Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Ajmer

RAJASTHAN STATE AND SUBORDINATE SERVICES

COMBINED COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION

SYLLABI OF THE PAPER/SUBJECTS PRESCRIBED FOR

THE MAIN EXAMINATION

OPTIONAL SUBJECT

ANTHROPOLOGY PAPER-I (Code No. 31)

1. Meaning, nature and scope of Anthropology.

2. Main branches of Anthropology and relationship of Anthropology
with other sciences.
3. Human Evolution, Emergence of Man and Variation.
a) Foundation of the theory of organic evolution : Lamarckism, Neo-
Lamarckism, Darwinism and Synthetic theory.
b) Human Evolution : Biological, Social and Cultural Dimensions.
c) The Order Primate : Its evolutionary tendencies (i.e.
characteristics), classification and distribution. A comparative
study of primates with special reference to the anthropological
aspects of man.
d) Fossil evidence for human evolution: Dryopethecus, Ramapithecus
Australopithrecines, Homo erectus, Pithecanthropines, Homo-
sapiens, Noanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.
e) Genetics: Definition : The Mendelian principles and their
application to human populations.
f) Human Variation : Racial differentiation of man and bases of racial
classification-morphological, serological and genetic. Role of
heredity and environment in the formation of races.
4. Cultural Evolution- broad outlines of pre-historic cultures:
a) Palacolithic
b) Mesolithic
c) Neolithic
d) Chalcolithic
e) Copper-Bronze age
f) Iron age
5.
a) Family-Definition and typology of family, household and domestic
groups. Basic structure and functions; stability and changes in
family. Typological and processual approaches to the study of
family. Impact of urbanization, industrialization, education and
feminist movements. Universality of family - a critique.
 b) Marriage - Definition, types and variation of marriage systems.
Debates on the universal definition of marriage. Regulation of
marriage-preferential, prescriptive, proscriptive and open systems.
Types and form of marriage, Dowry, bride-price pestation and
marriage stability.
c) Concept of kinship ; Definition of kin, incest prohibition, exogamy
and endogamy. Principles of descent-types and functions. Political
and jural aspects of kinship. Unilineal, bilateral and double descent.
Descent, filiation and complementary filiaion, Kinship
terminology, Typology and approaches to the study of
terminology. Alliance and Descent.
6.
a) Concept of culture, patterns of culture, relationships between
culture and civilization and society.
b) Concept of Society, Social Change and Cultural Change.
c) Social structure and social organization, groups, community. Social
stratification: Principles and form, status, class and power, gender.
Nature and types of mobility.
d) Approaches to the study of culture and society-classical
evolutionism, neo-evolutionism, culture ecology, historical
particularism and diffusionism, structural-functionalism, culture
and personality, transactionalism, symbolism, congnitive approach
and new etinography, post structuralism and post-modernism.
7. Definitions and functions of religion. Anthropological approaches to
the study of religion-evolutionary, psychological and functional.
Magic, witchcraft and sorcery: definition functions and functionaries:
priest, saman, medicine man and sorcerers. Symbolism in religion and
rituals. Ethnomedicine. Myths and Rituals definition and approaches
to their study-structural, functional and processual relation with
economic and political structure.
8.
a) Meaning, scope and relevance, principles governing production,
distribution and consumption in communities subsisting on
hunting- gathering, floating, pastoralism, horticulture and other
economic pursuits. Fomalist and substantivist : debate-Dalton,
Karlpolyanny and Marxian approach and New Economic
Anthropology. Exchange gifts, barter, trade, ceremonial exchange
and market economy.
b) Theoretical foundations. Types of political organizations-bank,
tribe, chiefdom, state, concept of power, authority and legitimacy.
Social control, law and justice in tribal and peasant societies.

9. Concepts of development: Anthropological perspective. Models of

development. Critiques of classical development theories. Concepts of
planning and planned development. Concept of panicipaiory
 development. Culture ecology and sustainable development.
Displacement and rehabilitation.
10. Concept of research in anthropology, subjectivity and reflexivity in
terms of gender, class, ideology and ethics. Distinction between
methodology, methods and techniques. Nature and explanation in
anthropological research. Positivistic and non-positivistic approaches.
Comparative methods: nature, purpose and methods of comparison in
social and cultural anthropology, Basic techniques of data collection.
Interview, participant and other forms of observation, schedules,
questionnaire, case-study methods, extended case-study methods, life
histories and secondary sources, oral history, genealogical methods,
Participatory Learning and Assessment (PLA). Participatory Rapid
Assessment (PRA). Analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.

ANTHROPOLOGY PAPER-II (Code No. 31)

1. Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization - Prehistoric

(Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic), Protohistoric (Indus
Civilization). Vedic and post- Vedic beginnings. Contributions of the
tribal cultures.
2. Demographic profile of India-Ethnic and linguistic elements in the
Indian population and their distribution. Indian population, factors
influencing its structure and growth.
3. Critical understanding of the basic concepts and approaches to the
study of Indian Civilization : Little tradition and great tradition;
Universalization and Parochialization: Sanskitization, Westernization,
Tribe-cast continuum. Ethnosociological and traditional Indian
cosmocentric perspective.
4. The basic structure and nature of traditional Indian social system- a
critique. Varnashram, Purushartha, Karma, Rina and Rebirth. Theories
of the origin of caste system, Jajmani system. Structural bases of
inequality in traditional Indian society. Impact of Buddhism, Jainism,
Islam and Christianity on India society.
5.
a) Approaches to the study of Indian society and culture -
traditional contemporary.
b) Aspects of Indian village- Social organizations of
agricultural, impact of market economy on Indian villages.
c) Linguistic and religious minorities-social, political and
economic status.
6. Ethnographic profiles of Indian tribes : demographic, racial, linguistic,
economic and social-organizations dimensions.
7. Development of forest policy and tribals, impact of urbanization and
industrialization or tribal and rural populations.
8. Problems of tribal peoples : land-alienation, bonded labour,
indebtedness; shifting cultivation; irrigation; forest and tribal
unemployment; agricultural labour, tribal revolts, minor tribes.
Different approaches and measures adopted to solve tribal problems
including constitutional provisions. Development projects, tribal
displacement and problems of rehabilitation.
9. Problems of exploitation and deprivation of Scheduled
Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Constitutional
safeguards for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Social change
and contemporary Scheduled Castes: Impact of modern democratic
institution, development programs and welfare measures on Scheduled
Castes and weaker sections. Emergence of Ethnicity, dalit and trial
movements and quest for identity.
10. Social change among the dalits and tribes during colonial and post-
independence India.
Impact of Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and other religions on dalit
and tribal societies.
11. d
a) History of administration of tribal areas, tribal policies, plans,
programs of tribal development and their implementation. Role of
N.G.Os.
b) Role of anthropology in the development of Scheduled Castes,
dalits and tribals.
c) Contributions of anthropology to the understanding or regionalism,
communalism and ethnic and political movements.

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