IGNOU BA Sociology books (ESO 11 to ESO 16) are widely used for UPSC CSE Sociology Optional foundational reading. Open a course below, then download Block or Unit PDFs for chapter-wise revision.
IGNOU BA Sociology Books
Chapter-wise IGNOU BA Sociology notes for UPSC CSE Sociology Optional. Open a course, then download Block or Unit PDFs.
1. Understanding Sociology
- Unit-1 Nature and Scope of Sociology
- Unit-2 Basic Concepts in Sociology
- Unit-3 Simple Societies
- Unit-4 Complex Societies
2. Groups and Institutions
3. Socialisation and Education
- Unit-8 Nature of Socialisation
- Unit-9 Agencies of Socialisation
- Unit-10 Processes of Education
- Unit-11 Educational Institutions
4. Economic Processes
- Unit-12 Economy and Technology
- Unit-13 Production Processes
- Unit-14 Distribution Processes
- Unit-15 Consumption Pattern
5. Political Processes
- Unit-16 Stateless Societies
- Unit-17 State in Traditional Societies
- Unit-18 State in Modern Societies
- Unit-19 State and Other Institutions
6. Culture and Religion
- Unit-20 Stateless Societies
- Unit-21 State in Traditional Societies
- Unit-22 State in Modern Societies
- Unit-23 State and Other Institutions
- Unit-24 State and Other Institutions
7. Social structure
- Unit-25 Concepts of Social Structure
- Unit-26 Social Roles
- Unit-27 Social Networks
- Unit-28 Social Functions
- Unit-29 Social Stratification
8. Social control, change and development
1. Social Structure – Rural and Urban
- Unit-1 Unity and Diversity
- Unit-2 Rural Social Structure
- Unit-3 Village and the Outside World
- Unit-4 Patterns of Urbanisation
- Unit-5 Urban Social Structure
2. Family Marriage and Kinship
- Unit-6 Family and its Types
- Unit-7 Marriage and its Changing Patterns
- Unit-8 Kinship-I
- Unit-9 Kinship-II
3. Economy and Polity
- Unit-10 Rural Economy
- Unit-12 Rural and Urban Poverty
- Unit-13 National Politics
- Unit-14 Regional and State Polities
4. Social Organisation
- Unit-15 Hindu Social Organisation
- Unit-16 Muslim Social Organisation
- Unit-17 Christian Social Organisation
- Unit-18 Sikh Social Organization
- Unit-19 Zoroastrian Social Organisation
5. Caste and Class
- Unit-20 Caste Structure and Regional Patterns
- Unit-21 Caste - Continuity and Change
- Unit-22 The Scheduled Castes
- Unit-23 Class in India
- Unit-24 Backward Classes
6. Tribes in India
- Unit-25 Tribes: Social Structure -I
- Unit-26 Tribes Social Structure -II
- Unit-27 Religion in Tribal Societies
- Unit-28 Tribes and Modernisation in India
7. Women and Society
- Unit-29 Status of Women in India
- Unit-30 Women’s movements in India
- Unit-31 Women and Work
- Unit-32 Women and Education
- Unit-33 Contemporary Women’s Issues: Health and Legal Aspects
8. Social Change
1. Early Sociology
- Unit-1 Emergence Of Sociology In Europe
- Unit-2 Founding Fathers – I
- Unit-3 Founding Fathers - II
- Unit-4 History And Development Of Sociology In India - I
- Unit-5 History And Development Of Sociology In India - II
2. Karl Marx
- Unit-6 Historical Materialism
- Unit-7 Forces, Relations and Modes of Production
- Unit-8 Class and Class Conflict
- Unit-9 Dialectics and Social Change
3. Emile Durkheim
- Unit-10 Sociology as Science
- Unit-11 Comparative Method
- Unit-12 Collective Representations
- Unit-13 Forms of Social Solidarity
4. Max Weber
5. Comparative Analysis
- Unit-18 Methodology: Marx, Durkheim And Weber
- Unit-19 Religion: Durkheim And Weber
- Unit-20 Division of Labour — Durkheim And Marx
- Unit-21 Capitalism: Weber & Marx
6. Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown
- Unit-22 Concept of Culture and Function-Malinowski
- Unit-23 Magic, Science and Religion — Malinowski
- Unit-24 Concept of Social Structure Radcliffe.Brown
- Unit-25 Concept of Function -Radcliffe-Brown
- Unit-26 A Critique of Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown
7. Parson and Merton
1. Introducing Social Stratification
- Unit-1 Social Stratification: Meaning and Approaches
- Unit-2 Approaches to Social Stratification
- Unit-3 Caste and Class in India
- Unit-4 Stratification: Implications of Gender and Ethnicity
2. Explaining Social Stratification
- Unit-5 Marx and Weber
- Unit-6 Parsons and Davis
- Unit-7 Coser and Dahrendorf on Social Classes
- Unit-8 Theories of Stratification: Towards A Synthesis Lenski, Luhmann, Berghe
3. Ethnic Stratification
- Unit-9 Ethnicity as a Basis of Stratification
- Unit-10 Tribal Ethnicity: The North-East
- Unit-11 Religious Ethnicity: The Case of the Punjab
- Unit-12 Linguistic ethnicity in India
4. Gender Differentiation and Ethnicity
- Unit-13 Gender as a Basis of Discrimination
- Unit-14 Formation of Gender Identities
- Unit-15 Gender Status and Power
- Unit-16 Women's Empowerment: Some Illustrations
5. Explaining caste in Indian Society
- Unit-17 The Basis of Caste Hierarchy: Purity and Pollution
- Unit-18 Dimensions of Caste: Rituals and Power
- Unit-19 Caste Identity: Attributional and Interactional Approaches
- Unit-20 Caste Dynamics: Economic and Political
6. Marginalised Communities and Stratification
- Unit-21 Status of Dalits
- Unit-22 Other Backward Classes
- Unit-23 Scheduled Tribes
- Unit-24 Marginalised Groups and Their Changing Status
7. Class in Indian Society
- Unit-25 Agrarian Class Structure
- Unit-26 Industrial Classes
- Unit-27 Middle Classes in India
- Unit-28 Class Conflict
8. Social Mobility
1. The Study of Religion
- Unit-1 Sociology and the Study of Religion
- Unit-2 Evolutionary Theories of Religion
- Unit-3 Functionalist Theories of Religion
- Unit-4 The Study of Religious Beliefs
- Unit-5 The Study of Religious Symbols
2. Perspectives on Religion
- Unit-6 Comparative Sociological Theories of Ritual
- Unit-7 Ritual-I: A Case Study from Africa
- Unit-8 Ritual-II: A Case Study from South-East Asia
- Unit-9 Civil Religion
- Unit-10 Religion and the Economic Order
- Unit-11 Religion and Politics/State
3. Religion and Related Aspects
- Unit-12 Religious Organisations: Sects, Cults and Denominations
- Unit-13 Religious Specialists: Shamans, Priests and Prophets
- Unit-14 Religion: Social Stability and Change
- Unit-15 Fundamentalism: Some Case Studies
- Unit-16 Secularism and Secularisation
4. Religious Pluralism-I
5. Religious Pluralism-II
6. Religious Movements: Medieval and Modern
- Unit-24 Medieval Religious Movements I: Bhakti and Sufism
- Unit-25 Medieval Religious Movements I: Veerashaivism
- Unit-26 Modern Religious Movements II: Arya Samaj
- Unit-27 Modern Religious Movements II: Ramakrishna Mission
7. Social Significance of Religion
1. Social Framework
- Unit-1 Social Transformation and Problems
- Unit-2 Approaches and Paradigms
- Unit-3 Social Problems: The Indian Context
2. Structure in Transition-I
3. Structure in Transition-II
- Unit-8 Unemployment
- Unit-9 Labour : Industrial
- Unit-10 Labour : Rural
- Unit-11 Labour : Women
- Unit-12 Labour : Children
4. Patterns of Deprivation and Alienation
- Unit-13 Poverty and its Social Dynamics
- Unit-14 Crime and Delinquency
- Unit-15 Drug Addiction and Alcoholism
- Unit-16 Violence and Terrorism
5. Identity, Dignity and Social Justice-I
6. Identity, Dignity and Social Justice-II
7. Ecology and Resources
IGNOU BA Notes for UPSC Sociology Optional
IGNOU BA Sociology courses (ESO 11–ESO 16) cover sociological concepts, Indian society, social stratification, religion and social problems. Use Block PDFs for full chapters, or Unit PDFs for focused topic revision alongside IAS Gurukul notes and Mains practice.