Teaching and
research programmes of the Centre are organized around studies in theories and
methods, on the one hand, and analysis of structures and processes of social
systems on the other. Ordinances of our University provide considerable
scope for innovation and flexibility with regard to teaching and mode of
evaluation. Interdisciplinary orientation is reflected in structure as
well as contents of the courses offered at both the M.A. and M.Phil
levels. Courses at the M.A. level seek to combine theoretical and
methodological concerns with the study of the substantive issues relating to
Indian society. At the M.Phil. level, emphasis is laid on the comparative
and interdisciplinary perspectives. Both at the M.A. and M.Phil.
levels, the Centre offers a wide range of optional courses. Of the 16
courses offered to the M.A. students, 4 are optional courses. A large
number of students from other Centres and Schools of the University also
register for many of our these courses. Similarly, the M.Phil. students
can exercise their choice in selecting two courses from a wide range of optional
courses, besides the two compulsory courses- one in Theory and the other
in the Methodology of Social Sciences.
At the request of the School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, the
Centre has been offering two additional undergraduate optional courses in
Sociology/Social Anthropology since 1997.
The system of evaluation lays equal emphasis on the sessional assignments and
end-semester examinations. The sessional assignments include
seminars, tutorials, term-papers, viva-voce and mid-semester tests. In the
compulsory course titled "Techniques of Social Research" offered at the
M.A. level, the students are trained in the field- work techniques.
The innovative attempts to integrate the book-view with the field-view have been
made in several other courses also offered both at the M.A.and M.Phil levels in
the Centre. Over the years, these courses have been
continuously revised and several new courses have been offered
incorporating the new theoretical and substantive inputs.