Contents

1.   Descent and Kinship                                                           1-8

Kinship                                                                                        1

Kinship in India                                                                           6

Questions                                                                                     8

Reference                                                                                     8

2.   Marriage                                                                              9-32

Forms of Marriage                                                                        9

Mate Choice                                                                                15

Marriage in India                                                                        20

Marriage among Muslims in India                                              28

Marriage and Family Problems in India                                      30

Reform Movements                                                                     31

Dowry System                                                                            31

Questions                                                                                   32

References                                                                                  32

3.   The Family                                                                        33-76

Characteristics of Family                                                            34

Nature of Family                                                                        35

Origin of the Family                                                                   37

Forms of Family                                                                         39

Functions of the Family                                                              47

Modern Family                                                                           53

Reconstructing the Family                                                          60

Future of the Family                                                                  63

Family and The State                                                                 64

Joint Family                                                                               66

Questions                                                                                   74

References                                                                                  75

4.   Religion                                                                           77-110

Forms of Religion                                                                       80

Origin of Religion                                                                        84

The Social Role of Religion                                                          85

Dysfunctions of Religion                                                              89

Sacred and Profen                                                                      90

Rites                                                                                           91

Ritual                                                                                         92

Communalism                                                                            94

Fundamentalism                                                                       100

Secularisation                                                                           103

Questions                                                                                  108

References                                                                                109

5.   Social Stratification in India                                    111-158

Origin of Caste                                                                          111

Characteristics of Caste                                                             112

Origin of the Caste System                                                        119

Merits and Demerits of Caste System in India                          123

Interdependence of Castes (Jajmani System)                            127

Modern Trends of Caste System in India                                  130

Changes in Independent India                                                  132

Future of Caste System in India                                                135

Dominant Caste                                                                        137

Social Mobility                                                                          138

Sanskritisation                                                                          145

Modernisation                                                                           148

Comparative Study of Class and Status                                     152

Questions                                                                                  156

References                                                                                157

6.   Gender: Equality, Neutrality and Third Gender  159-166

Gender and Sex                                                                        159

Theory of Gender Inequality                                                     161

Third Gender                                                                            162

Gender Neutrality                                                                    164

Questions                                                                                  166

References                                                                                166

7.   Sociological Theories                                                 167-176

Positivism                                                                                 167

Labeling theory                                                                         169

Functionalism                                                                           171

Sub-cultural Theory                                                                  173

Questions                                                                                  175

References                                                                                176

8.   Social Legislation and Welfare in India                 177-218

Women Welfare                                                                        178

Child Welfare                                                                            184

Welfare of the Old People                                                         188

Welfare of the Disabled                                                             197

Welfare of the Drug Addicts                                                      200

Under-privileged Sections of Society                                         206

Questions                                                                                  218