Do you think Marxist theory about class and gender-based conflict is

still relevant in Contemporary days?

1. Introduction
2. Marxist theory about class
i. Mode of Production
ii. Theory of Alienation
iii. Labor theory value
iv. Theory of class conflict
3. Karl Marx on gender based conflict
How women are exploited by capitalism
Women labor is uncompensated: Marxist feminist
Women are excluded from productive sphere
The relation is like that of bourgeoisie and proletariat
4. Relevance of Marxist theories in contemporary days
i. Labor exploitation
ii. Alienation of workers
Workers in west
iii. Problems of imperialism and neo-imperialism
iv. Increased inequality
v. Boom and Bust cycles
vi. Neo-liberal policies and decline in welfare spending
5. How Marxist ideas have become less relevant
i. Emergence of welfare states
ii. Failure of Communist societies
iii. Critique of Karl Popper
Utopian ideas create totalitarian states
iv. Rise of entrepreneurship
v. Capitalist systems have allowed man to follow diverse
professions
6. Conclusion
Evaluate Karl Marx’s contribution to the concept of Alienation.
Discuss different types of Alienation given by him.

1. Introduction

2. Context of Karl Marx

3. Theory of Alienation
I. From Product of Labor
II. From act of production
III. From the essence of specie
IV. From other workers

4. Relevance of theory of Alienation in contemporary world

i. Labor exploitation
Multi-national companies in third world
ii. Alienation of workers
Workers in west

5. How the theory has become less relevant

i. Advanced Capitalism
a) Improved worker conditions
b) Individual autonomy and creativity
ii. More career choices
iii. Rise of entrepreneurship

6. Conclusion
Discuss why Ibn-e-Khaldun, a 14th century Islamic jurist and scholar,
still influences thinkers and sociologists even today, with respect to
his ideas about social change?

1. Introduction

2. Context of Ibn-e-Khaldun

3. Theory of Assabiyah
a. Stage 1: Establishment of State
b. Stage 2: Power Sharing
c. Stage 3: Start of downfall
d. Stage 4: Leisure and luxury
e. Stage 5: State at decline
f. Stage 6: Assabiyah destroyed

4. How Ibn-e-Khaldun’ s ideas influence thinkers and sociologists

i. Brexit: Declining Assabiyah in Europe
ii. Daron and James: Why Nations Fail
a) Muslim world
b) Roman Empire
iii. Francis Fukuyama: Political order and political decay
a) US vetocracy and election of Trump
b) China’s detrition under Xi Jinping

5. Conclusion
Durkheim emphasized on the functional aspects of religion. However,
we observe many instances of religious extremism in Pakistani
society. Shed some light on the phenomenon.

1. Introduction

2. Durkheim’s ideas of functional aspects of religion

i. Metaphysical function
Meaning of life
ii. Integrative function
Binds people together
iii. Psychological function
Emotional support in crisis
iv. Moral function
v. Source of identity
Sense of belonging, case of suicide in Japan
vi. Agent of socialization
vii. Promotes social welfare
viii. Regulates many social problems
Divorce, crime, place to discuss problems

3. How religion has become a source of extremism

i. Conflict perspective: Tool for economic exploitation
ii. Use of religion for political purposes
iii. Sectarian issues: breeding hatred
iv. Absence of progressive viewpoints
v. Unemployment and poverty: exploited by militants
Swat
vi. Socialization: Madrassas
Curriculum
4. Conclusion
Compare Ibn-e-Khaldun’s Asabiya and Durkheim’s social solidarity on
the basis of consonance and dissonance in the major premises of their
theories.
1. Introduction
2. Context of Ibn-e-Khaldun and Durkheim
3. Similarities in the works of two
i. Analysis on what holds the society together
Assabiyah and mech. & organic solidarity
ii. Analysis on the source of solidarity
Kinship. Blood, division of labor
iii. Focus on the process of change

4. Differences between Ibn-e-Khaldun and Durkheim’s ideas

i. Origin of solidarity
Ibn-Khaldun considered blood and kinship as most imp.
Durkheim thought organic form as more imp.
ii. Industrial Society
Khaldun fails to address industrial societies
Durkheim is a better guide, lived in Europe
iii. Cyclic rise and fall of state
Durkheim gives no such analysis
iv. Idea of complex division of labor
Khaldun gives no such idea of interdependency
v. Linear change
Durkheim talks about linear change
vi. Social bonds and link to suicide
vii. Sociology and Morality
Ibn-e-Khaldun discusses sociology and little of morality

5. Conclusion
‘Suicide varies inversely with the degree of integration of the social
group of which the individuals forms a part’. In the light of this
statement, discuss Emile Durkheim theory of egoistic, altruistic,
anomic and fatalistic suicide.

1. Introduction

2. Durkheim’s data to develop his suicide theory

3. Durkheim’s Theory of Suicide

4. Anomic Suicide
Rapid Disappearance of norms, previous norms become invalid,
individual feels alienated and with no motivation
Statement: no integration of individual and society
Example: skill becomes useless in industry, cultural values
changing with globalization

5. Altruistic Suicide
Excessive regulations of individuals by social forces
Example: sati in Hinduism, Japanese work ethics

6. Egoistic Suicide
Detachment due to weakening of bonds
Example: unmarried, financial loss (one might only have imp.
Because of wealth)

7. Fatalistic Suicide
Extreme social regulation
Example: students to purse career, overworked middle class

8. Conclusion
Marx and Weber theorized that modern society alienated people. How do their
approaches contrast each other and how their concepts of alienation can be
compared with Durkheim’s concept of anomie?

1. Introduction

2. Context of the theories

Industrial Revolution

3. Karl Marx’s theory of alienation

i. From Product of Labor
ii. From act of production
iii. From the essence of specie
iv. From other workers

4. Weber’s theory of alienation: Contrast with Marx

i. Rationalization of production
Man’s engagement become less socially significant
ii. Dominance in organizations
Personal desires are left behind, power and dominance is exerted
iii. Views on Socialism
Socialism creates more rationalization & bureaucratic, more alienation
iv. Future: no escape
Bureaucracy and its rationalization is inevitable, the iron cage

5. Durkheim’s Theory of suicide: Anomie

6. Comparing Durkheim with Marx and Weber

i. Importance of norms
Not in Marx and weber
ii. Importance of essence of specie
iii. May or may not be economic
iv. Exploitation: not the primary cause for Durkheim
v. Dynamics of Cultures: role of globalization

7. Conclusion
Max Weber used the term Verstehen for better understanding of social actions.
Explain the significance of the concept by discussing two examples from social
life

1. Introduction
2. Context of Verstehen: Social Action

3. Concept of Verstehen: Contextual Meaning

To understand the subjective meaning linked to a social action

4. Types of Verstehen
i. Aktulles
Direct observational understanding
ii. Eklandes
To understand the motive behind the action
5. Types of Social Actions based on the concept of Verstehen
i. Rational
ii. Evaluation
iii. Affective
iv. Traditional

6. Importance of Verstehen: Case Studies

i. Use in organizational management
Case study: Google
Ran tests on 700 employees by giving them various services. Senior staff worked
with them to better understand the conditions and problems of those
underneath. Helped to boost productivity and create better work environment.
ii. Understanding social change with Individual actors
w.r.t. Individual
Case study: Police in Denmark
Police put itself with criminals and offenders to better understand the motives
behind the crimes and also understand how they think. This not only helped to
solve cases but also address the grievances that led to committing crimes in the
first place. Helped to reduce crime by a large extent and Denmark rose to 4 th
position as world’s safest countries.

7. Conclusion
August Comte gives three evolutionary dimensions of society; Theologian,
Metaphysic and positivistic. Explain each step with cogent examples.

i. Introduction

ii. Context of August Comte

iii. Theological State

Dominance of religion
Comte disapproved of this, had little reason and rationality
Examples:
a. Malaria thought as curse of God
b. AIDS/HIV seen as a curse of God
c. Thunder as wrath of God
iv. Metaphysical State
Transition phase towards reason
Comte: least important but necessary
Examples:
a. those near fire did not suffer from malaria
b. AIDS/HIV more common in homosexual men
c. Thunder less observed in thin layers of clouds
v. Positivistic Stage
Discovering actual laws of phenomenon
Comte: it will solve problems and ensure peace
Examples:
a. Malaria caused by mosquitoes
b. HIV origin from other species and its sexual spread.
c. Thunder from charge build in dense clouds

vi. Importance of Comte’s works

i. Established a hierarchy of sciences
Math  Astronomy PhysicsChemistry Biology Sociology
Sociology is not superior but binds all
ii. Sociology as an applied science
Sociology to solve problems of the society, not just a theoretical field

vii. Conclusion
Ibn-e-Khaldun but not August Comte is the founder of Sociology? Make your argument in
favor or against this thought with logic and examples from the historical development of
sociology.

1. Introduction
2. Point of Argument: Ibn-e-Khaldun as the founder of sociology
3. Context of Ibn-e-Khaldun and August Comte

4. Overview of August Comte’s work

i. Theological State
ii. Metaphysical State
iii. Positivistic Stage

5. Overview of Ibn-e-Khaldun’s work: Theory of Assabiyah

i. Stage 1: Establishment of State
ii. Stage 2: Power Sharing
iii. Stage 3: Start of downfall
iv. Stage 4: Leisure and luxury
v. Stage 5: State at decline
vi. Stage 6: Assabiyah destroyed

6. Arguments for Ibn-e-Khaldun being the founder of sociology

“I wanted to show that long before not only Auguste Comte, but also Vico, whom the Italians
wanted forcibly to consider as the first European sociologist, a pious Muslim studied with
perspicacity the social phenomena, and expressed profound ideas on this subject. What he
wrote is what we term today as ‘Sociology’” - Gumplowicz
i. Comte’s ideas were limited to progress of human mind
Khaldun used it to show rise and fall of states e.g. Roman Empire
ii. Ibn-e-Khaldun did not excessively depend upon materialism
Comte’s positivist view was highly materialistic
iii. Ibn-e-Khaldun defined the development as cyclic process
Comte defined a unidirectional advancement: reason with peace. However, Scientific
development and rationality has created more chaos e.g. WW1 &2
The world has been more cyclic than unidirectional
iv. Comte emphasized on the advancement based on natural character
v. Terminology of Sociology
Ibn-e-Khaldun termed his work ‘ilm-al-umran’: Science of human social organization. Comte
used the term Sociology but Khaldun had already used the term in a different language
vi. Comte’s works originality is challenged
Inspired by Hegel and arguments relying on science, Comte had little contribution in the latter
and scientific development was also little to look upto

7. Conclusion