KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT (KUSOM)

BBA EMPHASIS/BBA HONORS

COURSE SYLLABUS
Course: Society and Culture (NBC 111)
Session: Fall 2024
Credit Hours: 3
Session Hours: 90 Minutes
Course Facilitator
Lal Bahadur Pun, PhD
Visiting Faculty, KUSOM
Phone: 9851141132
Email: lalbpun@yahoo.com & lalbpun@kusom.edu.np

Course Description
The main objective of this course is to provide students with basic sociological and anthropological knowledge
related to business. The course emphasizes the social and cultural foundations of business, focusing on Nepali
society and culture in the business context.
Overall, this course enables students to critically examine society and culture to promote business in various
circumstances. It also familiarizes them with contemporary social issues such as cultural and social diversity in
Nepal and beyond, gender issues, racial constructs, ethnic compositions and identities, caste systems, and more. As a
result, students become skilled in assessing society and culture to enhance business in both global and Nepali
contexts.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
 Understand the importance of sociology and anthropology in business.
 Recognize some classical and modern theories, which will help students understand societies and interpret social
issues to analyze business opportunities.
 Grasp various aspects of culture and comparative perspectives, which shape and continue to influence our
characters and personalities.
 Become familiar with kinship systems, marriage, and family, which shape and characterize the nature of society.
 Conceptualize the origins of gender inequality, gender discrimination, and childhood socialization. Students will
also understand the roles of females and males as defined by culture or social constructs.
 Comprehend societal differences, the reasons for such differences, and assess whether these differences are
necessary. How do these differences impact business?
 Familiarize themselves with systematic discrimination based on traits or attributes, often associated with
minorities or minority groups. They will also learn about the origins of caste and the changes in the role of caste
over time.
 Analyze social conflicts and explore methods of resolving them. Are these activities healthy or unhealthy?
 Contextualize the concept of the underclass about work, occupation, welfare, and social security.
 Gain a basic understanding of sociological and anthropological methods.

Evaluation Methods
In this course, students will participate in both individual and group work. Evaluation will be based on class
performance. The evaluation methods will be presented during class to ensure students are familiar with them. The
following methods will be used to assess student's performance:
Individual Assignment 10%
Field Visit and Reflection Report 10%
Mid-Term Exam 15%
Group work/Presentation 20%
Class Participation and Notetaking 10%
Attendance 5%
End Semester-Exam 30%
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Total 100%

Individual Assignment
Each student will be required to complete an individual assignment. Generally, course-related assignments will be
given to all students. The topics of the assignments may vary depending on their nature. Assignments must be
submitted on time; late submissions are discouraged and will result in a lower grade. Any assignment found to be
plagiarized will receive a zero.

Field Visit and Reflection Report

An assignment for a reflection report will be given, requiring students to write their reflections based on fieldwork.
In the first class, fundamental concepts of society and culture will be introduced. In the second class, students will be
taken outside the KUSOM premises to observe nature and culture. The class facilitator will prepare a fieldwork
guideline to assist students in expressing their understanding of the subject and related texts.

Mid-Term Exam
For the mid-term exam, the Course Coordinator or exam section will provide students with the necessary instructions
and requirements.

Group work and Presentation

Each student has the opportunity to participate in the group work and presentation. Ten marks will be allocated for
the group work and presentation. The following parameters will be used to evaluate each student's presentation.
Evaluation Parameters Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor
 Good
Presentation Skills: flow of the presentation,
body language, and style of presentation. 5 4 3 2 1
Content: the content of the subject of study,
relevant examples/illustrations related to the 5 4 3 2 1
topic and business; group coordination,
language, skills of presentation, behavioral
part, and engagement in the discussion.
Total Score
Comments

End Exam
For the final exam, the exam section will provide instructions that must be followed.

Class Participation/Interaction
All students will be encouraged to participate in each class activity. The faculty/class facilitator will strive to make
the class as interactive as possible. Both faculty and students are expected to engage in age-appropriate, professional,
and scholarly conversations. Active participation and interactions focused on the subject matter will be highly
encouraged. Positive behaviors and attitudes will also be valued. As this is a theoretical subject, students are
encouraged to openly discuss the topic to achieve conceptual clarity, which will help enhance their knowledge. This
approach relies on the discipline and commitment of both the class facilitator and the students.

Class Attendance
Students must maintain a minimum attendance of 80%. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility to sit for the end-
semester examination. If a student cannot attend a class, they must notify the class facilitator in advance. Late
arrivals and skipping classes are discouraged.

Academic Integrity
After class, the faculty will upload all notes and relevant reading materials to the Virtual Classroom (VC), which
students can access. Students are generally discouraged from using mobile phones and laptops during class, except
when necessary for class activities, at which time the faculty will permit their use. Students are encouraged to take
notes on the key points of the class presentation. Internet surfing during class is also discouraged, though the faculty
may allow the use of online resources when appropriate. For both individual assignments and group work, students
should avoid copying and pasting previous texts, as this will be considered plagiarism. All written work and class
presentations must be original.

Initial Assessment of Students’ Understanding

After one month of class commencement, the faculty will assess students’ understanding of the subject matter. This
evaluation will help the faculty adjust their teaching methods if needed. The faculty will regularly discuss students’
learning progress with the class representative (CR). Additionally, assignments will provide insight into students’
learning achievements.

Methods of Class Delivery

Depending on the nature of the units, different methods will be used in the class. The faculty will present a
PowerPoint slide to provide basic instructions. Additionally, methods such as lectures, video displays, pictorial
visualizations, case presentations, brainstorming, and group discussions may be employed. It is not necessary to use
all these methods; instead, the appropriate methods will be selected based on the student's level of understanding.

Class Environment
A friendly environment will be created in the class to foster higher understanding and learning achievements among
students. The faculty will pay close attention to the different types of students (introverts or extroverts) and address
their needs accordingly. In respect to gender, caste, place, dress codes, and dialects/language, both students and
faculty will use non-discriminatory and neutral language to support the interests of the subject 'Society and Culture”.

COURSE DELIVERABLES

Learning Unit Learning Area Activities/Methods

SESSION 1: UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY AND CULTURE
Introductory Class: Getting to know each other and the course
6 hours ✔ Sociology: concept, importance, and subject ✔ Session briefing/lecturer
matters; its relationship with other social sciences; ✔ Peer learning/small group
main methods of its study discussions and sharing
✔ Anthropology: concept and importance; ✔ Interactions and presentations of
✔ Society: concept, characteristics, and importance notetakers
1.5 hours ✔ Social morality ✔ Sessions briefing/lecturer
✔ Implication of social morality in business ✔ Interactions and presentations of
notetakers
1.5 hours ✔ The class facilitator will take students to the ✔ Small group work and sharing
nearest communities with the purpose of in the class
cultivating knowledge about society and culture.
SESSION 2: MAJOR SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES

6 hours ✔ Concept of Theory ✔ Session briefing/lecturer

✔ Major Social theories: structural functionalism, ✔ Case discussion
conflict, symbolic interactionism, theory of ✔ Peer learning/small group
 structuration, and social capital theory. discussions and sharing
✔ Interactions and presentations of
notetakers
SESSION 3: CULTURE, CULTURAL RELATIVISM, AND ETHNOCENTRISM, AND SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
6 hours ✔ Culture: concept and characteristics; ✔ Session briefing and video
✔ Changes in culture (Factors: acculturation, display
assimilation, and enculturation); ✔ Peer learning/small group
✔ Cultural universality and particularity, cultural discussions and sharing
relativism, and ethnocentrism ✔ Interactions and presentations of
notetakers
SESSION 4: KINSHIP, MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY
3 hours ✔ Kinship: concept, kinship as basic social ✔ Session briefing and video
organization, kinship primarily, descent, display
✔ Marriage as a social institution, marriage rules, ✔ Peer learning/small group
alliance building; discussions and sharing
✔ Diverse ways of organizing family; variation in ✔ Interactions and presentations of
family structure in Nepal. notetakers
SESSION 5: SOCIALIZATION AND GENDER CONSTRUCTIONS
3 hours ✔ Human nature; processes and agents of ✔ Session briefing and video
socialization, Nature vs. nurture debate, the notion display
of self and other, role and status, childhood ✔ Peer learning/small group
socialization in Nepali society. discussions and sharing
✔ Sex and gender: Concepts; gender role ✔ Interactions and presentations of
socialization, gender inequality notetakers
SESSION 6: SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND STRUCTURE IN RELATION TO RACE, ETHNICITY,
CASTE, AND UNDERCLASS IN SOCIETY
6 hours ✔ Caste: concept; social classification and ✔ Session briefing and video
stratification in Nepal; display
✔ Race: concept; construction of race; ethnicity and ✔ Peer learning/small group
ethnic groups, occupation, the process of the discussions and sharing
perpetuation of social inequality, social mobility ✔ Interactions and presentations of
or movement, life chances notetakers
SESSION 7: SOCIAL CONFLICT AND CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND WAYS TO RESOLVE THE
CONFLICT AND EFFECTS OF CONFLICTS
3 hours ✔ Concept: Conflict and its causes ✔ Session briefing and video
✔ Role and Status: Role strain and role conflict, display
 Types of status (ascribed and achieved ✔ Peer learning/small group
✔ Social change discussions and sharing
✔ Resolving conflicts ✔ Interactions and presentations of
notetakers
SESSION 8: BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

3 hours ✔ The relationship between business, government, ✔ Case discussion

and society, ✔ Class exercises-peer
✔ Its importance to managers; learning/small group discussions
✔ Four models of business, government, and society and sharing
relationship; ✔ Interactions and presentations of
✔ Socio/cultural diversity notetakers
✔ Business ethics and corporate social responsibility
SESSION 9: SOCIOLOGY OF MANAGEMENT

6 hours ✔ Sociology of organization; organizational culture ; ✔ Session briefing and video

✔ Analysis of organization; display
✔ Networks and organizations; ✔ Peer learning/small group
✔ Social group: concept and definitions, types of the discussions and sharing
group (primary and secondary), and their ✔ Interactions and presentations of
characteristics; notetakers
✔ Group dynamics and intergroup relations;
SESSION 10: GROUP WORK AND PRESENTATION

6 hours ✔ In 3 classes, all students will have to present their ✔ PPT/slides

work (Please see the structure below) ✔ Interactions and presentations of
notetakers

Project Work (This project has a connection with group work and presentation)
Students will be divided into five small groups within each section. They will be asked to visit nearby communities
to observe the relationship between business and society based on their learning from each session. They may choose
any aspect of the community that connects with business and society, such as social or religious heritage, social or
economic organizations like Guthi, or specific traditions.
Observation Criteria
Entry into society: Where did you go (shops, places, or anything) and what did you do there? Begin the
observations by entering the date, day, locality, time, or any others.
Observation Notes: Write down what you saw. Note down the major points.
Report Preparation Guidelines
Introduction: An overview of the place, where you went, and why?
Main body: Just write what did you and what did you find there in relation to business and society.
Conclusions/insights: What did you learn from this observation? What can we do further?
Each group will be given 5 minutes to present the report in the class.

Field Guideline
Field Work and Reflection Report
Based on the field visit, all students will have to write individual reflection reports of two paces. The
reflection portfolio should be around the field guidelines that have been stated below.
 Go to the nearest community
 Based on the class discussion about society and culture, try to understand the facts
 Note down what you saw there
 Observe the nature of society with diversities in terms of gender (male and female), business,
professions, dress codes, age structure, houses, vehicles, etc.
 Try to look at business avenues from various angles.
 Try to see the relationship between the concept (society and culture) of the class discussion and real field
observation or any differences you observed
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