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Dr. Zeenat Huda

The Department of Sociology at the University of Dhaka has been instrumental in establishing empirical sociology in Bangladesh. The Department was the first to be established in Bangladesh in 1957 which was critical in legitimating sociology at a time when it was not held in high regard in this country. The Department has trained a high proportion of the initial faculty members of other sociology departments in this country. It continuously strives to enhance its program to stay at the forefront of higher educational trends. The Department, throughout its history, has had a distinguished and innovative faculty who are committed to sharing their knowledge and passion that can be used with confidence on applied sociology purposes.

In a rapidly changing world, the Department of Sociology offers students the opportunity not only to explore the processes that are shaping current trends, but also to develop an understanding of the complexity and diversity of human societies. The study of sociology stimulates awareness of contemporary social, cultural and political issues, and focuses attention to the importance of examining these issues in a rigorous, reasoned and analytical way. The four year Bachelor and one-year Master’s Program provide a solid grounding in the central ideas and approaches in sociology as well as theory and methods.

A syllabus is a useful tool in course planning and to start bringing students and faculty members together. It is designed to help students fine-tune their study throughout the semesters. The current syllabus has been carefully crafted and organized which accurately sets expectations around course participation and contents. The syllabus has been meticulously prepared with great thought and consideration, and it clearly communicates the scope and requirements of a course to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Each course outlined in this syllabus provides a conceptual framework to support major ideas and topics for students to think about major issues or key questions in sociology. In all courses, this syllabus seeks to develop students’ critical thinking by emphasizing the importance of empirical information. Our aim is to balance knowledge, understanding and skills in our programs and qualifications to enable students to become effective learners and to provide a solid foundation for understanding contemporary debates on sociological theory and to contribute to an understanding of social reality and human experience.

Many improvements have been made to the overall contents and structure of this syllabus since the previous edition. Beyond that, we have also improved the design of this syllabus. Improvements in this edition evolved out of the generous response from our faculty members as well as rigorous editing work that contributed to the improvement of this syllabus. Faculty members’ suggestions and advice helped us refine course contents throughout the creative process. Thanks are due to Dr. Mahmuda Khatun who rendered constructive suggestions, commented on the distribution of courses and tightened the manuscript during the final drafting. Finally, I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the support and help of Dr. Shah Ehsan Habib who composed the panoramic and creative cover design and thoroughly edited and revised this syllabus with enormous skills and precision.

We appreciate your interest in the Department of Sociology and wish you the best in your future endeavors.