ISC Class 12 Syllabus 2028 Sociology

ISC
INDIAN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION

YEAR 2028

SOCIOLOGY
(854)

Developed by:
Research, Development and Curriculum Division (RDCD)
CISCE

January 2026
____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

CLASS XII
There will be two papers in the subject:
Paper I - Theory: 3 hours ……70 marks
Paper II- Practical Work ……30 marks

PAPER I (THEORY) : 70 MARKS
1. Social Institutions
(i) Definition and features of Social Institutions.
Self-explanatory.
(ii) Types of Social Institutions: Kinship, Marriage and Family
Kinship: Meaning of kinship, Types of kinship: consanguineous and affinal kinship – discuss features
in detail. Degree of kinship (primary, secondary, tertiary)- discuss in detail; descent- features and
types (matrilineal, patrilineal and bi-lateral); types of residence (matrilocal, patrilocal and
avunculocal)- definitions only; Kinship usages- definitions and reasons for each usage along with
examples: avoidance, joking relationship, teknonymy, avunculate, amitate, couvade; descriptive and
classificatory kinship terms - definitions, features and differences to be explained along with
examples.
Marriage: definition and functions.
Definition, features, merits, demerits, functions of the following:
• Rules of marriage: exogamy (clan, gotra, pravara, village and sapinda) and endogamy (caste,
sub-caste, varna and tribe), cousin marriage-cross and parallel cousin, levirate, sororate,
hypergamy and hypogamy.
• Forms of marriage: polygamy (polyandry and polygyny), monogamy.
Family: definition and features (MacIver’s features); Functions of family to be discussed explaining
the reasons for its universal existence.
Types of family: definition and features of each of the following- consanguineous and conjugal family
(family of origin and procreation), matriarchal and patriarchal family nuclear and joint families.
Comparison between consanguineal and conjugal, matriarchal and patriarchal, nuclear and joint.
Structural changes (disintegration of the joint family), functional changes in detail; Factors
responsible for the changes. Small family norm meaning and features and merits of this concept.

2. Religion and Society
(i) Definition and concepts of religion and science; beliefs, rituals, superstitions, taboo.
Differences and similarities between religion and science.
Beliefs, rituals, superstitions, taboo- Definition of each along with relevance/functions to be explained
with the help of examples.
(ii) Theories of religion: animism, naturism, totemism, functional theories.
A brief discussion of animism (Tylor’s theory), naturism (Max Mueller’s theory), totemism; functional
theories (Malinowski, Radcliffe Brown and Durkhiem).
(iii) Functions and dysfunctions of religion.
A brief discussion on the positive functions impact or functions and dysfunctions of religion.
(iv) Morality and social control.
Definition of morality and social control; relation between religion, morality and social control,
moral code, religious code.

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3. Political Organization
Political Organization and its role in bringing about change in society.
Definition of political organization; definition of Panchayati Raj, features of the 73rd Constitution
Amendment Act, Role of the Bal Panchayats; discuss the role of the Act in empowerment of women in
detail. Role of the Bal Panchayats in the empowerment of children.

4. Economic Organisation
(i) Economic Organisation.
Definition of economic organization, economic and free goods.
(ii) Economies of Indian tribes: food gathering, agriculture, shifting axe cultivation, handicrafts,
pastoralism, industrial labour and tribal industries.
Economies of Indian tribes (a description of each economy with examples): (i) Food gathering; (ii)
agriculture: (iii) shifting axe cultivation; features and terms used by different tribes (jhum-Naga tribe,
dahi and koman- Bhuiya tribe, penda-Maria tribe, podu-Khond tribe and bewar-Baiga tribe),
criticism of this type of cultivation resulting in it being banned by the government; (iv) handicraft
making; (v) pastoralism; (vi) industrial labour and tribal industries- migration of large numbers of
Santhal, Kond and Gond to tea gardens in the north east; large resources of coal, iron and steel in
Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; examples of Santhal, Ho in pick-mining, coal-cutting, the mica
and the iron & steel industry.
Promotion of tribal industries to promote their handicrafts, material culture and assist with sales of
their agricultural products by organizations such as TRIFED and others.
(iii) Agrarian Economy, Jajmani system and MGNREGA Act-2005 (features of each one in detail).
Agrarian Economy: features of land relations between – Land owner, tenant, share cropper.
Jajmani system: Relationship between the jajman and kamin in this system of caste-based occupations
and exchange of services - features, merits and demerits of the system.
A brief understanding of MGNREGA Act-2005 as a programme of rural employment with focus on
features and its implications.
(iv) Traditional Markets.
To be discussed with respect to features and sociological importance of Weekly markets, barter
exchange- definition only.

5. Tribal India - Past, Present and Future
(i) Definition of tribe, features.
Definition of tribe, features (unity and self-sufficiency, clan and family, common totemic ancestor,
territory, occupation, endogamy, dormitories, language, common culture, common name, common
religion, political organization and territory).
(ii) Dormitories in Tribal India
Definition; origin of dormitories; features and functions; culture contact and its impact on
dormitories.
(iii) Present conditions, problems and solutions.
Economic, political (causes to be discussed along with the following concepts-regionalism and
separatism), social and cultural conditions and problems.
Discuss briefly the following policies of the Government of India for upliftment of the Indian tribes:
Tribal Panchsheel, important constitutional safeguards: important Committees and Commissions:
Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commission, Backward Classes Commission; Special Central Assistance;
Economic programmes and facilities: Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP); Large
Sized Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS); 20 Point Programme; Programme for
encouragement in crafts, home industries and agriculture; Educational policies.

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6. Social Stratification
(i) Social stratification: the elements.
Definition of social stratification, inequality and difference; features of social stratification.
Class: The class system: its nature, development, types of classes.
Discuss briefly the growth, nature of the different classes (lower, middle, upper).
(ii) Caste: The caste system: concept (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra), caste origin, caste and
class comparison, its features.
Definition; Theory of Divine Origin/ The Traditional Theory; characteristics of caste, merits and
demerits of caste.
Comparison between caste and class.
Social mobility - brahminisation, sanskritisation and westernization - definitions only.
(iii) Gender: Difference between sex and gender, patriarchal ideology and the status of women in
independent India.
Difference between sex and gender, gender bias and its consequences for both men and women and
others – at the workplace, property rights and family status.
Gender issues: female infanticide, female foeticide, dowry, sati, child marriage, domestic violence,
rape, widowhood, sexual harassment and women as perpetrators of violence.

7. Social Change and Development
(i) Social change and Development
Definition of Social Change and development – features and sources of social change.
(ii) Aspects of Development
Industrialization, urbanization, modernization, globalization and sustainable development -
definitions only.
The relationship between social change and development (with respect to the above aspects of
development with special focus on sustainable development, ecological and environment issues for
improving quality of life for the present and future).
(iii) Social Movements:
Meaning, causes and their role in society.
(iv) Role of Education in creating Social change.
Meaning and functions of education. Emphasize the role of education in creating social change. Role
of Right to Education (RTE), its features and its implications to be discussed briefly.
(v) Role of Mass Media in creating Social change
Role of Mass Media (Print, electronic, audio-visual; positive and negative aspects of mass media).
Understanding each of the above forms of mass media and their role in creating social change; The
Right to Information (RTI)- features and importance.

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PAPER II (PROJECT WORK) :30 MARKS
To do justice to the basic structural principles and theoretical orientation of the discipline, empirical and
ethnographic substantiation is essential. In keeping with the significance of doing practical work and gaining
a hands-on understanding of various social issues, candidates are expected to undertake two studies. Topics
for the studies should be chosen from within the overall syllabus as there is ample scope for diversity.
Candidates will be expected to have completed two studies from any chapter covered in Theory. Assessment
for each study will be as detailed below:
The practical work will be assessed by the teacher and a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and
approved by CISCE.
Mark allocation per study [15 marks] will be as follows:
1 Evaluation by the teacher 5 Marks
2 Evaluation by the Visiting Examiner 10 Marks

Evaluation by the Teacher:
S. No. Assessment objective Criteria Marks
1. Process Candidates should be able to: 1
Identify the topic.
Plan and detail a research project.
Select and use appropriate research methods.
2. Understanding, application of Candidates should be able to: 2
knowledge and Analysis Explain issues and themes clearly and in context.
Interpret, analyse and evaluate critically a range
of evidence to present reasoned, substantiated
arguments/ statements.
3. Presentation Overall format, referencing (footnotes &/or 2
bibliography), within word limit of 2000 words,
title page, header/footer, etc.
TOTAL 05

Evaluation by Visiting Examiner:
S. Assessment objective Criteria Marks
No.
1. Choice of Technique/ Overall format, referencing (footnotes &/or 4
Detailed procedure & bibliography), title page, header/footer, etc.
Presentation
2. Analysis and evaluation Candidates should be able to: 3
Interpret, analyze and evaluate critically a range of
evidence to present reasoned, substantiated
arguments/statement.
3. Viva Range of questions based on the project only. 3
TOTAL 10

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List of suggested studies for Project Work:
1. Different types of kinship systems (patriarchal/matriarchal with examples as the base of discussion).
2. Different marriage customs in India (comparisons can also be done).
3. Changing nature of the Indian family.
4. Religion and Society (focus can be on the biography of a world religion).
5. The problem of Communalism in India.
6. Traditional economies and the barter system.
7. Consumerism and modernization.
8. The status of women in traditional society.
9. The changing status of women in India.
10. Women Leaders.
11. The role of Education in creating social change.
12. Media and modernization.
13. The internet as a substitute for family and school.
14. Globalisation and its impact on the individual and society.
15. Social Movements (focus on the biography of a movement that is based on the efforts of a
caste/tribe/women/religious group / class or connect two aspects, for example, the Narmada Bachao
Andolan is a tribal movement and has a woman as its leader in Medha Patkar).
16. Role of society in development and environment – (public awareness, education programmes, campaigns,
public participation in decision-making, etc. e.g. Chipko Movement, Appiko in Karnataka, Eco Clubs,
etc.)
17. Study a few noteworthy examples of sustainable development e.g.- Barefoot College in Tilonia, the work
of NGOs like DDS in Andhra Pradesh in promoting self-sustenance in rural communities through
developing seed banks, cultivation of millets and through promoting microfinance in the Grameen bank
model.
18. The policy of reservation in India or The Backward Class Movement.
19. The significance of the Mandal Commission.
20. The rising Middle Class in India.
21. The nature of protest in rural India (example Singur).
22. The Uttarakhand tragedy: natural or manmade disaster?
23. Superstitions and Taboos.
The studies chosen are primarily theoretically oriented and based on concepts learnt in the class. Because
these studies are theoretical, the methodology will be different and would be based on secondary data
collection and its analysis and interpretation. Broad suggestions about how to approach similar studies are
given below:
1. Changing nature of the Indian family (S. No. 3 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
Aim: To study the changing nature of the family in an urban setting.
Data: Students need to identify their sample and then gather their data by interviewing members from
five families. Members of different generations from each family should be interviewed.
The student needs to collect data with the help of a questionnaire and interviews. The questions can be
framed on the following:
− Description of the family structure (members, who does what in the family, the jobs outside, etc.)

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− How they see themselves – joint or nuclear in terms of family relatives, who all live together, or share
a kitchen or pool resources, etc.
− Seeking different family members opinion on whether they feel family life has changed. Nature of
changes that have taken places and what have caused the changes.
− Has the status of the women in the family has changed in the recent past.
− Whether the women in the family work?
− Relationship between the different members of the family.
Interpretation: Once students have gathered this information they can analyse whether the family they
have interviewed has changed over a period of time.
Students should examine:
− whether the respondents’ perception of the nature of the family matches with what the student has
learnt in class.
− analyse what are the reasons for change in the nature of the family, if any.
For instance:
(i) whether migration has caused the family to change.
(ii) occupational changes and shift in residence has caused changes.
(iii) the education and working of the women of the family has created changes.
(iv) failure of the generations to cope with each other has led to changes.
(v) constraint of space has caused the changes.
Conclusion: Students should also do a minor statistical analysis of:
− the types of families that they are able to identify into nuclear and joint
− make an approximation about what type of family is the trend in their sample.
− proceed to find out whether there are common factors in their sample that keep a family nuclear or
joint.
2. Consumerism and Modernization (S. No. 7 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
3. Media and Modernization (S. No. 12 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
4. Globalisation and its impact on the Individual and the Society (S. No. 14 - List of suggested
assignments for Practical Work)
These three topics are interrelated and yet can be looked at independently.
(The same aim, methodology and interpretation will apply for the above studies).
Aim: To discuss how the processes of modernization and globalisation have had an impact on society,
culture and the individual.
Data: Students need to interview members of a family from different generations (grandparents /parents
and grandchildren/children) by identifying a sample of families in their neighbourhood who could belong
to different economic backgrounds. Data should also be gathered from secondary sources such as the
newspaper, internet and magazine articles.
Students need to begin by first discussing the concepts of modernization and globalisation as learnt in
class. They should then proceed to gather information on consumerism, media and the changes in a society
as a result of the process of globalisation.
Students need to ask these respondents:
− Nature of their lifestyle
− Patterns of expenditure
− How they use their leisure time

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− Students should then ask how this is different from the earlier times so that they get a sense of the
change in the lifestyle
− How their daily life has changed with modernization
− What is the nature of the change
− Ask respondents what role the media has played in bringing about change and adaptation
− Ask about the role of the market in influencing consumption
− How their consumption patterns have changed
− How their thinking has changed and what are their political leanings
− Whether these are positive or negative changes
Sociological interpretation: Students need to do a simple analysis of the patterns of change and the
reasons for the change.
They should also see if there is a common pattern in the classes of this change.
They should try and compare the changes between classes and understand if factors such as:
− education
− income
− family background
− religion etc., play a role in the changing life following modernization and globalisation.
5. Internet as a substitute for the Family and School (S. No. 13 - List of suggested assignments for
Practical Work)
This topic is self-evident and requires a critical analysis of the positive and negative impact of the internet.
Given the amount of time the youth spend on the internet, it would be interesting to let the students engage
in an auto-biographical critical analysis of the topic.
The analyses could be presented as a debate of ideas, supported by interviews with family members,
parents, teachers and peers.
6. Social Movements (S. No. 15 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
Aim: This topic requires students to discuss what social movements are and the ideology behind them,
supported by a case study of a social movement.
Data: The data would have to be gathered from secondary sources such as the Internet, magazines and
newspaper archives.
Students should choose a particular movement from what they are taught. For instance, they can look at
the Dalit Movements, tribal movements, environment movements, the Maoist insurgency, anti-price rise
agitations, Chipko/Narmada Bachao, etc. Having done so, they can choose to present a case study of a
significant contemporary social movement either in the rural or the urban context.
Interpretation: Students need to present the:
− History
− Purpose &
− Achievements
They also need to present the community and individual significance of the movement.
Students should also be able to trace out the role of a pivotal figure in the movement. For instance, the
role of Ambedkar in the Dalit Movement or the role of women in the Chipko movement, Medha Patkar in
the Narmada Movement.
7. Changing status of women in India (S. No. 9 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)

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8. Women Leaders (S. No. 10 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
Aim: These two topics are meant to understand whether the position of women has changed in society.
Data: For both the topics, students would be required to take up specific areas where women participate.
For instance, the role of women in the economy or women in education or women in the public arena can
be looked at.
For topic 9 (Changing status of women in India): Students can interview women in these areas and ask
questions such as:
− how their lives have changed socially and economically
− how their status has changed
− how education has changed their lives
− what they see as symbols of this change
Students should also have a summary of the Government’s legislations/bills on women, as this will help
analyse how successful the Government’s efforts have been at emancipating women.
A comparison between the past and present can also be done by the students.
For topic 10 (Women Leaders): After following the above aim and data, students should take up the life
of a woman leader from any time frame and present a biographical sketch supported by photographs.
They can also take up the life of two women from two different time periods and compare the changes
that have taken place.
Case studies of women in different arenas, across cultures/religions can be presented.
9. The rising Middle Class in India (S. No. 20 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
Aim: To study the rise of the middle class and its changing lifestyle, consumption habits and mindset.
Data: Students will have to gather data by interviewing middle class family members in their
neighbourhood. Students need to interview members of a family from different generations (grandparents
/parents and grandchildren/children).
They need to create a questionnaire for this where the kind of questions asked should be:
− About family background (age /religion, etc.).
− Their history in the city (how long they have lived there /where they have come from/why they came,
etc.).
− Their past and present occupation.
− Income levels.
− Patterns of expenditure.
− What are the gadgets they use.
− The car they drive.
− How they use their leisure time.
− Their opinion on careers for their children.
− Where they go for holidays.
− What are their political leanings.
Students should then ask how this is different from the earlier times so that they get a sense of the change
in the lifestyle.
Sociological interpretation: A major focus of the questions asked would have to be on the changing
consumption patterns of the household. This would enable students to analyse not only changes in the
consumerism of the class but also understand how mobility is closely related to class.
Students should be asked to read about the changing role of the middle class through India’s history in the
political arena.

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GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS:
1. It must be emphasized that the process of doing the project is as important as the final project.
2. Once the project/projects are chosen, there should be a process of brainstorming to encourage students to
make out a draft/structure for the project before embarking on research.
3. During the brainstorming/discussion, the teacher should discuss the assessment criteria with the students.
4. The teacher should discuss the draft with the student with regard to the central question and the type of
sources to be used.
5. The students should be guided on doing the research and looking at different types of evidence.
6. Books and suitable reference material could be suggested by the teachers and made available to the
students.
7. Internet sites could be suggested, but care must be taken in selecting, using and citing these sites.
8. Students must be cautioned against plagiarism and be penalized for the same.
9. Marks must be awarded for content and originality and not for decorative elements and embellishments.
10. Projects must be the original work of the student.

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