AIR 229 · CSE 2024 · Sociology I · 32 pages

Mukul Khandelwal: Sociology I answer copy

10 answers by Mukul Khandelwal, as written in the test. Each question opens a page with how other toppers answered it.

The questions

  1. Q1Examine the basic postulates of positivism and post-positivism.20 marks
  2. Q2Discuss how the sociological imagination helps us understand the connection between history and biography within a society.20 marks
  3. Q3Outline Talcott Parsons' functional prerequisites of a social system and evaluate them in the context of a university as a social system.20 marks
  4. Q4Explain how qualitative and quantitative methods complement each other in sociological research.20 marks
  5. Q5Analyze the dialectics present in each mode of production as proposed by Karl Marx.20 marks
  6. Q6Evaluate whether common sense serves as the starting point for social research, and discuss its advantages and limitations.10 marks
  7. Q7Explain the stages in the formation of gender identity using Mead's theory of symbolic interactionism.10 marks
  8. Q8Discuss how Weber's concept of bureaucracy is derived from the historical experiences of Europe.10 marks
  9. Q9Discuss whether the scientific method qualifies Sociology as a science, using Durkheim's method as an example.10 marks
  10. Q10Discuss how globalization has been influencing the scope of Sociology in India.10 marks

The answers

Question 1 · 20 marks · 294 words written

Examine the basic postulates of positivism and post-positivism.

Opening · a definition

Positivism refers to the philosophy by which it imitates scientific methods to construct social reality. It emerges with the emergence of sociology in Europe in 18th century.

Body · points

Basic postulate of Positivism

(1) Use Natural scientific principles (2) Empiricism - to validate & reliable results on the theory (3) Causation effect - find cause & effect relationship in social studies to prove a sociological theory (4) Quantitative methods use for making research generalizable, universal (5) Durkheim in understanding social facts. Auguste Comte in his 'Concept on Positive Philosophy'

(8) Herbert Spencer in his Social Darwinism

Postulate of post-positivism

(1) Does not intend the Rigidity of making Causation effect in understanding their theme (2) prefers to use Qualitative methods as well (3) Methodological pluralism (4) proponents - Ogburn & Nimkoff

Both positivism & post positivism philosophy enable Sociologist in understanding the society in line of Scientific principles to make Sociology more science oriented.

The arrival of Non-Positivist methods like Symbolic Interactionism, Phenomenology, Ethnomethodology & others gave a different perspective to Sociology in their coming years.

Non Positivist postulates

  1. Interpretive sociology rely more importance on interaction & meaning attached by humans in their action during interaction eg Weber
  2. Symbolic Interactionism - Use of symbols (verbal, non verbal, signs & Acts (organic & mechanical) eg GH Mead
  3. Phenomenology (Alfred Schutz) - studying phenomena
  4. Ethnomethodology - Harold Garfinkel, Edmund Husserl

After understanding diff. methodologies, there are some limitation as well

(1) Positivist & Post positivist

Close · a source

↳ Not consider meanings attached by individual ↳ Objectivity & Value are two opposite of same coin

↳ Oversimplification of complex social structure ↳ Overgeneralization ↳ Time Consuming

Therefore, as Alan Bryman has noted that studies should be purposive research & Methodological pluralism to meet the demand of Sociological Research.