IGNOU BOOK | Sociology of Religion[Hindi medium] BSOC -106

Product Overview & Details

Sociology of Religion is the systematic study of religion as a social phenomenon and institution. The course examines the relationship between religion and society, focusing on how religious beliefs, values, rituals, symbols, and institutions influence individual behaviour, social relationships, culture, and social organization.

The course introduces students to fundamental concepts such as sacred and profane, religious beliefs, rituals, religious authority, religious organizations, secularization, and religious pluralism. It explores the relationship between religion and major social institutions such as family, economy, politics, education, and social stratification.

The perspectives of classical sociologists such as Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber are examined to understand the functions of religion, its relationship with social inequality and power, and its influence on social action and social change.

The course also examines contemporary issues including secularization, modernization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism, religious movements, and globalization. In the Indian context, it focuses on religious diversity, pluralism, secularism, communalism, and the relationship between religion, caste, gender, and politics.

Overall, Sociology of Religion develops a sociological understanding of religion and its role in maintaining social order, creating identities, reproducing inequalities, and contributing to processes of social integration and social change.