When I or any of my classmates tell people that we are pursuing Sociology Honours at DU, the most frequent is, “Woh kya hota hai?” or “Usme kya padhte ho?” Like almost all other social sciences, Sociology too is taken to be something that you just have to mug up and score in, something that has little application and practical value.
However, that is hardly true. One can mug up and score in humanities, but that is not the essence of the course. Humanities as a stream has picked up a lot in the last few decades for a reason, that being: human beings and societies cannot be reduced the objects under natural sciences, they must be understood more comprehensively and subjectively.
In a mundane definition, Sociology is the study of human society: its various institutions like family, religion or the nation, structures like class, caste and race, social problems pertaining to spheres of gender, income or criminal behaviour, and human relationships through understanding kinship systems, economic dynamics or power relations.
Thus, the syllabus of Sociology Honours at DU shall entail the following:
- The first year is an insight into what Sociology in India and around the world is all about:
- Sociology of India: institutions and structures in the Indian society like caste, class, religion or village, and social phenomena in India like communalism and secularism.
- Introduction to Sociology: an opening into the basic concepts and theories of sociology like functionalism, Marxism or feminism.
- The next two years, one begins to deal with specific modules like:
- Gender
- Religion
- Social Stratification
- Economic Sociology
- Rural and Urban Sociology
- Kinship etc.
- We also have research papers in the last semester.
To the layman eye, this may seem like things we all already know about. However, those with an inclination towards social sciences would understand that the subject matter of Sociology doesn’t deal with commonsensical notions that the society in general has but comprehends them through detailed analysis through scientific methods of research.
Thus, the various career options that sociology opens up are into research, human resource, media as well as marketing. Avenues of further studies after a major in Sociology in India can be:
- Masters as Delhi School of Economics, JNU or Jamia Millia Islamia
- Masters in Social Work or Women Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)
- MBA with specialization in HR and personal management
- Masters in Mass Communication
- IIT Gandhinagar offers MA in Society and Culture
- One can branch out to Masters in other fields like International Relations, Public Relations, Developmental Studies, Gender Studies, Criminology, Anthropology, Ethnography or Theology
Three years of a rendezvous with sociology will help you discover and imagine the society in different ways. You will be able to explore your interests, identify what sphere of the complex human society interests you the most, and can accordingly pick your masters.
The various fields of job that open up to you post your masters can be:
- Government services
- Teaching
- Research at think tanks
- HR personnel in MNCs
- Public Relations
- Journalism
- Research at government ministries like health, consumer rights, women and child etc
At DU, there are only eight colleges that offer Sociology:
- Lady Sri Ram College for Women
- Hindu College
- Jesus and Mary College
- Miranda House
- Sri Venkateswara College
- Kamla Nehru College
- Janki Devi Memorial College
- Maitreyi College
While eligibility for Sociology Honours is open to all streams, its cut off go above 90 for almost all colleges, above 94 for the likes of LSR, Hindu, MH and JMC. The demand for the course is increasing as awareness has come about, and the seats are still a few. Also, only 2 out of the 8 colleges are co-ed (Venky and Hindu), thus posing a major disadvantage for the boys pining for the course.
For all the confused birdies out there, if you are leaning towards sociology, it’s one of the best courses right now where you have a plethora of issues under one umbrella. And those aspiring to get in for sociology honours, best of luck!
Brace yourselves to enter the world of Marx, Weber and Durkheim!
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