CSS Sociology is a 100-mark optional paper under Group VII of the CSS optional subjects — Social Sciences and Languages — the most searched social science subject across the entire CSS examination after Criminology. Group VII places Sociology alongside Arabic, Persian, Balochi, Pashto, Sindhi, Punjabi, Anthropology, Geography, Psychology, and Journalism and Mass Communication. FPSC sets the CSS Sociology syllabus to cover social theory, social institutions, culture and society, social stratification, sociological research methods, deviance, and the sociology of Pakistan — Horton and Hunt’s Sociology is the standard FPSC-recommended text. CSS aspirants from social sciences, humanities, and law backgrounds select Sociology for its overlap with Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and CSS Essay writing. Review the CSS optional subjects syllabus for combination rules and group requirements before confirming Sociology as your optional subject choice.
CSS Sociology Syllabus
SOCIOLOGY (100 MARKS)
I. General Sociology
- Individual: Sociability or the sociality of man.
- Culture: Meaning and Characteristics (Culture is variable, learnt, social, shared, transmissive, dynamic and adaptive), types (Material, Non-material), functions (transfer of knowledge, define situation, provide behaviour pattern, moulds personality) and elements of culture (norms, values, beliefs, sanctions, customs). Culture and Socialization; formal and non-formal socialization, transmission of culture, cultural relativism. Sub-cultures. Ethnocentrism and xenocentrism, Cultural lag, High culture and popular culture. Multiculturalism, assimilation, and acculturation.
- Society: Meaning and characteristics. Community; meaning and characteristics. Individual and society. Relationship between individual and society. Two main theories regarding the relationship of man and society (i) the social contact theory and (ii) the organismic theory. Social and cultural evolution of society (Hunting and Gathering Society, Herding and Advance Herding Society, Horticultural Society, Agrarian Society, Industrial Society, Post modern Society).
- Social Interaction: Caste and classes, Forms of social classes, Feudal system in Pakistan, Social Mobility-nature of social mobility and its determinants in Pakistani society, Culture of poverty.
- Social Control: Mechanisms of social control-formal and informal means of social control, Anomie, Alienation and social Integration-Means of social integration in Pakistani Society.
- Social and Cultural Change and Social Policy: Processes of Social and Cultural Change-discovery, Inhibitions to social and cultural change in Pakistan, Social planning and directed social and cultural change, Effect of Industrialization, Urbanization, Modernization and Modern Means of Communication on Social Change.
- Public Opinion: Formation of public opinion, concept of opinion leader, characteristics of opinion leadership.
- Community: The rural community, Traditional Characteristics of rural life, The urban community, Rural – Urban convergence, Urbanism, Future of cities in Pakistan.
- Social Institutions: The nature and genesis of institutions, The process of institutionalization, Functions of Social Institutions: Family, Religion, Education, Economy and Politics.
- Social Problems in Pakistan: High population growth rate, Rural–urban migration. Issues of technical/vocational training, Deviance and street crime, Unemployment, illiteracy and School drop out, Smuggling, Prostitution, Poverty, Drug Addiction, Child Labour and Abuse, Bonded Labour, Social customs and Traditions affecting Women in Pakistan, Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, Issues concerning the Elderly in Pakistan.
II. Sociological Theory
Three sociological perspectives: Structural Functionalism, Symbolic interactions and Conflict. Theorists: Ibn-i-Khaldun, Spencer, August Comte, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Parson.
III. Methods of Sociological Research
Scientific Method, Steps in research, Types of Questionnaire Research Design, Surveys, Observation and Case Studies.
SUGGESTED READINGS
| S.No. | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sociology: A down to earth approach | James M. Henslin |
| 2 | Methods of Social Research | Baily |
| 3 | Poverty Curtains | Dr. Mehboob-ul-haq |
| 4 | Contemporary Sociological Theories | Pitrim Sorokin |
| 5 | Master of Sociological Thought | Lewis A. Coser |
| 6 | Sociology | Ogburn & Nimkoff |
| 7 | Social Change and History | Robert Nisbet |
| 8 | Feudal System in Pakistan | Nawab Haider Naqvi |
| 9 | The Sociology of Rural Life | Lynn Smith, T. |
| 10 | Sociology-Social Structure and Social Conflict | Kerbo, Harold R. (1989) |
| 11 | Sociology: An Introduction to the Science of Society | Koening Samuel |
| 12 | Marriage and The Family | Lee, Alfred Mclung and Lee, Elizabeth Briant (1961) |
| 13 | The Design of Social Research | Ackoff, Russel, L. (Latest ed.) |
| 14 | An Introduction to the History of Sociology | Barnes, H.E. (Ed.) (1966) |
| 15 | Pakistani Society | Akbar Ahmad, S. |
| 16 | Contemporary Sociological Theories | Pitrim Sorokin |
| 17 | Sociology, 10th edition | John, J. Macionis (2004) |
| 18 | Research Methodology | Neuman, Lawrance (Rvs. Ed.) |
| 19 | Sociological Theory | Ritzer, Georg (1988) |
Sociology Frequency Analysis (2000–2025)
| Syllabus Topic | Number of Questions | Years Appeared | Percentage Weightage | Trend (High / Medium / Low / Dormant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. General Sociology | ||||
| 1. Individual: Sociability or the sociality of man. | 6 | 2000, 2001, 2011, 2013, 2024 | 1.7% | Medium |
| 2. Culture: Meaning and Characteristics, types, functions and elements… Culture and Socialization; cultural relativism. Sub-cultures. Ethnocentrism and xenocentrism, Cultural lag, High culture and popular culture. Multiculturalism, assimilation, and acculturation. | 41 | 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025 | 11.7% | High |
| 3. Society: Meaning and characteristics. Community; meaning and characteristics. Individual and society. Relationship between individual and society. Two main theories… (social contact and organismic). Social and cultural evolution of society. | 14 | 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2018, 2023, 2024, 2025 | 4.0% | High |
| 4. Social Interaction: Caste and classes, Forms of social classes, Feudal system in Pakistan, Social Mobility… determinants in Pakistani society, Culture of poverty. | 24 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022 | 6.8% | High |
| 5. Social Control: Mechanisms of social control-formal and informal… Anomie, Alienation and social Integration-Means of social integration in Pakistani Society. | 22 | 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025 | 6.3% | High |
| 6. Social and Cultural Change and Social Policy: Processes… Inhibitions to social and cultural change in Pakistan… Effect of Industrialization, Urbanization, Modernization and Modern Means of Communication on Social Change. | 29 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2025 | 8.3% | High |
| 7. Public Opinion: Formation of public opinion, concept of opinion leader, characteristics of opinion leadership. | 3 | 2014, 2020 | 0.9% | Low |
| 8. Community: The rural community, Traditional Characteristics… The urban community, Rural–Urban convergence, Urbanism, Future of cities in Pakistan. | 19 | 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2025 | 5.4% | High |
| 9. Social Institutions: The nature and genesis of institutions… Functions of Social Institutions: Family, Religion, Education, Economy and Politics. | 38 | 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | 10.8% | High |
| 10. Social Problems in Pakistan: High population growth rate, Rural–urban migration… Deviance and street crime, Unemployment, illiteracy and School drop out, Smuggling, Prostitution, Poverty, Drug Addiction, Child Labour and Abuse, Bonded Labour, Social customs and Traditions affecting Women in Pakistan, Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, Issues concerning the Elderly in Pakistan. | 58 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 | 16.5% | High |
| II. Sociological Theory: Three sociological perspectives: Structural Functionalism, Symbolic interactions and Conflict. Theorists: Ibn-i-Khaldun, Spencer, August Comte, Emile Dukheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Parson. | 65 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | 18.5% | High |
| III. Methods of Sociological Research: Scientific Method, Steps in research, Types of Questionnaire Research Design, Surveys, Observation and Case Studies. | 42 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 | 12.0% | High |
Sociology Top 5 Most Repeated Topics in CSS Sociology (2000–2025)
1. II. Sociological Theory: Three sociological perspectives: Structural Functionalism, Symbolic interactions and Conflict. Theorists: Ibn-i-Khaldun, Spencer, August Comte, Emile Dukheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Parson.
2. 10. Social Problems in Pakistan: High population growth rate, Rural–urban migration, Issues of technical/vocational training, Deviance and street crime, Unemployment, illiteracy and School drop out, Smuggling, Prostitution, Poverty, Drug Addiction, Child Labour and Abuse, Bonded Labour, Social customs and Traditions affecting Women in Pakistan, Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, Issues concerning the Elderly in Pakistan.
3. III. Methods of Sociological Research: Scientific Method, Steps in research, Types of Questionnaire Research Design, Surveys, Observation and Case Studies.
4. 2. Culture: Meaning and Characteristics (Culture is variable, learnt, social, shared, transmissive, dynamic and adaptive), types (Material, Non–material), functions (transfer of knowledge, define situation, provide behaviour pattern, moulds personality) and elements of culture (norms, values, beliefs, sanctions, customs).Culture and Socialization; formal and non-formal socialization, transmission of culture, cultural relativism. Sub-cultures. Ethnocentrism and xenocentrism, Cultural lag, High culture and popular culture. Multiculturalism, assimilation, and acculturation.
5. 9. Social Institutions: The nature and genesis of institutions, The process of institutionalization, Functions of Social Institutions: Family, Religion, Education, Economy and Politics.
