Pros and Cons of Sociology as an Optional Subject

Sociology is one of the best optional subjects in the UPSC exams. Most aspirants take up this subject as an optional subject because of its relatively shorter syllabus and overlap with general studies papers. Sociology mainly deals with the study of human social relations. The subjective matter is diverse, ranging from family to state relations, crime to religion, social and radical changes in society, culture, social class, etc. 

Sociology is an exquisite field that requires a better understanding of concepts to score good marks, making sociology a high-scoring subject. Each year, numerous students opt for sociology and get good marks in sociology and other parts of GS papers based on social issues. The reason is very simple. You don’t need technical knowledge to score good marks. You need understanding and presentation even if you write in layman’s language. That’s why the importance of sociology as an optional subject in the UPSC exam is limitless. Sociology is a subject that all UPSC aspirants are supposed to understand as it deals with the study of society and gives in-depth and precise knowledge about our society. 

If you are a beginner, you can join a Sociology Optional Coaching. A coaching institute can help you in your preparation. The Thought Tree is one such institute that provides the best sociology coaching. They have expert faculty and also offer mentorship to their students.  

As future civil servants, all aspirants clearing the exam would eventually work for this society and its betterment and must possess the knowledge of sociology. Now, if we talk about the ongoing situation in the Indian Society, people are compelled to live under the hazard and fear of COVID-19. Here the study of sociology is also concerned and relevant and titled Sociology of Pandemic. 

Importance of Sociology as a Subject in India 

Indian culture and society are world-renowned and among the oldest societies globally. From Indus Valley Civilization to modern times, people have witnessed various changes. India is also a land of many ethnical and racial groups, making India the world’s most diverse civilization. 

People in India are more religion-oriented, and the caste system acts as a base of the political system. Religion and caste play a vital role even more than a party manifesto. But in the past few years, it has been observed that many changes in the political structure of Indian Society have transpired. Now people are focusing more on the economic development of the country. Sociology studies come in handy when dealing with analyzing the consequences and causes of certain changes in people’s lives brought by development.

India is a democratic country, and everyone knows that the real strength of a democracy lies within its people and their confederacy along with the state. Sociology is the only science that delivers a broader outlook to understand such relations among people and the country. Ultimately, all of these facts, factors and reasons are evident to clarify the importance of sociology as an optional subject in the UPSC exam. 

Pros and Cons of Sociology 

Pros: 

1. Sociology has a relatively shorter syllabus in comparison to other optional subjects 

2. With a comparatively short syllabus, sociology also overlaps with the General studies paper, making it a much more time-saving and important subject. 

3. For those from the humanities section, sociology is the best optional subject to choose. It does not mean students with a science background can’t opt for this subject one need a better understanding and presentation. 

4. Sociology can help you clear essay writing as one essay is always related to social issues in society every year. Hence, sociology can help you in writing a detailed essay. 

5. As you go deeper into the topics related to social matters, it gets more interesting to understand you can also keep your views while writing answers. 

Cons: 

1. Sociology is undoubtedly a good optional subject, but many believe that geography is a better optional subject as it is a very familiar subject to aspirants. Many students also find sociology a new subject to study, so they don’t try experimenting with new subjects. 

2. Sociology requires well-versed and familiarity with current affairs even more than what is required for General studies.

3. Writing answers is not that easy. You will need to understand concepts and relate your answers by providing suitable examples at specific parts of the answer. 

These were some pros and cons of selecting sociology as an optional subject. Despite the cons of selecting sociology as the optional subject, it is still considered the best optional subject to choose from the list. 

Now, if you are facing issues in studying sociology and turning yourself more towards the cons of selecting sociology, then you can join Sociology Optional Coaching at The Thought Tree. They have the best Sociology faculty. They also offer live-interactive classes, study material, answer writing practice, notes and many more things. 

Conclusion 

In the end, you must know your interests and previous knowledge levels before selecting an optional subject. All optional subjects are good unless you know how to strategize to understand that subject. You guys can also dig into optional subjects selected by IAS Toppers, and this will help you get a better idea of which subjects are best to choose and have high scoring potential. Until then, best of luck.

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