The department of Sociology was established in 1994 with the objective of offering Honours-level courses to the undergraduate students of Burdwan Raj College. It was the pioneering department in the entire of South Bengal to offer such a course under the University of Burdwan. The department played a major role in the region in applying the pedagogical model of using and nurturing the discipline of Sociology for teaching and research endeavours. The department, therefore, could create a legacy of its own within a short period of time.

The introduction of Sociology at the UG level at Burdwan Raj College took place at a time when there were global experiments with innovative and need-based curricula in social sciences particularly. The globalization of disciplinary discourses brought forward new ideas and practices related to sociological thought, theory, methods, and issues, and as a corollary, Burdwan Raj College became the first academic institution in the state of West Bengal to introduce new concepts, ideas, and practices. The syllabus that was offered to our students reflected more on global developments in the field of sociology while at the same time stressing more on indigenous knowledge, experiences, and issues of concern for the whole society. The curricula thereby allowed the students not only to expand their knowledge base as per the global standard but also to develop and nourish their personal thoughts and values in framing answers to the questions. The curriculum also permitted the students to conduct field visits to carry out extension outreach programmes for the benefit of society at large. At the same time, the practice allowed them to gain methodological insights while applying theoretical knowledge to conducting field-based research.

The experience of Burdwan Raj College was soon replicated while introducing the discipline of sociology to many other colleges in the region. The students who benefited from such experiments could also become torchbearers in their academic lives later.

Today, as an integral part of this prestigious institution, the department of sociology not only hopes to impart academic knowledge to the students but also tries to develop a sense of empathy towards society and thereafter prepare them to apply those qualities to serve society with the help of their versatile knowledge. The department also imparts certain basic knowledge in statistics, enabling the students to compete in the job market.

Our Mission:

• To know the importance, scope, and utility of Sociology.
• To impart knowledge of social science as a basic objective of education.
• To enhance capacity of students to comprehend social systems.
• To expose students to diverse interpretations about social life and systems from a comparative point of view.
• To prepare students as enlightened global citizens so as to assert their independent views on social and critical issues.
• To prepare students to contribute to the well-being of people and participate in the wider goal of nation-building.

Our Vision:

• To encourage students to aim for higher academics and research work.
• To impart basic knowledge about human society, its institutions, social structure and changes, major issues, and value structure. Along with general conceptual analysis, it introduces India-centric knowledge to the students. It also trains students on the theoretical and methodological issues of the discipline while at the same time introducing certain practical training skills like project report writing, conducting field research, and tabulating and analysing field data.
• As a versatile subject, the department helps the students choose from a variety of higher and professional fields of education, like Social Work, Rural Management, Media Studies, Social Anthropology, Counselling and Guidance apart from the basic discipline of Sociology.
• The department arranges the extension outreach programmes and fieldwork-based dissertations. It helps the students apply the knowledge related to research methodology in field situations, gain first-hand knowledge about social life, and use such expertise to conduct research in later academic life and also to apply for jobs in government and non-government organisations.
• The department develops a learning aptitude among the students so that they are ready to comprehend their lessons while participating in different social programmes and publishing their thoughts in the wall magazines.

• It offers a cosy environment for learning and sharing knowledge.
• It offers soft and hard copies of reading materials to the students.
• The corpus of vast reading materials preserved in the Seminar Library, maintained by the teachers, creates a convenient environment to read and learn.
• Motivates students for significant social contribution through practicum.
• Enable students to take part in extra-curricular activities, including Extension Outreach activities.
• Trains students with first-hand knowledge to conduct field research and write reports.
• Offers students an alternative online platform of communication with teachers and peers through social media.
• Guidance for career prospect.
• Provides a publicity platform for the students about their activities and performances through social media platforms like Facebook.

• Continuous and regular evaluation of students
• Innovation in teaching-learning programme
• Counselling and remedial coaching for the students
• Provide soft copies of reading materials to students apart from library resources
• Expose students to gain field experience through methodological exercises
• Train students to write field reports and dissertation papers so as to prepare them for future research endeavours
• The department has gained a reputation for seriously preparing students for academic and professional life.

This department has held the unique distinction of producing university rank holders uninterruptedly ever since its inception. A high percentage of our students get placement through SSC, MSC, NET, SET, and other establishments, both in the private and public sectors. Most of the rank holders at the University of Burdwan, both at the UG and PG levels, hail from this department. Our teachers have published papers in peer-reviewed journals, including edited volumes, got a UGC Minor Research Project, and were involved in UNICEF-sponsored project work.