APPLIED SOCIOLOGY TOPICS

UPSC-Civil Services Exam-IAS

Sociology For IAS “APPLIED SOCIOLOGY TOPICS”

• Social Institutions

Our lives are always intertwined by interactions with social institutions. Social institutions such as Family, Marriage, Religion, Education etc., play a major role in defining the type of primary and secondary identities we create for ourselves. They also define the types and natures of our various relationships with fellow individuals and social systems around us and also pay a huge role in the type of socialization we are exposed to in various stages of our lives. Some topics that one can consider to examine the roles that social institutions play in different dimensions of our lives are as follows:

1. Hierarchical creation of Distinction and Differentiation in cultures rich in Plurality
2. Violence perpetuated in the structures of Family, Marriage and Kinship
3. Sexually Abused Boys – The contribution of familial and societal neglect due to unhealthy stereotypes resulting in silenced voices of male victims
4. The Institution of Dowry – Turning Marriage into an Unethical Transaction Process
5. Gendered Socialization of young children in Indian households and how it feeds into the Patriarchy
6. Marital Rape – An Examination on the Importance of Consent
7. How do the institutions of Family, Marriage and Kinship contribute towards the Socialization of young minds?
8. In the Pretext of upholding the Integrity of the Family – The Horrifying Prevalence of Honor Killing
9. The Underlying Influence of Religion and Family in the cultivation of Homophobic sentiments – A Case Study
10. The Roles of Family, Education and Society in both enforcing as well as eradicating negative sentiments towards Inter-caste Marriages.
11. The effects of Divorce on young minds and their interactions with their social environments and the relationships they create. Are there primarily negative effects as society dictates, or could divorce also have possible effects for children in mentally/ physically abusive parents?
12. Examining the Influence of class status on Parenting styles

• Social Issues

Our society is never rid of the conflict. It lies in our very human nature to create conflict-ridden- situations and seek multiple ways to resolve them. Conflict is ingrained in human society, and the more diverse it is, in terms of social institutions, nationalities, gender identities, sexualities, races, etc., the more prone to conflict we are. It is not always necessarily a bad thing, but a clear sociological examination of these social issues that stem from our various interactions is of utmost importance, in order to come up with optimal and rational solutions. Some social issues that one can focus on for delving into research are as follows:

1. Reconceptualizing the underlying differences between Race and Ethnicity with the help of examples and examining the interchangeable usage of the two terms
2. Assess from a Sociological perspective the rise in Xenophobia after the rise of Covid-19
3. Examining the prevalence of gender-inequality in the workspace and solutions that can help overcome it
4. Sociological Perspective on Ethnic Cleansing and possible solutions
5. 10 Things that Need to Change in the Society in order to be more accommodative of Marginalized Communities and help tackle their Challenges
6. The Directly Proportional Relationship between Privilege and Power – A Sociological Examination
7. Demonization of the Occident by the Orient – A Case Study
8. Dimensions of Intersectionality – An Examination through Feminist Theory
9. Examining the Manner in which the Modern Education System feeds into Harmful Capitalistic Ideals with examples
10. The perpetuation of differential treatment of male and female students within Indian Educational Systems
11. Scarcity of Resources or rather the Accumulation of the World’s Resources in the Hands of a Few? – A Sociological Examination
12. Links between Colonialism and Christianity and their effects on the Colonized
13. Creation and conflict of Plural Identities in the Children of Migrants
14. The Overarching need for Social Reform to precede and hence ensure Economic Reform

• Marxist Perspectives

Karl Marx was a renowned German Sociologist from whom comes the Marxist Theories. Through his works like ‘The Communist Manifesto’ (1848) and other renowned works, his views on the capitalist society, the unfair division of labor, class conflict, etc. spread all over the world, influencing many. The Marxist perspective expanded to a great extent through his influential works. He sought to explain and analyze the various inequalities and differences that were imposed in society which led to class conflict; for which the economic system of capitalism was blamed. His views on other topics like Religion, Education, Interdisciplinarity, Climate Change etc. were also highly praised. Here are some of the topics one can venture into for researching on Marx’s Perspectives.

1. Marxist perspective on the Effect of Capitalism on the Climate Crisis
2. Marxist perspective on the Importance of the element of Interdisciplinarity within Indian Sociology as an Academic Discipline
3. Marxist Criticism of Normative Ethical Thought

The majority of the world’s population is exposed to various forms of media in today’s world such as, Films, Newspapers, TV Shows, Books, Online Sources, Social-Media etc. The consumption of such content has increased to such an extent that it now plays a huge role in the way individual identities are shaped and influenced. They also play a huge role in influencing the opinions and views we hold about the world’s issues and various phenomena, and now hold the power to become driving forces of social change in society. These are some areas that have the potential for in-depth sociological research:

1. A Sociological Analysis of the Influence of Pop Culture in an Individual’s socialization process and building body image
2. Influence of social media in the ongoing perpetuation of Western standards of Beauty
3. A Sociological Analysis of Representations of Masculinity in Audio/Visual/Print Advertisements and the effects the pose for audiences who are offered this content
4. A Sociological Analysis on the Fetishization of Queer Relationships as Token Diversity in Film
5. A Sociological Perspective on the Perpetuation of Casteism in the Bollywood Industry by means of Endorsements for Colorist advertisements, as well as portrayal of Negative Stereotypes of Marginalized Communities on the big screen
6. Popular Cinema – Possessing Potential to both Reinforce or Challenge Hegemonic Masculinity
7. A Detailed Sociological Analyses of Cultural Appropriation in Media and how it perpetuates unhealthy Fetishization of certain cultures
8. Trace Representations of Hegemonic Masculinity in Popular Media – Assessing spectator relationship

• Political Issues

Just as social issues, political issues are equally important. The various political systems of the world determine the kind of governance we are under and the nature of human rights we are ensured as citizens. A sociological assessment of the various relationships between the different political issues instigated by the numerous forms of political power is of utmost importance. Such sociological indulgence helps in assessing the nature of these issues and the effect these issues have on citizens. Colonialism, Caste system, Resource conflicts, Communism, etc. and their roles in the political arena, as well as the nature of the world governments of today, can be assessed using research questions/ topics such as these:

1. Sociological Inspection on the International Peacekeeping Efforts in local conflicts
2. Tracing the Role of Colonialism in the act of instigating Contemporary and Historical conflicts in post-colonial states – A Case Study
3. Illustrating with examples the Vitality of Symbolic Representation of Indian Nationalism and how it contributes to Nationalistic Sentiments
4. Comparative Analysis on the two cases of Palestine/Israel conflict and Kashmir/India conflict within the dimensions of State Violence, Separatism and Militancy
5. Case Study outlining the influence of socio-economic and political factors that result in the creation and perpetuation of Conflict over Resources.
6. Trace the Relationship between Naxalism and Intrastate Conflict
7. Analyzing the existence of Caste based Violence in India
8. Examination of the extent to which Freedom of Speech and Expression is allowed to be practiced and controlled under the Indian Government today
9. Sociological Analysis on the Occupation of Kashmir within Dimensions of Militancy and Human Rights
10. Sociological Analysis on the Occupation of Palestine