Anthropology has been gaining ground as a preferred optional due to its high scoring potential, compact nature of Anthropology syllabus and easy understanding. If you are a serious aspirant considering anthropology as an optional, it is crucial that you understand the anthropology syllabus for UPSC well enough to make the right decision.
Here at Vishnu IAS, we provide a comprehensive analysis of Anthropology For UPSC so that students function with the clarity needed to navigate the course of optional preparation
For UPSC requires students to understand the subject well enough to apply it to analyzing matters of everyday relevance. Unlike other optionals which are dynamic and hence unpredictable in nature, the Anthropology Syllabus For UPSC is blessed with a more static nature which gives assured benefits if prepared well. This right preparation is easily done with the right guidance and selected, specified material for each topic. This gives the aspirant the opportunity to not only secure 300+ for optional but perform well in other papers that have overlap with the anthropology syllabus for UPSC.
Complete syllabus guide :
Anthropology Paper - 1
1.1 Meaning, scope and development of Anthropology.
1.2 Relationships with other disciplines: Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Humanities.
1.3 Main branches of Anthropology, their scope, and relevance:
- Social-cultural
- Biological
- Archaeological
- Linguistic
1.4 Human Evolution and the emergence of Man:
- Biological and Cultural factors in human
- Theories of Organic Evolution (Pre- Darwinian, Darwinian and Post-Darwinian).
- Synthetic theory of evolution; Brief outline of terms and concepts of evolutionary biology (Doll’s rule, Cope’s rule, Gause’s rule, parallelism, convergence, adaptive radiation, and mosaic evolution)
1.5 Characteristics of Primates; Evolutionary Trend and Primate Taxonomy; Primate Adaptations; (Arboreal and Terrestrial) Primate Taxonomy; Primate Behaviour; Tertiary and Quaternary fossil primates; Living Major Primates; Comparative Anatomy of Man and Apes; Skeletal changes due to erect posture and its implications
1.6 Phylogenetic status, characteristics and geographical distribution of the following:
- Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences, and
- Homo erectus: Africa (Paranthropus), Europe (Homo erectus heidelbergensis), Asia (Homo erectus javanicus, Homo erectus pekinensis).
- Neanderthal Man- La-Chapelle-aux-saints (Classical type), Carmel (Progressive type).
- Rhodesian man.
- Homo sapiens — Cromagnon, Grimaldi, and Chancelede
1.7 The biological basis of life: The Cell, DNA structure and replication, Protein Synthesis, Gene, Mutation, Chromosomes, and Cell
- Principles of Prehistoric Chronology: Relative and Absolute Dating methods.
- Cultural Evolution- Broad Outlines of Prehistoric cultures:
- Paleolithic
- Mesolithic
- Neolithic
- Chalcolithic
- Copper-Bronze Age
- Iron Age
2.1 The Nature of Culture: The concept and characteristics of culture and civilization; Ethnocentrism vis-à-vis cultural Relativism.
2.2 The Nature of Society: Concept of Society; Society and Culture; Social Institutions; Social groups; and Social stratification.
2.3 Marriage: Definition and universality; Laws of marriage (endogamy, exogamy, hypergamy, hypogamy, incest taboo); Types of marriage (monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, group marriage). Functions of marriage; Marriage regulations (preferential, prescriptive and proscriptive); Marriage payments (bridewealth and dowry).
2.4 Family: Definition and universality; Family, household and domestic groups; functions of family; Types of family (from the perspectives of structure, blood relation, marriage, residence, and succession); Impact of urbanization, industrialization and feminist movements on family.
2.5 Kinship: Consanguinity and Affinity; Principles and types of descent (Unilineal, Double, Bilateral, Ambilineal); Forms of descent groups (lineage, clan, phratry, moiety and kindred); Kinship terminology (descriptive and classificatory); Descent, Filiation, and Complimentary Filiation; Descent and Alliance.
- Economic organization: Meaning, scope and relevance of economic anthropology; Formalist and Substantivist debate; Principles governing the production, distribution, and exchange (reciprocity, redistribution, and market), in communities, subsisting on hunting and gathering, fishing, swiddening, pastoralism, horticulture, and agriculture; globalization and indigenous economic systems.
- Political organization and Social Control: Band, tribe, chiefdom, kingdom and state; concepts of power, authority, and legitimacy; social control, law, and justice in simple societies.
- Religion: Anthropological approaches to the study of religion (evolutionary, psychological and functional); monotheism and polytheism; sacred and profane; myths and rituals; forms of religion in tribal and peasant societies (animism, animatism, fetishism, naturism, and totemism); religion, magic and science distinguished; magic- religious functionaries (priest, shaman, medicine man, sorcerer, and witch).
Anthropological theories:
- Classical evolutionism (Tylor, Morgan, and Frazer)
- Historical particularism (Boas); Diffusionism (British, German and American)
- Functionalism (Malinowski); Structural- functionalism (Radcliffe-Brown)
- Structuralism (L’evi – Strauss and E. Leach)
- Culture and personality (Benedict, Mead, Linton, Kardiner, and Cora – du Bois).
- Neo – evolutionism (Childe, White, Steward, Sahlins, and Service)
- Cultural materialism (Harris)
- Symbolic and interpretive theories (Turner, Schneider, and Geertz)
- Cognitive theories (Tyler, Conklin)
- Postmodernism in anthropology
- Culture, language, and communication: Nature, origin, and characteristics of language; verbal and non-verbal communication; social context of language use.
- Research methods in anthropology:
- Fieldwork tradition in anthropology
- Distinction between technique, method, and methodology
- Tools of data collection: observation, interview, schedules, questionnaire, Case study, genealogy, life history, oral history, secondary sources of information, participatory methods.
- Analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data.
9.1 Human Genetics – Methods and Application: Methods for the study of genetic principles in the man-family study (pedigree analysis, twin study, foster child, co-twin method, cytogenetic method, chromosomal and karyotype analysis), biochemical methods, immunological methods, D.N.A. technology, and recombinant technologies.
9.2 Mendelian genetics in the man-family study, single factor, multifactor, lethal, sub-lethal and polygenic inheritance in man.
9.3 Concept of genetic polymorphism and selection, Mendelian population, Hardy-Weinberg law; causes and changes which bring down frequency – mutation, isolation, migration, selection, inbreeding and genetic drift. Consanguineous and non-consanguineous mating, genetic load, genetic effect of consanguineous and cousin marriages.
9.4 Chromosomes and chromosomal aberrations in man, methodology.
- Numerical and structural aberrations (disorders).
- Sex chromosomal aberrations – Klinefelter (XXY), Turner (XO), Super female (XXX), intersex and other syndromic disorders.
- Autosomal aberrations – Down syndrome, Patau, Edward and Cri-du-chat syndromes
- Genetic imprints in human disease, genetic screening, genetic counseling, human DNA profiling, gene mapping, and genome stud
Anthropology Paper - 2
1.1Evolution of the Indian Culture and Civilization
— Prehistoric (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Neolithic – Chalcolithic).
- Protohistoric (Indus Civilization): Pre- Harappan, Harappan and post- Harappan cultures.Contributions of tribal cultures to Indian civilization.
1.2Palaeo – anthropological evidence from India with special reference to Siwaliks and Narmada basin (Ramapithecus, Sivapithecus and Narmada Man).
1.3Ethno-archaeology in India: The concept of ethnoarchaeology; Survivals and Parallels among the hunting, foraging, fishing, pastoral and peasant communities including arts and crafts producing communities.
2. Demographic profile of India — Ethnic and linguistic elements in the Indian population and their distribution. Indian population – factors influencing its structure and growth.
3.1The structure and nature of the traditional Indian social system — Varnashram, Purushartha, Karma, Rina, and Rebirth.
3.2Caste system in India – Structure, and characteristics, Varna and caste, Theories of origin of the caste system, Dominant caste, Caste mobility, Future of caste system, Jajmani system, Tribe- caste continuum.
3.3Sacred Complex and Nature – Man- Spirit Complex.
3.4Impact of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Christianity on Indian society.
4. Emergence and growth of anthropology in India – Contributions of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Century scholar-administrators. Contributions of Indian anthropologists to tribal and caste studies.
5.1Indian Village: Significance of village study in India; Indian village as a social system; Traditional and changing patterns of settlement and inter-caste relations; Agrarian relations in Indian villages; Impact of globalization on Indian villages.
5.2Linguistic and religious minorities and their social, political and economic status.
5.3Indigenous and exogenous processes of socio- cultural change in Indian society: Sanskritization, Westernization, Modernization; Inter-play of little and great traditions; Panchayati raj and social change; Media and social change.
6.1Tribal situation in India – Bio-genetic variability, linguistic and socio-economic characteristics of tribal populations and their distribution.
6.2Problems of the tribal Communities — land alienation, poverty, indebtedness, low literacy, poor educational facilities, unemployment, underemployment, health, and nutrition.
6.3Developmental projects and their impact on tribal displacement and problems of rehabilitation. Development of forest policy and tribals. Impact of urbanization and industrialization on tribal populations.
7.1Problems of exploitation and deprivation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.
7.2Social change and contemporary tribal societies: Impact of modern democratic institutions, development programs and welfare measures on tribals and weaker sections.
7.3The concept of ethnicity; Ethnic conflicts and political developments; Unrest among tribal communities; Regionalism and demand for autonomy; Pseudo-tribalism; Social change among the tribes during colonial and post- Independent India.
8.1Impact of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other religions on tribal societies.
8.2Tribe and nation-state – a comparative study of tribal communities in India and other countries.
9.1History of administration of tribal areas, tribal policies, plans, programs of tribal development and their implementation.
The concept of PTGs (Primitive Tribal Groups), their distribution, special programs for their development. Role of N.G.O.s in tribal development.
9.2Role of anthropology in tribal and rural development.
9.3Contributions of anthropology to the understanding of regionalism, communalism, and ethnic and political movements.
Anthropology Syllabus :
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