to reality through theoretical lens. In the first
part, it discusses about the nature and critique of modernism. In the second part, it will address
the thoughts and contributions of Michel Foucault, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Ulrich Beck, Jean
Baudrillard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Julia Kristeva, Fredric Jameson, Jacques Derrida, Martin
Heidegger and David Harvey from sociological perspectives.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the nature and critique of modernism.
2. Elaborate the background of the emergence of the post modern thinking in Sociology
3. Expound the theoretical perspectives that comprise the major positions regarding
postmodernism and social theory

1. Nature and Critique of Modernism

a. Anthony Giddens
b. Zygmunt Bauman
c. Jurgen Habermas

2. Origin and Development of Postmodern theory

a. Michel Foucault
b. Jean-Francois Lyotard
c. Ulrich Beck
d. Jean Baudrillard
e. Friedrich Nietzsche
f. Julia Kristeva
g. Fredric Jameson
h. Jacques Derrida
i. Martin Heidegger
j. David Harvey

References:
1. Docherty, Thomas (edited). 1993. Postmodernism-A Reader. Longman
2. Turner, Bryan S. 1995. Theories of Modernity and Postmodernity. SAGE.
3. Butler, Christopher. 2003. Post-Modernism: A Very Short Introduction.
4. O’ Neil, John. 1995. The Poverty of Postmodernism. Routledge.
5. Spinks, Lee. 2007. Dietrich Nietzche. Routledge.

90
6. Clark, Timothy. 2007. Martin Heidegger. Routledge.
7. R. Nicholas. 2007. Jacques Derrida. Routledge.
8. Mills, Sara. 2007. Michel Foucault. Routledge.
9. Maplas, Simon. 2007. Jean Francois Lyotard. Routledge.
10. Roberts, Adam. 2007. Frederic Jameson. Routledge.
11. Lane, Richard. 2007. Jean Baudrillard. Routledge.
12. McAfee, Noelle.2007. Julia Kristeva. Routledge.
13. Cahoone, Lawrence. 2006. From modernism to Postmodernism. Blackwell publishing.
14. Beck, Ulrich. 1992. Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London: Sage.
15. Beck, Ulrich, Anthony Giddens & Lash Scott. 1994. Reflexive Modernization, Politics,
Tradition and Aesthetics in the Modern Social Order. Cambridge: Polity Press.

91
 SOC 502: SOCIOLOGY OF GLOBAL ISSUES

Rationale: This course is designed to understand globalization and its consequences in the
twenty-first century.

Objectives: This course aims to introduce to the nature and dynamics of global issues, and
various agencies involved in this process. It also aims to examine the Bangladesh experience of
globalization.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Define and explain the concept of globalization.
• Apply basic sociological concepts and theories to analyzing issues related to
globalization process.
• Identify domestic issues interconnected with global ones.
• Explain the global economy
• Examine the effects of globalization on various groups and national identity
• Identify the global inequalities
• Assess transnational social movements
• Appreciate ecological dimension of globalization
• Describe Bangladesh economy in the age of global capitalism

Course Contents
1. Conceptualizing Globalization
a. Defining Globalization
b. Globalism and Globality
c. Towards a definition of Globalization
2. History of Globalization
a. The Pre-modern Period
b. The early modern period
c. The modern period
d. The contemporary period
e. Future of Globalization
3. Theories of Globalization
a. General perspectives on the economy (Adam Smith, Marx,
Keynesianism)
b. Modernization Theory
c. World System Theory
d. World Polity Theory
e. Realism / Neorealism
f. Neoliberal Institutionalism
g. World Culture Theory
4. The Global Economy
a. Economic Dimensions of Globalization
b. International Institutions and Global Economy
c. Transnational Capitalism

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 5. Political Globalization
a. Political Interrelations across the globe
b. Modern nation-state system
c. Demise of the nation-state
d. Global governance
d. Transnational politics
6. Culture and Globalization
a. Global Culture
b. Media and Global Communications
c. Global Cultural Economy
d. Cultural Imperialism
7. Globalization and Global Inequalities
a. Class, Income and Wealth
b. Global Inequality
8. Transnational Social Movements/Civil Society
a. Transnationalism
b. Transnational Communities
c. Transnational Families
d. Anti Globalization
9. Global Environmental and Global Security Issues
a. Ecological Dimension of Globalization
b. Major Environmental Issues
c. Transnational Migration and Global Environment
10. Bangladesh Economy in the Age of Global Capitalism
a. Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and Special Economic Zones
b. Exploration of natural resources and its impacts: Fulbari,
Magurchhara, Kailashtila
c. Garment and manpower export; Dependent development

Suggested Readings
Applebaum R. and Robinson W. 2005, Critical Global Studies, Routledge, New York.
Cohen Robin and Shirin M. (ed.) Global Social Movements, The Athlone Press, London
Dubhashi P.R., 2002, Rumaway World: How globalization is Reshaping Our Lives,
Routledge, New York.
Jha Avinash, 2000, Background to Globalization, Centre for Education and
Documentation, Mumbai
Kofman and Young, 2003, Globalization, Theory and Practice, Contimuum, London
Lechner F. and Boli J. (ed), 2000, The Globalization, Black well Oxford
Schuurman Frans J. (ed) 2002, Globalization and Development Studies, Sage
Publications, New Delhi
Dasgupta Samir (ed), 2004: The Changing Face of Globalization, New Delhi, Sage
Publication
Harvey, David, 2005. A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press
(Chaper-5)

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 SOC 503: COMPARATIVE SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

Rationale: This course is designed to provide advanced comprehension of the phenomenon of

development.

Objectives: This course aims to build increased awareness about various ramifications and
exigencies of development in local, regional, global and ecological contexts.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Identify conventional and historical approaches towards social structure
• Describing and assessing key concepts and theoretical perspectives used in the analysis of
the development of modern societies and the nature of modernity.
• Explain the nature of post-colonial society
• Evaluating competing models and explanations of the development of different types of
modern society
• Appreciating the historical context of development
• Reflecting critically on the development policy and strategy of Bangladesh
• Draw an analysis on foreign aid in Bangladesh
• Explain sustainable development in Bangladesh
• Assess the impact of globalization in Bangladesh

Course Contents
1. Social Structure
a. Conventional and historical approaches towards social structure and socio-economic
formation
b. Nature-labour-Society nexus.
2. Development of Oriental and Occidental Societies
a. Multi-linear paradigm; Dynamics of capitalism
b. Industrial Revolution and capitalism; colonialism and imperialism
c. Capitalism in East Asia
d. Dynamics of Socialism
3. Development and Underdevelopment
a. Conventional modernization theories and approaches
b. Marxist and neo-Marxist theories
c. Militarism and capitalism
4. Post-colonial Society
a. Challenges of change and choice
b. State-power; politics and bureaucracies
c. Classes, ideology and conflicts
d. Military rule and development; Foreign Aid; MNCs and NGOs
5. Development of Bangladesh
a. Historical context
b. Development policy and strategy
c. Polities of development; demography and education

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 6. Ecology of Development
a. Environmental degradation; sustainable development; ecologisation of culture
b. Globalization and Bangladesh; Globalization and alternatives

Readings
A.R. Desai (ed.)-Essays of Modernization of Underdvelopment Societies.
A.M.M. Hoogvelt-The Sociology of Developing Countries.
H. Alavi and T. Shanin-An Introduction to the Sociology of Developing Countries
A. Brewer-Marxist Theories of Imperialism: A Critical Analysis
Anupam Sen-State, Industrialization and Class formations in India.
James Petras-Crtical Perspectives on Imperialism and Social Class in the Third World
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95
 SOC 504: SOCIAL CHANGE IN SOUTH ASIA

Rationale: This course is designed to throw light on the rapid changing geopolitical, cultural and
economic scenario of modern south Asia in the context of globalization.

Objectives: The course aims to provide new insight on the emergence and development of south
Asia in the course of long history and pre-history. It also aims to address the future role of south
Asia.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Describe origin and history of south Asia
• Use sociological concepts to analyze various issues of social change in south Asia
• Apply theories of social change in south Asia.
• Develop comparisons of differences and similarities among south Asian countries
• Assess the growth of nationalism and nationalist thought in south Asia
• Analyze human development in south Asia
• Identify the various future impacts in south Asia
• Review the geopolitical framework of south Asia

Course Contents
1. Introduction
a. Origin of South Asia and Introduction to South Aisan History
b. Environment, Population and Settlement in Modern South Asia
2. Conceptual and Theoretical Issues of Social Change
a. Evolution, Progress, development, Revolution
b. Theories of Social Change
c. Social Change in Contemporary Bangladesh
3. Cultural Coherence and Diversity in South Asia
a. Modernity and Antiquity : Interpretations of Ancient India
b. Pre-colonial Experience : The Making of Indo-Islamic Cultures
c. Language, Literature, Education and Religion in Modern South Aisa
4. Growth of Naitonalism and Nationalist Thought in South Asia
a. Partition of British India; Nationalism in India and Pakistan
b. Concepts and theories of Nationalism
c. Nationalism and Contesting Identities in Bangladesh
5. Economic and Social Development in South Asia
a. Decolonizing South Asian History in the New Millennium
b. Human Development in South Aisa
c. Rapid Development after Economic Liberalization
6. Terrorism and Militancy in South Asia
a. Religious Movements, Militancy and Conflicts in South Asia
b. Terrorism and Ethnic Conflicts in South Asia

96
 7. Geopolitical Framework of South Asia
a. Nuclear Arms Race in South Aisa
b. SAARC and Other Regional Cooperations
8. Future of South Asia
a. Impact of Globalization on Economy & Culture
b. Impact of Global Warming
c. South Asian Diaspora
d. Democracy versus Majoritarianism in South Asia

Suggested Readings
Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, Modern South Aisa: History Culture and Political Economy,
Routledge, 2nd edition, 2004.
Sufia M. Uddin, Constructing Bangladesh: Religion, Ethnicity and Language in an Islamic
Nation, Vistaar Publications, New Delhi, 2006
Various Articles such as :
a. Monirul Islam Khan, “Social Changes in Contemporary Bangladesh”
b. Sanjay K. Bhardwaj, “Contesting Identities in Bangladesh: a Study of Secular and
Religious Frontiers”
c. Ishtiaq Ahmed, “Terrorism in South Aisa”
Some Selected Book Chapters.

97
 SOC 505: SELECTED TEXT

Course Objectives: The aim of this course is to critically examine the following books (any
two) to gain theoretical and empirical analysis.

Texts (Any Two):

(a) Anupam Sen---The State, Industrialization and Class Formations in India
(b) Anthony Giddens--- New Rules of Sociological Method
(c) Katy Gardener---Discordant Development: Global Capitalism and the Struggle for
Connection in Bangladesh

98
 SOC 506: LOGIC AND SCIENCE

Rationale: This course is designed to enable students to use the approaches in the analysis of social
phenomena.

Objectives: The purpose of this course is to critically review the philosophy of science and social
sciences. The theories of Karl Popper, Imre Lakatos, Thomas Kuhn, and Paul Feyerabend will be
described, compared and criticized in order to obtain the ability to identify the different core
perspectives of logic and science.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the basic concepts of logic and science
• Explain the nature of science
• Recognize the problem of induction
• Assess the falsificationism
• Appreciate the theories as structural wholes
• Define and explain rationalism, relativism, objectivism and realism
• Understand Feyerabend’s anarchistic theory of knowledge

Course Contents
1. Introduction
a. Science, Historical Development of Science and Scientific
Revolution, Common-Sense View of Science
b. Basic Concepts: Logic, Rationality, Knowledge, Epistemology,
Ontology, Inference and Argument
2. Inductivism and Deductism
a. Science as Knowledge Derived from Facts of Experience
b. Naïve Inductivism and the Appeal of Naïve Inductivism
c. Predicting and Explanation in the Intuitivist Account
d. Logic and Deductive Reasoning
3. The Problem of Induction
a. Can the Principle of Induction be Justified
b. The Retreat to Probability
c. Possible Responses to the Problem of Induction
4. The Theory-Dependence of Observation
a. A Popular account of Observation
b. Visual Experiences not Determined by the Images on the Retina
c. Inductivism not Conclusively Refuted
5. Introducing Falsificationism:
a. A Logical Point to Support the Falsifiability
b. Falsifiability as a Criterion for Theories; Degree of Falifiability,
Clarity and Precision
d. Falsificationism and Progress

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 6. Sophisticated Falsificationism
a. Relative or Absolute Falsifiability
b. Boldness, Novelty and Background of Knowledge
c. Inductivist and Falsificationist View of Confirmation
d. Limitation of Falsificationism
7. Theories of Structure: Research Programmes
a. Theories as Structural Wholes
b. Lakatos’s Research Programmes
c. Methodology within a Research Programme
8. Theories of Structures: Kuhn’s Paradigm
a. Paradigms and Normal Science
b. Crisis and Revolution
c. The Function of Normal Science and Revolution
9. Rationalism vs. Relativism; Objectivism vs. Realism
10. Feyerabend’s Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge

Recommended Text
1. A.F. Chalmers (1982)-What is this thing Called Science?

Readings
T.S. Kuhn (1970)-The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
K.R. Popper (1968)-The Logic of Scientific Discovery
Turner, J.H. The Structure of Sociological Theory
Marshall-A Dictionary of Sociology
Blackburn-Dictionary of Philosophy
Encyclopedias

100
 SOC 507: SOCIOLOGY OF DISASTER AND VULNERABILITY

Rationale: Education in natural disaster and vulnerability is a very important part in the
prevention of natural disasters. Disaster management efforts aim to reduce or avoid the potential
losses from hazards, assure prompt and appropriate assistance to the victims of a disaster, and
achieve a rapid and effective recovery. This course is designed to understand disasters as social
events and how social structures and institutions affect disaster impact and recovery.

Objectives: The objective of this course is to introduce students to the sociological examination
of disasters. This course begins with the premise that disasters are fundamentally social events
that reflect the ways that we live and structure our communities and societies.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate an understanding of how Sociology uniquely views disasters and
vulnerability
• Compare and contrast the different phases of disaster and the activities that occur
in each phase
• Investigate how vulnerable social groups are affected by and cope with hazardous
conditions and events.
• Appraise how social structures influence disaster experience
• Analyze disaster Case Studies for the social effects of disaster in community
contexts
• Investigate individual and organizational response to disaster

Course Contents
1. Understanding Sociology of Disaster and Vulnerability
a. Definition, scope, origin and development
b. Basic concepts and their relationships with disaster: climate change, hazard, risk,
vulnerability, emergencies, accidents, warning, risk reduction, preparedness,
planning, recovery, rehabilitation, response, restoration and reconstruction.
2. Major Global and National Disasters and Their Causes
a. Cyclone, floods, riverbank erosion, drought, famine/monga, arsenicosis, fire,
earthquake, tsunami, salinity intrusion, water logging
b. Natural and human induced causes of disasters
3. Approaches and Theories to the Study of Sociology of Disaster and Vulnerability
a. Approaches to disaster and vulnerability: functionalist perspective, symbolic
interactionist perspective and feminist perspective
b. Theories to disaster and vulnerability: chaos theory, organizational behavior theory,
Marxian and Weberian perspectives, theories of social vulnerability.

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 4. Tools and Techniques for Assessing Disaster and Vulnerability
a. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)
b. Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
c. Social impact assessment (SIA)
d. Community risk assessment (CRA)
e. Community based disaster risk management (CBDRM)
5. Vulnerable Populations in Disasters
a. Poverty and disasters
b. Class and disasters
c. Gender and disasters
d. Children and disasters
e. Elderly and disasters
6. Differential Impacts of Disasters, Coping Mechanisms and Management
a. Individual, household, community, organizational/institutional level response
b. Coping and adaptation strategies
7. Warnings and Evacuation
a. Functions and roles of warnings
b. Evacuation decision making in natural disasters
c. Warning factors that influence public response
d. Receiver factors that influence public response
8. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
a. DRR and livelihood model
b. DRR and managing risk (hazard analysis and vulnerability analysis)
c. Disaster risk reduction measures
d. Analyses and identify key gender issues and challenges in DRR
e. Role of women in disaster planning and management
9. Disaster Management in Bangladesh
a. Strategic goals of the national plan of disaster management
b. Disaster management institutions in Bangladesh
c. Comprehensive disaster management programme (CDMP)
d. Regulatory framework for disaster management in Bangladesh
e. Community based disaster preparedness (CBDP)
10. Global Disaster Management Policies
a. UNFCC, IPCC
b. HFA, COP

Readings
Ahmad, Q.K. et.al (ed.). 2000. Perspectives on Flood 1998. UPL.
Ahmed, Imtiaz (ed.). 1999. Living with Floods: An Exercise from Alternative. Dhaka: UPL.
Alam, E.,Collins, A.E. 2010. Cyclone disaster vulnerability and response experiences in coastal
Bangladesh. Disasters. 34 (4): 931-954.

102
Alexander, David. 1993. Natural Disasters. London: UCL Press Limited.
Blakie, P. et al. 1994. At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability and Disasters. London:
Routledge.
Cuny, Federick C. 1983. Disasters and Development. New York: Oxford University Press.
Cuny, F. 1988. Disaster Preparedness and Recommendations for Bangladesh. Dhaka: UNDP.
Drabek, Thomas, E. 1986. Human System Responses to Disaster: An Inventory of Sociological
Findings. London: Springer-Verlag.
Dynes, R.R. et al. (eds.). 1978. Sociology of Disasters: Contribution to Disaster Research. Italy:
Franco-Angeli.
Hossain, et al. (eds.). 1992. From Crisis to Development: Coping with Disasters in Bangladesh.
Dhaka: University Press Limited.
SEHD.1998. Environment: Facing the 21st Century. Dhaka
UNCRD. 1992. Integrated Approach to Rural Development and Disaster Management in
Bangladesh (Proceedings). Nagoya, UNCRD.
UNDP. 2004. Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge for Development. New York , UNDP.

103
 SOC 508: ADVANCED RESEARCH MONOGRAPH

[Students willing to undertake thesis must submit the topic of the research in a proposal
form for necessary approval of the academic committee, on the basis of merit (not less
than CGPA 3.00), may be taken in thesis group upon recommendation of the academic
committee. The students will present their thesis before the teachers of the
department after completion of the thesis. The examination committee will arrange the
presentation session and the Academic Committee will determine the course alternatives
of a particular session.]

104
 UNIVERSITY OF CHITTAGONG
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
ORDINANCE FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE (M.S.S.)
WITH EFFECT FROM THE SESSION 2010-2011

1. THE NATURE OF DEGREE

The Degree of Master of Social Science will be awarded by the University of Chittagong under
the provision of this ordinance will be called M.S.S. and it will be a specialized degree of the
subject.

2. DURATION OF THE PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Duration of the M.S.S. programme will be one academic year and shall be completed by a
student in not more than 2 (two) academic years.

3. SUBJECTS
There shall be the following subjects in the Faculty of Social Sciences of this University: i.
Economics; ii. Political Science; iii. Sociology; iv. Public Administration; v. Anthropology; vi.
Communication and Journalism; vii. International Relations and any other subject/s as may be
approved by the University Authority from time to time.

4. QUALIFICATION FOR ADMISSION

The qualification for admission into the M.S.S. programme is four-year B.S.S. (Honours) degree
obtained in the same subject from this University. The candidates who have appeared at the 4th
year B.S.S. (Honours) examination may be admitted provisionally to the M.S.S. Programme.
The confirmation of admission of such students into the M.S.S. Programme is subject to their
passing the B.S.S. (Honours) examination. Student who has not been admitted within two years
after obtaining their four-year B.S.S. (Honours) degree is not eligible for admission into this
programme. The student with a Pass Degree shall not be eligible for admission into Masters
programme.

5. REGISTRATION
i. A candidate shall attain studentship of the University on admission into a programme as per
rules. S/he shall be required to be registered separately with the University through such
processes and on payment of such fees as determined by the University Authority from time to
time and it will remain valid for two years.
ii. A student shall never take admission in more than one subject other than certificate/diploma
courses. If it is so reported/found, his/her studentship and examinations, even if appeared/passed,
shall stand cancelled. If a student is reported to be a full-time service holder, his/her
registration shall be cancelled immediately.

105
6. GROUPS
Each Department will have two groups, i. General Group and ii. Thesis Group. Considering the
facilities and the number of teachers in the subject, a limited number of students, on the basis of
merit, may be taken in thesis group. Number of students and minimum CGPA (not less than
3.00) for thesis will be decided by the Academic Committee of the Department in every
academic year. Students willing to undertake thesis shall apply to the Chairman through the
Supervisor for approval of the Academic Committee of the concerned Department.

7. COURSE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

Each course shall be designated by three/four letters for the subject/discipline as decided by the
concerned Department followed by a three digit number starting with 5,i.e. ECON.501 for the
first course in Economics, POL.504 for the fourth course in Political Science and so on.

8. MARKS AND CORRESPONDING CREDITS

Theoretical/practical/project/thesis/sessional/viva-voce of 25, 50, 75 and 100 marks is equivalent
to 1, 2, 3 and 4 credits, respectively.

9. NATURE OF COURSES AND DISTRIBTITION OF MARKS

i. The M.S.S. degree programme shall be carrying a total of 600 marks as distributed below:
Group Theoretical Thesis Sessional, Credits Total Total
Marks Marks Terminal and marks Credits
Viva-voce marks
General 500 --- 50+25+25 = 100 20+4 600 24
Thesis 400 100 50+25+25 = 100 16+4+4 600 24

ii. The Committee of Courses and Studies of the concerned Department shall prepare the
syllabus.
iii. Sessional means tutorial, class test, class attendance etc, The Academic Committee of the
concerned Department will decide the system of conducting tutorial examination.
iv. Students have to appear at a terminal examination of two hours duration in all the courses
taken together. The Academic Committee of the concerned Department will decide the system of
conducting terminal examination, if necessary.
v. Practical marks should not be more than 50 per cent of total marks, if
applicable. 20% of the practical marks shall be awarded on the basis of class performance during
the whole course of study evaluated by the course teacher and the rest 80% on the basis of
performance in the examination.

10. CLASS HOURS (45 MINUTES EACH)

Theoretical and practical courses shall be so designed as to be completed in minimum of the
following class hours:
a. theoretical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 15 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 30 class
hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 45 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 60 class hours. b.
practical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 8 x 3 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 15 x 3 class
hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 20 x 3 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 30 x 3 class hours.

106
11. DURATION OF EXAMINATION
Examinations will be held on academic year basis. Time allotted for examinations will be as
follows:
i. Theoretical courses: 2 hours for 25 marks, 3 hours for 50 marks and 4 hours for 75 and 100
marks. ii. Practical courses: 4 hours for 25 marks, 6 hours for 50 marks, 9 hours for 75 marks
and 12 hours for 100 marks.
12. MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND EXAMINATION
The medium of instruction and answer in the examination scripts shall be either English or
Bengali. Mixing of' English and Bengali in the answer script of any course shall not be
acceptable.

13. ELIGIBILITY FOR APPEARING AT THE EXAMINATION

i. In order to be eligible for appearing at the examination, a candidate shall be required to attend
on an average not less than 70% of the lectures. The Academic Committee of the
Department may recommend marginal cases of shortage of attendance (not below 60%) on
special ground with documentary evidences. In this case, the candidate shall have to pay the
requisite non-collegiate fee as determined by the University Authority as per General Rules
and Regulations No. 1(viii).
ii. The course teacher shall submit the class attendance register and report to the Chairman of' the
Department before processing the examination entry forms. The Department shall verify the
eligibility of the candidates and send these to the Provost of the concerned hall for necessary
action.
iii. The Provost of the concerned hall and Chairman of the Department shall make necessary
verification of the forms and send them to the Comptroller of Accounts for necessary action.
iv. The Controller of Examinations shall issue admit card only to the eligible candidates as per
rules and send these to the concerned Department and the Chairman shall distribute the same to
the candidates. If the examination entry forms remain incomplete, admit cards shall not be
issued. Each student shall mention his/her registration/ID number with session in the entry form.
10. CLASS HOURS (45 MINUTES EACH)
Theoretical and practical courses shall be so designed as to be completed in minimum of the
following class hours:
a. theoretical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 15 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 30 class
hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 45 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 60 class hours. b.
practical course of 25 marks (1 credit) in 8 x 3 class hours, 50 marks (2 credits) in 15 x 3 class
hours, 75 marks (3 credits) in 20 x 3 class hours and 100 marks (4 credits) in 30 x 3 class
hours.

11. DURATION OF EXAMINATION

Examinations will be held on academic year basis. Time allotted for examinations will be as
follows:

107
i. Theoretical courses: 2 hours for 25 marks, 3 hours for 50 marks and 4 hours for 75 and 100
marks. ii. Practical courses: 4 hours for 25 marks, 6 hours for 50 marks, 9 hours for 75 marks
and 12 hours for 100 marks.

12. MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND EXAMINATION

The medium of instruction and answer in the examination scripts shall be either English or
Bengali. Mixing of' English and Bengali in the answer script of any course shall not be
acceptable.
13. ELIGIBILITY FOR APPEARING AT THE EXAMINATION
i. In order to be eligible for appearing at the examination, a candidate shall be required to attend
on an average not less than 70% of the lectures. The Academic Committee of the
Department may recommend marginal cases of shortage of attendance (not below 60%) on
special ground with documentary evidences. In this case, the candidate shall have to pay the
requisite non-collegiate fee as determined by the University Authority as per General Rules
and Regulations No. 1(viii).
ii. The course teacher shall submit the class attendance register and report to the Chairman of' the
Department before processing the examination entry forms. The Department shall verify the
eligibility of the candidates and send these to the Provost of the concerned hall for necessary
action.
iii. The Provost of the concerned hall and Chairman of the Department shall make necessary
verification of the forms and send them to the Comptroller of Accounts for necessary action.
iv. The Controller of Examinations shall issue admit card only to the eligible candidates as per
rules and send these to the concerned Department and the Chairman shall distribute the same to
the candidates. If the examination entry forms remain incomplete, admit cards shall not be
issued. Each student shall mention his/her registration/ID number with session in the entry form.

14. GRADING SYSTEM.

Letter grades and corresponding grade points shall be awarded as follows:

Numerical grade Letter Grade

grade Point
80% and above A+ 4.00
75 & to less than 80% A 3.75
70% to less than 75% A- 3.50
65% to less than 70% B+ 3.25
60% to less than 65 % B 3.00
55% to less than 60% B- 2.75
50% to less than 55% C+ 2.50
45% to less than 50% C 2.25
40% to less than 45% D 2.00
Less than 40% F 0.00
Incomplete/Absent x x

15. PASS MARKS

Course Marks 100 75 50 25
Pass Marks 40 30 20 10
108
16. GPA CALCULATION
i. No credits are granted for grade less than D. Calculation of GPA (Grade Point Average) is
shown in Appendix-A. To calculate GPA, no grades from any source other than that of the
prescribed credits will be considered.

ii. In the Academic Transcript/Grade sheet, only Letter Grade (LG), corresponding Grade Points
(GP), Points Secured (PS) and finally GPA, not the numerical marks, shall be shown.
iii. In GPA or CGPA calculation, if either of them comes up with fractional part and non-zero
value appears in the 3rd and/or 4th digit(s) after the decimal point, the 2nd digit should be round up
to next higher digit. Illustration: (i) suppose, a total of 32 credits are offered in a class and a
student earns total point secured (TPS) of 113 in that class, then his/her GPA will be 3.54 while
the precise value is 3.53125, (ii) suppose, a total of 26 credits are offered in a class and a student
earns total point secured (TPS) of 84 in that class, then his/her GPA will be 3.24 while the
precise value is 3.230769..., (iii) suppose, a total of 160 credits are offered in a 4-year program
and a student earns total point secured (TPS) of 585 in that program, then his/her CGPA will be
3.66 while the precise value is 3.65625. (07.03.2015 Zvwi‡L AbywôZ GKv‡WwgK KvDw݇ji 228 Zg mfvi
71 bs wm×vš— Ges 13.03.2015 Zvwi‡L AbywôZ wmwÛ‡K‡Ui 496 Zg mfvi 4bs wm×v‡š— ms‡hvwRZ)
17. SUBMISSION OF THESIS/PROJECT
A student shall submit thesis/project in quadruplicate within 90 days from the date of last
theoretical examination. This time limit may be extended (if necessary) by the recommendation
of the Academic Committee of the concerned Department. The thesis shall be examined
independently by two external examiners (from another public University/Government Research
Organization) to be nominated by the relevant Examination Committee. One copy of thesis will
be preserved in the seminar library of the Department.

18. DEGREE REQUIREMENT

For the M.S.S. degree, a student shall require to fulfill the following conditions:

i. A student must earn a minimum GPA 2.25, failing which s/he shall be declared failed in the
programme.

ii. A regular student must earn a minimum GP 2.00 at the project/thesis, failing which s/he shall
be declared failed in the programme.

iii. A regular student must earn a minimum GP 2.25 at the sessional, terminal and viva-voce
examination together, failing which s/he shall be declared failed in the programme.

iv. A student earning GPA 4.00 shall be awarded M. S. S. with Distinction and citation so made
in the academic transcript.

109
19. FAILED STUDENT
i. If a student fails to earn required GPA, s/he will be treated as failed. The failed student shall be
allowed to appear in the failed course/s with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular
candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.

ii. If a student fails to appear at the examination after depositing examination fees, shall be
allowed to appear at the examination with the batch that immediately follows as an irregular
candidate without re-admission, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme. In
such case, previous marks of his/her sessional and terminal will remain valid.

iii. The failed student shall appear at the examination as an irregular candidate, generally as per
syllabus in force without re-admission. If any drastic changes in the syllabus are made, the
irregular candidate shall appear at the examination in his/her original syllabus on the
recommendation of the Academic Committee of the Department.

iv. A student failing to earn required GP, in thesis/project shall have to resubmit it with the
immediate next batch only as an irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be declared failed
in the programme.
v. A student failing to earn required GP at the sessional, terminal and viva-voce examination
together shall have to appear at an ESSAY examination of 75 marks instead of sessional and
terminal, and at viva-voce examination of 25 marks with the immediate next batch only as an
irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be declared failed in the programme.

20. READMISSION
If a student fails to appear at the examination due to shortage of required percentage of class
attendance or any other reason, s/he shall have to get himself/herself re-admitted as an irregular
student with the batch that immediately follows on recommendation of and within the date fixed
by the Academic Committee of the Department. S/he must have to fulfill the requisite class
attendance for appearing at the examination as an irregular candidate. The student shall be
allowed to appear at the examination only once with the batch that immediately follows as an
irregular candidate, failing which s/he shall be dropped out of the programme.

21. IMPROVEMENT OF RESULTS

i. A student can also improve his/her result after the degree is awarded by appearing only once
at the examination of the course/s earning grade C, D and F with the immediate next batch but it
must be within two consecutive years from the session of his/her first admission.. If a student
improves his/her grade/s, the word 'Improvement' and 'the year' of improvement examination
should be mentioned in his/her academic transcript and certificate. If such student fails to
improve his/her grade/s, his/her previous grade/s of the same course/s will remain valid.

ii. A re-admitted student shall not be allowed to improve results under any consideration.
iii. No improvement shall be allowed in project /thesis /sessional /terminal /viva-voce
examination.

110
iv. A student willing to cancel his/her improved results and to keep previous results valid shall
apply in this respect to the Controller of Examinations through the Chairman of the Department
and the Provost of the concerned hall with necessary fees prescribed by the University Authority
from time to time.

v. For improvement of his/her results, the student shall apply to the Chairman of the Department
at least 4 weeks before the start of the next examination.

22. FORMATION OF THE EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

The Examination Committee shall consist of - one Chairman, two internal Members and one
external Member (from another public University).

23. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOURS, MASTERS, M.

PHIL AND ANY OTHER DEGREE/ CERTIFICATE/ DIPLOMA EXAMINATIONS OF
THE UNIVERSITY
i. Functions of the Academic Committee/Chairman/Director of the Departments/ Institutes/
RCMPS shall be according to General rules and regulations no. 1.
ii. Functions of the Examination Committee shall be according to General
rules and regulations no.2.
iii. Functions of the Chairman of the Examination Committee shall be according to General
rules and regulations no. 3.
iv. Functions of the course teacher/Examiner shall be according to
General rules and regulations no. 4.
v. Functions of the tabulators for finalization of the results shall be according to General rules
and regulations no. 5.
vi. Functions of the Controller of Examinations regarding examinations and publication of
results shall be according to General rules and regulations no. 6.

24. ADMISSION OF THE EXPELLED STUDENT

If a student is expelled from the University for any reason as the case may be, s/he shall have to
get himself/herself re-admitted in Masters class for once only. Generally, the syllabus in force for
the examination concerned will be applicable for such a student. If any drastic changes in the
syllabus are made, s/he shall have to appear at the examination with his/her original syllabus on
the recommendation of the Academic Committee of the Department.

111