RSSB Teaching Associate Sociology syllabus

1Basic concepts

• Meaning, Definition, Subject-matter, Scope, Nature and Perspectives of Sociology, Sociology and Enlightenment.
• Society, Culture, Community, Norms and Values, Institutions, Associations and Social System.
• Social Groups: Meaning and Types, Status and Role, Norms and Values and types of membership.
• Social Control: Meaning, Types, Agencies and Theories.
• Socialization: Meaning, Stages and Theories, Sub concepts of Socialization.
• Status and Role, Meaning, Types, Interplay between Status and Role, Role Conflict, Norms and Values.
• Social Stratification: Meaning, Forms and Theories. Pattern of Inequalities.
• Social Processes- Assimilation, Competition, Conflict and Co-operation, Accommodation, associate and Dissociative process.
• Social Change and Social Mobility- Meaning, patterns, Factors and Theories.
• Social Deviance: Meaning, Types and Theories.
• Social Interaction: Meaning and Types.

2Western Sociological Thinkers/Thought

• Auguste Comte: Comte’s views on Sociological Methods and Sociology. Law of Three Stages, Hierarchy of Sciences, Comte’s views on Science, Religion of Humanity.
• Hebert Spencer: Classification of Social Systems or Society, Stages of Societal Evolution, Societal Institutions. Organic and Super-Organic Analogy, Principles of Sociology.
• Emile Durkheim: Division of Labour in society, Social facts and Rules of Sociological Method. Suicide and its types. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Durkheim of Education.
• Max Weber: Weber’s Methodology. Study of Religions. Social Stratification and Types of Authority, Bureaucracy, Social Action.
• Karl Marx: Types of Society. Dialectical Materialism. Class Structures. Class Conflict and Social Change. Capital, Labour Theory of Value and Surplus Value.
• Georg Simmel: Problem Areas of Sociology. Group Affiliation. Social Differentiation. Conflict as Social Form. Exchanges as Social Form.
• Vilfredo Pareto: The Rise and Fall of the Elites. Theory of Sentiments. Pareto’s views on General Sociology. The interface between Social, Economic and Political Phenomena. The Social System.

3Indian Social System: Structure and Change

• Characteristics of Indian Society, Unity Plurality and Diversity.
• Ancient Indian Social System: Varnashram System and Purushartha, Sanskara, Karma and Education.
• Indian Social Institutions: Family, Marriage and Kinship, Education, Religion, Caste, Economy and Polity.
• Class Structure in India: Agrarian, Industrial.
• Dynamics in Caste and Class in Indian Society: Pattern of Mobility and Inequality.
• Gender Relations and Women Empowerment: Status of Women in India and Women Empowerment; Social Legislations for women, Domestic Violence, Dowry and issues of Divorce, Crime against Women.
• Deviance and Crime; Juvenile Delinquency, Cyber Crime, Crime against Children, White Collar Crime.
• Challenges before Indian Society: Poverty, Illiteracy, Unemployment, Regionalism, Communalism, Casteism, Corruption, Terrorism, Socio-Cultural Exclusion.
• Pathologies of Development: Problems of Weaker Sections and Minorities, Problems of SCs, STs, OBCs, Marginalized groups and Children.
• Planned change in India- Indian Society, Five Year Plans, Panchayati Raj, Welfarist Policies and Sustainable Development.
• Globalization and its Impact on Indian Society.

4Social Research

• Social Survey and Social Research: Meaning and Types; Scientific Method.
• Issues of Objectivity/Value Neutrality, Biases, Subjectivity and issues of ethics in Social Research.
• Model, Paradigm and Theory building in Sociological Research.
• Research Design: Meaning and Types.
• Hypothesis: Meaning, Nature and Types.
• Sampling: Meaning and Types.
• Techniques of Data Collection: Observation, Interview, Schedule and Questionnaire.
• Methods of Data collection: Case Study Method, Content Analysis, Cultural study Approach, Discourse Analysis, Ethnography.

5Perspectives on Indian Society

• Rural Studies: M.N. Srinivas, S.C. Dube and Andre Beteille.
• Urban Studies: MSA Rao, V. S. D’Souza, Meera Kosambi.
• Tribal Studies: K.S. Singh, S. L. Doshi, VerginiusXaxa.
• Gender Studies:Neera Desai, Sharmila Rege, Beena Agarwal.
• Development of Sociology in India: Indological and Textual Perspective. Structural- Functional Perspective, Marxist Perspective, Civilizational Perspective, Synthesis of Textual and Field Views, Subaltern Perspective.

6Classical Sociological Theories

• The meaning and nature of Sociological theory, Structural-Functionalism, Neo-Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Marxian Theory, Neo-Marxism, Phenomenology, Ethnomethodology, Symbolic-Interactionism, Feminism, Structuralism, Structuration, Post-Structuralism, Post-Modernism.

Paper-I — common to every subject

1History, Art, Culture, Literature and Heritage of Rajasthan

• Ancient Civilizations of Rajasthan with special Reference to Mesolithic (Late Stone Age) sites in Rajasthan i.e. Nimbahera, Bagor and Mandia.
• Major dynasties of Rajasthan and its rulers through the Ages and their cultural achievements (1000-1800 A.D.).
• Political resistance of Rajput rulers against Muslim Power. Special reference to Rattan Singh, Hammir, Kanhad dev and Maldev, Chandrasen and Pratap.
• (i) Bhakti Movement and Sufism in Medieval Rajasthan, Special reference to Mira, Dadu and Khawaja Moin-ud-din Chishty. Saints: Special emphasis to be paid to teachings of Ramdevji, Gogaji, Tejaji, Pabuji, Mallinath, Dhanna, Pipa, Haridas, Raidas, Jasnath and other Sects.
• (ii) Folk gods and goddesses.
• Political Awakening and Freedom Movement in Rajasthan: 1857, Peasant and Tribal Movements, Prajamandal Movements, Contribution of Women in Social and Political awakening.
• (i) Folk Culture: Fairs and Festivals, Different Schools of Painting, Folk Tales and Gathas, Folk Songs, Folk Dances, Folk Music and Instruments.
• (ii) Dress and Ornaments, Handicrafts.
• Rajasthani Language: Origin and Development.
• Main Dialects and Region.
• Rajasthani Scripts: Mudia and Devnagari.
• (a) Rajasthani Literature: Its Evolution.
• (i) Early Period
• (ii) Pre-Medieval Period
• (iii) Post- Medieval Period
• (iv) Modern Period.
• (b) Famous Writers and their Works.
• Tourism and Rajasthan: Heritage, Tourism Policy and Vision.

2Geography of Rajasthan

• Physiographic regions, Rivers and lakes.
• Climate, Natural Vegetation, Soil, Minerals and Energy Resources – Renewable and Non-renewable.
• Population – Characteristics, Livestock, Biodiversity and its conservation.
• Production and Distribution of Major crops, Major Irrigation Projects, Major Industries.
• Drought and Famines, Desertification, Environmental Problems, Disaster Management and Pandemics.

3Political and Administrative System of Rajasthan

• Governor, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.
• State Legislative Assembly, High Court and Judicial System of Rajasthan.
• Rajasthan Public Service Commission, State Election Commission, State Finance Commission, State Human Rights Commission, State Commission for Women, State Information Commission, Lokayukta and Auditor General.
• Chief Secretary, Government Secretariat, Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Divisional Commissioner, District Administration, Institutions of Panchayati Raj and Urban Local- Self Government.
• Government Policies and Right based Citizenship: Right to Information, Guaranteed Delivery of Public Services, Citizen's Charters, Social Audit, Jan Soochna Portal, Rajasthan Sampark Portal etc.

4Economy of Rajasthan

• Characteristics of state economy.
• Occupational distribution.
• Compositional trend of state domestic product.
• Major Sectoral Issues.
• (i) Agricultural Sector: Characteristics of agricultural sector in Rajasthan. Major rabi and kharif crops with special reference to oil seeds and spices. Irrigated area and trends, Problems of migrant workers and their rehabilitation. Agricultural credit.
• (ii) Livestock: Trends in livestock population. Milk production in Rajasthan.
• (iii) Industrial Outlook: Major industries of Rajasthan. Constraints to development of industries. MSMEs in Rajasthan. Roles and problem of small industries. Industrial sickness. Major state public sector enterprises. SEZ in Rajasthan. Role of RIICO and RFC. Agro-processing policy (2020).
• (iv) Service Sector: Primary education, Development in recent years. Health programmes of state government. Mid-day meal programme. Indira Rasoi Yojana.
• (v) Infrastructure Development: Progress in national highways, state highways and village roads. Power: Progress in power generation. Recent progress in solar power projects.
• (vi) Handicrafts of Rajasthan.
• (vii) Major items of exports from Rajasthan.
• (viii) Latest major welfare schemes of state government with special reference to economically and socially backward classes, disabled people, old aged people. Steps taken for women empowerment and child development.
• (ix) Regional economic inequalities in Rajasthan.

5Contemporary Events

• Major Contemporary Events and Issues of Rajasthan.
• Persons and Places in News.
• Sports and Games.

Official syllabus from RSSB Advertisement 06/2026 (Teaching Associate), verbatim. Paper-I (General Studies of Rajasthan) is common to all subjects.