Topics
Structural Change
- Introduction to Structural Change
- Understanding Colonialism
- Urbanisation and Industrialisation
- Overview of Structural Change
Introducing Indian Society
Indian Society
Cultural Change
- Effects of Colonialisation in India
- Social Reform Movements in the 19th and Early 20th Century
- How Do We Approach the Study of Sanskritisation, Modernisation, Secularisation and Westernisation
- Different Kinds of Social Change
- Overview of Cultural Change
Social Change and Development in India
Demographic Structure and Indian Society
- Introduction to the Demographic Structure of the Indian Society
- Some Theories and Concepts in Demography
- Size and Growth of India’s Population
- Age Structure of the Indian Population
- The Declining Sex-ratio in India
- Literacy
- Rural-urban Differences
- Population Policy in India
- Overview of Demographic Structure and Indian Society
The Story of Indian Democracy
- Introduction to the Story of Indian Democracy
- The Indian Constitution
- The Panchayati Raj and the Challenges of Rural Social Transformation
- Political Parties, Pressure Groups and Democratic Politics
Social Institutions - Continuity and Change
- Introduction to Social Institutions - Continuity and Change
- Caste and the Caste System
- The Tribal Community in India
- Family and Kinship
- Overview of Social Institutions - Continuity and Change
Change and Development in Rural Society
- Agrarian Structure: Caste and Class in Rural India
- The Impact of Land Reforms
- The Green Revolution and Its Social Consequences
- Rural Development in India (Sociological Perspective)
- Circulation of Labour
- Globalisation, Liberalisation, and Rural Society
- Overview of Change and Development in Rural Society
Market as a Social Institution
- Introduction to the Market as a Social Institution
- Sociological Perspectives on Markets and the Economy
- Understanding Capitalism as a Social System
- Globalisation – Interlinking of Local, Regional, National and International Markets
- Overview of Market as a Social Institution
Change and Development in Industrial Society
- Introduction to Change and Development in Industrial Society
- Images of Industrial Society
- Industrialisation in India
- How People Find Jobs
- How is Work Carried Out?
- Working Conditions
- Home-based Work
- Strikes and Unions
- Overview of Change and Development in Industrial Society
Pattern of Social Inequality and Exclusion
- Introduction to Pattern of Social Inquality and Exclusion
- What is Social About Social Inequality and Exclusion?
- Caste and Tribe – Systems Justifying and Perpetuating Inequality
- Struggle for Women’s Equality and Rights
- The Struggles of the Disabled
- Overview of Pattern of Social Inequality and Exclusion
The Challenges of Cultural Diversity
- Introduction to the Challenges of Cultural Diversity
- Cultural Communities and the Nation-state
- Regionalism in the Indian Context
- The Nation-state and Religion-related Issues and Identities
- State and Civil Society
- Overview of The Challenges of Cultural Diversity
Globalisation and Social Change
- Introduction to Globalisation and Social Change
- Are Global Interconnections New to World and to India
- Overview of Globalisation and Social Change
Suggestions for Project Work
- Variety of Methods
- Possible Themes and Subjects for Small Research Projects
Mass Media and Communication Process
- Introduction to Mass Media and Communication Process
- The Beginnings of Modern Mass Media
- Mass Media in Independent India
- Globalisation and the Media
- Overview of Mass Media and Communication Process
Social Movements
- Introduction to Social Movements
- Features of a Social Movement
- Sociology and Social Movements
- Types of Social Movements
- Ecological Movements
- Class Based Movements
- Caste Based Movements
- The Tribal Movements
- Womens’ Movement in India
- Overview of Social Movements
Estimated time: 42 minutes
CBSE: Class 12
Definition: Cast
Caste is a social institution uniquely associated with the Indian sub-continent in which individuals are born into hereditary groups with fixed social status and rules that govern marriage, occupation, food, and social interaction.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Cast in the Past
- Birth-Based Membership: Caste is determined by birth; a person is born into a caste and cannot choose or change it.
- Endogamy (Marriage Within the Group): Marriage is restricted within the same caste group; people must marry only among members of their own caste.
- Rules on Food and Sharing: Caste includes strict rules about what kinds of food may or may not be eaten and who may share food with whom.
- Hierarchy and Status: Castes are arranged in a hierarchical order of rank and status; each caste has a specified place in the social ladder.
- Segmental Organisation (Sub-Castes): Castes are divided further into many sub-castes, and each may consist of additional subdivisions, forming a complex hierarchical structure.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Colonialism and Caste
- The present form of caste in India was strongly shaped during the colonial period (c. 1800–1947) and further changed in post-Independence India.
- Many scholars argue that modern understandings of caste are influenced more by colonial interventions than by ancient Indian tradition.
- British administrators conducted surveys, ethnographic studies, and censuses to understand caste for effective governance.
- The Census of 1901, under Herbert Risley, officially recorded caste hierarchy and social ranking, which made caste identities more rigid and fixed.
- Colonial policies also led to the official classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, bringing state intervention into caste relations.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Caste in the Present
- Independence in 1947 brought change, but caste continued to shape social and political life.
- Leaders like Gandhi and Ambedkar opposed untouchability, though broader caste inequalities persisted.
- The Constitution abolished untouchability and ensured equality, but major economic reforms to end caste inequality were limited.
- Reservations for SCs and STs became the key measure to address caste disadvantage.
- Urbanisation, industrialisation, and education reduced some caste practices, yet caste remains strong in marriage and social relations.
- Caste plays a major role in democratic politics, influencing voting and the rise of dominant castes.
- Today, caste is less visible for upper castes but remains significant for lower castes due to discrimination and access to state benefits.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Classifications of Tribal Societies
- Tribal societies are classified on the basis of permanent traits and acquired traits.
- Permanent traits include region, language, physical characteristics, and ecological habitat.
- About 85% of India’s tribal population is concentrated in Middle India, while the North-Eastern states have the highest tribal share in their population.
- Tribes are classified linguistically into Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austric, and Tibeto-Burman language groups.
- In terms of size, tribes vary widely, from very small groups to large tribes like Gonds, Santhals, Bhils, and Mundas.
- Acquired traits are based mainly on mode of livelihood and degree of assimilation into Hindu society.
- Tribes are also classified by their attitude towards Hindu society, ranging from those assimilated into Hinduism to those resisting it.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Tribe – The Career of a Concept
- In the 1960s, scholars debated whether tribes were part of a continuum with caste society or a completely different type of community.
- Those supporting the continuum view argued that tribes were less stratified peasant communities, not fundamentally different from castes.
- Opponents claimed tribes were distinct because they lacked beliefs in purity and pollution, which are central to caste.
- By the 1970s, most definitions of tribe were found to be theoretically weak, as tribes did not fit fixed criteria like isolation or livelihood.
- Many tribes have changed over time, shifting from hunting-gathering to settled agriculture or specialised occupations.
- Tribes have been absorbed into Hindu society through processes like Sanskritisation and acculturation.
- Scholars argue that tribes are not “primitive” but are historically shaped by colonialism, capitalism, and state contact.
CBSE: Class 12
Difference Between National Development and Tribal Development
|
Basis |
National Development |
Tribal Development |
|
Focus |
Large dams, factories, mining, industries |
Protection of tribal livelihoods and culture |
|
Impact on Land |
Displacement due to mining and projects |
Loss of land and dispossession of communities |
|
Use of Forests |
Commercial exploitation of forests |
Forests as source of livelihood and survival |
|
Migration |
In-migration of non-tribals into tribal areas |
Marginalisation and decline in tribal population |
|
Outcome |
Benefits mainly the mainstream population |
Tribes bear disproportionate social and economic costs |
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Tribal Identity Today
- Tribal identity today is shaped more by interaction with the mainstream than by ancient or primordial traditions.
- Forced incorporation into mainstream society has led many tribes to define their identity through resistance and opposition.
- The creation of new tribal states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh shows political assertion but continuing social challenges.
- An educated tribal middle class is emerging, especially in the North-East, influencing new forms of tribal identity.
- Contemporary tribal movements focus on control over land and forests and the assertion of ethnic-cultural identity.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Family and Kinship
- Family is a primary social institution into which individuals are born and where they spend a major part of their lives.
- Families can be nuclear or extended, and may be male-headed or female-headed.
- The line of descent in families can be patrilineal or matrilineal.
- Family structure is closely linked to economic, political, cultural, and social changes in society.
- Changes such as migration, urbanisation, choice in marriage, and social movements have transformed family and kinship patterns.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: Nuclear and Extended Family
- A nuclear family consists of one set of parents and their children.
- An extended (joint) family includes more than one couple and often more than two generations living together.
- An extended family may consist of brothers with their families or elderly parents living with sons and grandchildren.
- The extended family has been commonly associated with Indian society, but it was not always the dominant family form everywhere.
- The term “joint family” is not an original Indian concept and is influenced by the English idea of family, as noted by I.P. Desai.
CBSE: Class 12
Key Points: The Diverse Forms of the Family
- A nuclear family consists of one set of parents and their children.
- An extended (joint) family includes more than one couple and often more than two generations living together.
- An extended family may consist of brothers with their families or elderly parents living with sons and grandchildren.
- The extended family has been commonly associated with Indian society, but it was not always the dominant family form everywhere.
- The term “joint family” is not an original Indian concept and is influenced by the English idea of family, as noted by I.P. Desai.
