Introduction to Sociology

A 41-lecture introduction to sociology

This NPTEL course, taught by Prof. A.K. Sharma of IIT Kanpur, runs for 41 lectures and opens with the basic question of what sociology is. From there it moves through approaches to the discipline, individuals and groups, cooperation and conflict, and the institutions of family, state and work.

Themes that stand out

• The state, including how power is defined and how functionalist and Marxist thinkers explain it
• Sociology of work, tracing the need for work, social change and the motivation created by capitalism
• Religion as a social phenomenon, with a focus on the conditions that shape religious thought

Who it suits

Students who want a structured, lecture-by-lecture grounding in classical sociological themes will get the most from it. The sequence suits watching in order, since the early lectures set out the definitions the later ones rely on.