X
Home > Courses >

Political Sociology

By Dr. Aditya Ranjan Kapoor   |   Assistant Professor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda
Learners enrolled: 168

This course aims to familiarise the student with basic concepts of Political Sociology, and attempts to provide them with necessary tools to understand everyday society and politics in India. The course enables students to comprehend major theoretical and conceptual framework to understand political sociology and its varied dimensions. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the political processes, political institutions and political change in context of India. The course is divided into different units based on understanding the nature and scope of political sociology, basic concepts and theories, and political processes in India.

Summary
Course Status : Upcoming
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 15 weeks
Category :
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points : 5
Level : Undergraduate
Start Date : 15 Jan 2026
End Date : 30 Apr 2026
Enrollment Ends : 28 Feb 2026
Exam Date :
Translation Languages : English
NCrF Level   : 5.0

Page Visits



Course layout

Political Sociology – Weekly Lecture Plan
Week 1
  • Module 1: Introduction to Political Sociology: Nature and Scope of Political Sociology
  • Module 2: Approaches and Perspectives to Study Political Sociology – I
Week 2
  • Module 3: Approaches and Perspectives to Study Political Sociology – II
  • Module 4: Political Socialisation and Culture
  • Module 5: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Power
  • Module 6: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Authority
Week 3
  • Module 7: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Bureaucracy
  • Module 8: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Legitimacy
  • Module 9: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Nation and Nation-State
  • Module 10: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Citizenship
Week 4
  • Module 11: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Elites
  • Module 12: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Government and Governmentality
  • Module 13: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Civil Society
Week 5
  • Module 14: Basic Concepts in Political Sociology: Interest Groups
  • Module 15: Political Systems: Authoritarianism
  • Module 16: Political Systems: Democracy
Week 6
  • Module 17: Political Systems: Segmentary
  • Module 18: State and Society in India – I
  • Module 19: State and Society in India – II
  • Module 20: State and Society in India – III
Week 7
  • Module 21: Class, Status and Party: Labour Mobilisation and Class-Based Politics in India
  • Module 22: Party System in India
  • Module 23: Local Self-Government in India
  • Module 24: Caste-Based Politics and Mobilisation
Week 8
  • Module 25: Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies
  • Module 26: Religion and Politics in India
  • Module 27: Minority Communities in India
Week 9
  • Module 28: Ethnic Mobilisation and Politics in India – I
  • Module 29: Ethnic Mobilisation and Politics in India – II
  • Module 30: History of Women’s Movement in India
  • Module 31: Gender and Society in India
Week 10
  • Module 32: Political Participation of Women in India
  • Module 33: Understanding Social Change
  • Module 34: Identity and Politics
Week 11
  • Module 35: Culture and Politics
  • Module 36: Social Movements in India: Introduction
  • Module 37: Social Movements in India: Backward Class Movement – I
  • Module 38: Social Movements in India: Backward Class Movement – II
Week 12
  • Module 39: Social Movements in India: Dalit Movement in India
  • Module 40: Social Movements in India: Linguistic and Ethnic Movements
  • Module 41: Tribal Communities: An Introduction
  • Module 42: Tribes and Tribal Movements
Week 13
  • Module 43: Role of Civil Society in Modern Democracies – I
  • Module 44: Role of Civil Society in Modern Democracies – II
  • Module 45: Role of Civil Society in Modern Democracies – III
Week 14
  • Module 46: Globalisation and Its Dimensions
  • Module 47: Political Globalisation and Its Dynamics
  • Module 48: Understanding Risk Society
Week 15
  • Module 49: Introduction to Environmentalism
  • Module 50: The Idea of the Anthropocene and the Way Ahead

Books and references

Suggested Readings
  1. Agarwal, B. (2007). “The Gender and Environment Debate: Lessons from India.” In Mahesh Rangarajan (Ed.), Environmental Issues in India: A Reader. New Delhi: Pearson Longman.
  2. Bandyopadhyay, S. (2015). Development and Public Health in the Himalaya: Reflections on Healing in Contemporary India. London: Routledge.
  3. Baviskar, A. (1995). In the Belly of the River: Tribal Conflicts over Development in the Narmada Valley. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
  4. Beck, U. (2006). Living in the world risk society. Economy and Society, 35(3), 329–345.
  5. Bell, M. M. (2008). An Invitation to Environmental Sociology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  6. Bellamy, R., & Mason, A. (2003). Political Concepts. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
  7. Berry, T. (1990). The Dream of the Earth. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.
  8. Breman, J. (1996). Footloose Labour: Working in India’s Informal Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  9. Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
  10. Chandhoke, N. (2012). The Limits of Global Civil Society: A Neo-Gramscian Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  11. Chandra, K. (2006). Why Ethnic Parties Succeed: Patronage and Ethnic Head Counts in India. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  12. Della Porta, D., & Diani, M. (2006). Social Movements: An Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
  13. Evanoff, R. J. (2005). Reconciling realism and constructivism in environmental ethics. Environmental Values.
  14. Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  15. Goodwin, J., Jasper, J. M., & Polletta, F. (Eds.). (2001). Passionate Politics: Emotions and Social Movements. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  16. Hannigan, J. A. (1995). Environmental Sociology (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
  17. Heywood, A. (2006). Politics (2nd ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  18. Leahy, T. (2007). Sociology and the environment. In J. Germov & M. Poole (Eds.), Public Sociology: An Introduction to Australian Society. NSW: Allen & Unwin.
  19. McCarthy, J. D., & Zald, M. N. (1977). Resource mobilization and social movements. American Journal of Sociology, 82(6), 1212–1241.
  20. Mol, A. P. (2002). Ecological modernization and the global economy. Global Environmental Politics, 2(2), 92–115.
  21. Nash, K. (2010). Contemporary Political Sociology: Globalization, Politics and Power. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  22. Ritzer, G. (2011). Sociological Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  23. Shiva, V. (1988). Women in nature. In Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development. London: Zed Books.
  24. Tarrow, S. (1998). Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  25. Thunberg, G. (2019). No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference. New York: Penguin Books.
  26. Tilly, C. (2004). Social Movements, 1768–2004. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.

Instructor bio

Dr. Aditya Ranjan Kapoor

Assistant Professor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda

Dr. Aditya Ranjan Kapoor is working as Assistant Professor in Department of Sociology at Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. His area of interest includes the interface between politics and religion in context of South Asia, sociology of minority communities and research methodology. He is the course coordinator for two MOOC on Swayam portal: Political Sociology and Reading, Writing and Reasoning for Sociology.

Course certificate

Assessment and Evaluation Scheme
1. End-Term Examination
  • Weightage: 70% of the final result
  • Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%
2. Internal Assessment
  • Weightage: 30% of the final result
  • Minimum Passing Criteria: 40%
Calculation of Internal Assessment (IA) Marks
  • Out of all graded weekly assessments and assignments, the top 50% (equal-weighted) shall be considered for the calculation of the final Internal Assessment marks.
Weekly Assignments
  • Each week of the course shall mandatorily include one MCQ-based assessment, which is auto-graded to minimize delays due to manual evaluation and to enhance scalability and transparency.
Assignment Availability
  • All assignments released during the enrollment period of a particular semester shall remain open for at least one week after the closure of enrollment to allow late enrollees to submit their assignments.
Students must secure a minimum of 40% marks separately in the Internal Assessment and the End-Term proctored examination to be eligible for certification.

MHRD logo Swayam logo

DOWNLOAD APP

Goto google play store

FOLLOW US