anthropology
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- COMPREHENSIVE SYLLABUS COVERAGE OF BOTH PAPER 1 & PAPER 2
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ABOUT THE FACULTY

Vijaya Sarathy Sir, an unwavering advocate of Anthropology, brings a decade of dedicated teaching experience to aspiring civil servants. His remarkable 24+ years in UPSC and SPSC coaching underscore his commitment to excellence.
Presently, he graces the faculty at IAS Baba in Delhi and Bengaluru, following prestigious roles as a Senior Anthropology Faculty at renowned institutions, including Unacademy, 21st Century IAS, Career IAS, Narayana IAS Academy, Sri Chaitanya IAS Academy, and Civil Services Academy in Hyderabad.
Notably, he’s thrice ventured into the Civil Services Mains Examination, selecting Anthropology as an Optional subject.
Furthermore, he’s immersed in a promising endeavorтАФa book titled
“ANTHROPOLOGY, THE STORY OF HUMANKIND.” This future
masterpiece is poised to be an indispensable resource for UPSC CSE aspirants, mirroring the ever-evolving demands of the examination while capturing the vibrant spirit of this captivating subject.
IMPORTANT DATES
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Application Starts | 19th July, 2024 |
| Last Date | 20th August, 2024 |
| Commencement of Online Classes | Already Started |
| Online Class Duration | TBA |
| Course Fee | Rs. 15,104 /- |
Brochure
1.1.┬аMeaning, Scope and development of Anthropology.
1.2.┬аRelationships with other disciplines:┬аSocial Sciences, behavioural Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences and Humanities.
1.3.┬аMain branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance:
- Social-cultural Anthropology.
- biological Anthropology.
- Archaeological Anthropology.
- Linguistic Anthropology.
1.4.┬аHuman Evolution and emergence of Man:
- Biological and Cultural factors in human evolution.
- Theories of Organic Evolution (Pre-Darwinian, Darwinian and Post-Darwinian).
- Synthetic theory of evolution; Brief outline of terms and concepts of evolutionary biology (DollтАЩs rule, CopeтАЩs rule, GauseтАЩs rule, parallelism, convergence, adaptive radiation, and mosaic evolution).
1.5.Characteristics of Primates:┬аEvolutionary Trend and Primate Taxonomy; Primate Adaptations; (Arboreal and Terrestrial) Primate Taxonomy; Primate Behaviour; Tertiary and Quaternary fossil primates; Living Major Primates; Comparative Anatomy of Man and Apes; Skeletal changes due to erect posture and its implications.
1.6.┬аPhylogenetic status, characteristics and geographical distribution of the following:
- Plio-preleistocene hominids in South and East AfricaтАФAustralopithecines.
- Homo erectus: Africa (Paranthropus), Europe (Homo erectus (heidelbergensis), Asia (Homo erectus javanicus, Homo erectus pekinensis.
- Neanderthal manтАФLa-chapelle-aux-saints (Classical type), Mt. Carmel (Progressive type).
- Rhodesian man.
- Homo sapiensтАФCromagnon, Grimaldi and Chancelede.
1.7.┬аThe biological basis of Life:┬аThe Cell, DNA structure and replication, Protein Synthesis, Gene, Mutation, Chromosomes, and Cell Division.
1.8.┬а(a) Principles of Prehistoric Archaeology. Chronology: Relative and Absolute Dating methods.
(b) Cultural EvolutionтАФBroad Outlines of Prehistoric cultures:
- Paleolithic
- Mesolithic
- Neolithic
- Chalcolithic
- Copper-Bronze age
- Iron Age
2.1.The Nature of Culture:┬аThe concept and Characteristics of culture and civilization;Ethnocentrism vis-a-vis cultural Relativism.
2.2.The Nature of Society:┬аConcept of Society; Society and Culture; Social Institution; Social groups; and social stratification.
2.3.Marriage:┬аDefinition and universality; Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, hypergamy, hypogamy, incest taboo); Type of marriage (monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, group marriage). Functions of marriage; Marriage regulations (preferential, prescriptive and proscriptive); Marriage payments (bride wealth and dowry).
2.4.┬аFamily:┬аDefinition and universality; Family, household and domestic groups; functions of family; Types of family (from the perspectives of structure, blood relation, marriage, residence and succession); Impact of urbanization, industrialization and feminist movements on family.
2.5.Kinship:┬аConsanguinity and Affinity; Principles and types of descent (Unilineal, Double, Bilateral Ambilineal); Forms of descent groups (lineage, clan, phratry, moiety and kindred); Kinship terminology (descriptive and classificatory); Descent, Filiation and Complimentary Filiation;Decent and Alliance.
3.Economic Organization:┬аMeaning, scope and relevance of economic anthropology; Formalist and Substantivist debate; Principles governing production, distribution and exchange (reciprocity,redistribution and market), in communities, subsisting on hunting and gathering, fishing, swiddening, pastoralism, horticulture, and agriculture; globalization and indigenous economic systems.
4.Political Organization and Social Control:Band, tribe, chiefdom, kingdom and state; conceptsof power, authority and legitimacy; social control, law and justice in simple Societies.
5.┬аReligion:┬аAnthropological approaches to the study of religion (evolutionary, psychological and functional); monotheism and polytheism; sacred and profane; myths and rituals; forms of religion in tribal and peasant Societies (animism, animatism, fetishism, naturism and totemism); religion, magic and science distinguished; magico-religious functionaries (priest, shaman, medicine man,
6.┬аAnthropological theories:
(a) Classical evolutionism (Tylor, Morgan and Frazer)
(b) Historical particularism (Boas) Diffusionism (British, German and American)
(c) Functionalism (Malinowski); StructuralтАФFunctionlism (Radcliffe-Brown)
(d) Structuralism (Levi-Strauss and E. Leach)
(e) Culture and personality (Benedict, Mead, Linton, Kardiner and Cora-du Bois)
(f) NeoтАФevolutionism (Childe, White, Steward, Sahlins and Service)
(g) Cultural materialism (Harris)
(h) Symbolic and interpretive theories (Turner, Schneider and Geertz)
(i) Cognitive theories (Tyler, Conklin)
(j) Post-modernism in anthropology.
7.┬аCulture, Language and Communication:┬аNature, origin and characteristics of language; verbal and non-verbal communication; social context of language use.
8.┬аResearch methods in Anthropology:
(a) Fieldwork tradition in anthropology
(b) Distinction between technique, method and methodology
(c) Tools of data collection: observation, interview, schedules, questionnaire, case study, genealogy, life-history, oral history, secondary sources of information, participatory methods.
(d) Analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.
9.1.┬аHuman Genetics:┬аMethods and Application: Methods for study of genetic principles in man family study (pedigree analysis, twin study, foster child, co-twin method, cytogenetic method, chromosomal and karyo-type analysis), biochemical methods, immunological methods, D.N.A. technology and recombinant technologies.
Mendelian genetics in man-family study, single factor, multifactor, lethal, sub-lethal and polygenic inheritance in man.
9.3.┬аConcept of genetic polymorphism and selection, Mendelian population, Hardy-Weinberg law; causes and changes which bring down frequency-mutation, isolation, migration, selection, inbreeding and genetic drift. Consanguineous and non-consanguineous mating, genetic load, genetic effect of consanguineous and cousin marriages.
9.4.┬аChromosomes and chromosomal aberrations in man, methodology.
(a) Numerical and structural aberrations (disorders).
(b) Sex chromosomal aberration- Klinefelter (XXY), Turner (XO), Super female (XXX), intersex and other syndromic disorders.
(c) Autosomal aberrations- Down syndrome, Patau, Edward and Cri-du-chat syndromes.
(d) Genetic imprints in human disease, genetic screening, genetic counseling, human DNA profiling, gene mapping and genome study.
9.5.┬аRace and racism, biological basis of morphological variation of non-metric and characters. Racial criteria, racial traits in relation to heredity and environment; biological basis of racial classification, racial differentiation and race crossing in man.
9.6┬аAge, sex and population variation as genetic marker: ABO, Rh blood groups, HLA Hp, transferring, Gm, blood enzymes. Physiological characteristics-Hb level, body fat, pulse rate, respiratory functions and sensory perceptions in different cultural and socio-ecomomic groups.
9.7.┬аConcepts and methods of Ecological Anthropology:┬аBio-cultural AdaptationsтАФGenetic and Non-genetic factors. ManтАЩs physiological responses to environmental stresses: hot desert, cold, high-altitude climate.
9.8.┬аEpidemiological Anthropology:┬аHealth and disease. Infectious and non-infectious diseases, Nutritional deficiency related diseases.
10.┬аConcept of human growth and Development:┬аStages of growthтАФpre-natal, natal, infant, childhood, adolescence, maturity, senescence.
(a) Factors affecting growth and development genetic, environmental, biochemical, nutritional, cultural and socio-economic.
(b) Ageing and senescence. Theories and observations
(c) biological and chronological longevity. Human physique and somatotypes. Methodologies for growth studies.
11.1.┬аRelevance of menarche, menopause and other bio events to fertility. Fertility patterns and differentials.
11.2.┬аDemographic theories-biological, social and cultural.
11.3.┬аBiological and socio-ecological factors influencing fecundity, fertility, natality and mortality.
12.┬аApplications of Anthropology:┬аAnthropology of sports, Nutritional anthropology, Anthroplogy in designing of defence and other equipments, Forensic Anthroplogy, Methods and principles of personal identification and reconstruction, Applied human geneticsтАФPaternity diagnosis, genetic counselling and eugenics, DNA technology in diseases and medicine, serogenetics and cytogenetics in reproductive biology.
1.1.┬аEvolution of the Indian Culture and CivilizationтАФ┬аPrehistoric (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Neolithic-Chalcolithic), Protohistoric (Indus Civilization). Pre-Harappan, Harappan and post Harappan cultures. Contributions of the tribal cultures to Indian civilization.
1.2.┬аPalaeoтАФAnthropological evidences from India with special reference to Siwaliks and Narmada basin (Ramapithecus, Sivapithecus and Narmada Man).
1.3. Ethno-archaeology in India:┬аThe concept of ethno-archaeology; Survivals and Parallels among the hunting, foraging, fishing, pastoral and peasant communities including arts and crafts producing communities.
2. Demographic profile of IndiaтАФ┬аEthnic and linguistic elements in the Indian population and their distribution. Indian populationтАФfactors influencing its structure and growth.
3.1.┬аThe structure and nature of traditional Indian social systemтАФVarnashram, Purushartha, Karma, Rina and Rebirth.
3.2. Caste system in IndiaтАФ┬аStructure and characteristics Varna and caste, Theories of origin of caste system, Dominant caste, Caste mobility, Future of caste system, Jajmani system. Tribe-case continuum.
3.3.┬аSacred Complex and Nature-Man-Spirit Complex.
3.4.┬аImpact of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity of Indian society.
4. Emergence, growth and development in IndiaтАФ┬аContributions of the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century scholar-administrators. Contributions of Indian anthropologists to tribal and caste studies.
5.1. Indian VillageтАФ┬аSignificance of village study in India; Indian village as a social system; Traditional and changing patterns of settlement and inter-caste relations; Agrarian relations in Indian villages; Impact of globalization on Indian villages.
5.2.┬аLinguistic and religious minorities and their social, political and economic status.
5.3.┬аIndigenous and exogenous processes of socio-cultural change in Indian society: Sanskritization, Westernization, Modernization; Inter-play of little and great traditions; Panchayati Raj and social change; Media and Social change.
6.1. Tribal situation in IndiaтАФ┬аBio-genetic variability, linguistic and socio-economic characteristics of the tribal populations and their distribution.
6.2. Problems of the tribal CommunitiesтАФ┬аLand alienation, poverty, indebtedness, low literacy, poor educational facilities, unemployment, under- employment, health and nutrition.
6.3┬аDevelopmental projects and their impact on tribal displacement and problems of rehabilitation. Development of forest policy and tribals. Impact of urbanisation and industrialization on tribal populations.
7.1┬аProblems of exploitation and deprivation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
7.2┬аSocial change and contemporary tribal societies: Impact of modern democratic institutions, development programmes and welfare measures on tribals and weaker sections.
7.3┬аThe concept of ethnicity; Ethnic conflicts and political developments; Unrest among tribal communities; Regionalism and demand for autonomy; Pseudo-tribalism. Social change among the tribes during colonial and post-Independent India.
8.1┬аImpact of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other religions on tribal societies.
8.2 Tribe and nation stateтАФ┬аa comparative study of tribal communities in India and other countries.
9.1┬аHistory of administration of tribal areas, tribal policies, plans, programmes of tribal development and their implementation. The concept of PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups), their distribution, special programmes for their development. Role of N.G.O.s in tribal development.
9.2┬аRole of anthropology in tribal and rural development.
9.3┬аContributions of anthropology to the understanding of regionalism, communalism and ethnic and political movements
