Course Title: Socio-Cultural Dimension of Development

Course No.: RDS 553

Nature of the Course: Theory                                                           Period per Week: 3

Year: First                                                                                        Time per Period: 1 hour

Semester: First                                                                                 Total Period: 48

Level: MA

Course objectives

In general, this course aims to deal with socio-cultural factors that are significant in rural development process. The specific aims are to dig up link between social factors and rural development, to analyze various perspectives of sociology and anthropology relevant to rural development and to highlight how socio-anthropological methods are applicable to address socio-cultural issues in Nepal.

Course Contents                                                                                                                 LH

Unit I: Socio-Cultural Perspectives for Rural Development                                   20

1.1 Socio-Cultural Perspectives (e.g., Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber)

1.2 Rethinking the Perspectives (e.g., Talcott Parsons, Jürgen Habermas, Anthony Giddens)

1.3 Post-modernity (e.g., Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault)

1.4 Post-Structuralism (e.g., Jean Baudrillard)

1.5 Diffusion Approach

Unit II: Major Social Dimensions of Rural Development                                        10

2.1 Population Change

2.2 Culture

2.3 Social Inclusion

2.4 Conflict Resolution

2.5 Human Capital (e.g., Health and Education)

2.6 Social Innovation

Unit II: Measures of Social Development                                                                    9

3.1 Characteristics of Rural

3.2 Typologies of Regions

3.3 Social Development and Its Indicators

3.4 Requirements of Indicators and Their Assessment

3.5 Themes and Set of Indicators

Unit IV: Data on Social Indicators                                                                                9

4.1 Population Composition

4.2 Health

4.3 Education

4.4 Social Composition

4.5 Religion

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