Category: Sociology Dictionary

  • Structural Functionalism: Definition, Theories and Criticism

    Synopsis: Structural functionalism is considered to be a prominent classical sociological perspective. It is a macro-level theory concerned with large-scale social structures and social institutions. Structural functionalism as an explanatory theory has lost its significance in the contemporary era. Nevertheless, it is a significant theoretical perspective in social sciences. This article presents an insight into…

  • What is Karl Marx’s Labour Theory of Value?

    In economics, one of the driving theories that are used to explain the many complexities of production and consumption is the theory of value. Many great thinkers of the past have propounded such theories to both problematise and simplify the question of the value of economic products. One such theory is called the Labour Theory…

  • How to uproot the caste system in India: Solution (Short Essay)

    The caste system, which can be defined as perhaps very specific to the South Asian region and specifically India which has prevailed for centuries. Scholars have often defined caste as ‘a closed class’. This definition can be understood to specifically analyse the economic dimensions attached to the sense of compartmentalisation that is present in the…

  • Sociology of Crime: Crime is a Social Phenomenon

    There is a connection between criminology and sociology because it is impossible to understand crime without studying the larger society. The idea of crime derives from the concept of deviance in society. Deviance involves breaking a social norm and evoking negative reactions from others. Some norms are considered more serious, and some are turned into…

  • Life and Contribution of Ulrich Beck: An ode to ‘The Most Sociologically Famous Academic’

    Ulrich Beck has been one of the most influential and active sociologists of his time. With a career spanning over two decades, Beck brought about a paradigm shift in the conceptualisation of modern social theories with his prominent works such as ‘risk society’, theories of individualisation, cosmopolitanism and his more recent work in ‘zombie categories’,…

  • Problems faced by SC/ST in India and Their Measures: Essay

    The caste system of India is one of the main historical dimensions which attempts to distinguish and differentiate people on the basis of their religion, sect, occupation, language, and lifestyle. Although the caste system differentiated in each and every Indian society, not incentivizing to give rise to integration among the masses, it apparently overlapped resulting…

  • Dalit Feminism: Meaning, History, Personalities and Books

    The struggle of third world feminists could be marked in the final decades of the 20th century. In the Indian context, women always remain the dual victims of caste and patriarchy. The Indian social movements are conventionally concerned with the role of caste and caste identity. In the early 1990s, when autonomous Dalit organizations were…