AIR 23 · CSE 2023 · Sociology I · 82 pages

Saurabh Sharma: Sociology I answer copy

28 answers by Saurabh Sharma, as written in the test. Each question opens a page with how other toppers answered it.

The questions

  1. Q1(a)History is the past Sociology and Sociology is the present history. Discuss.10 marks
  2. Q1(b)Considering the impact of globalization, examine the evolving scope of sociology and how it has adapted to study and address contemporary social issues.10 marks
  3. Q1(c)Methodology encompasses a system of rules, principles, and procedures that form the basis of scientific investigation. Comment.10 marks
  4. Q1(d)Discuss the role of socialization and cultural transmission in shaping conformist and deviant behavior among individuals.10 marks
  5. Q1(e)Discuss the role of reliability and validity in a sociological research.10 marks
  6. Q2(a)People are rational and they use practical reasoning, not formal logic, in their daily life. Discuss the perspective of ethnomethodology as a study of people's life.20 marks
  7. Q2(b)Power is the ability to control others and it may reside in individual or individual’s status or position. In light of this statement, critically examine the elite theories of power.20 marks
  8. Q2(c)Discuss how gender socialization and norms contribute to the differentiation of the "I" and the "Me" in men and women.10 marks
  9. Q3(a)"The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world." How far is the Weber's statement valid in today's society?20 marks
  10. Q3(b)How far do you agree that Euro-centric theories of social stratification have not been able to fully capture the complexities and nuances of India's diverse and stratified society?20 marks
  11. Q3(c)Case studies may be useful for generating new hypothesis which can then be tested against other data. Discuss.10 marks
  12. Q4(a)'Social mobility is often hailed as a promise of progress in India, but the reality reveals that for many, it remains a distant mirage, obscured by the weight of historical and systemic inequalities'. Discuss.20 marks
  13. Q4(b)Social movements are collective actions to bring or to resist social change. Differentiate between Old and new social movements.20 marks
  14. Q4(c)Sampling is a convenient tool to gather information about a population, but it can be grossly misleading as well. Discuss.10 marks
  15. Q5(a)Write a short note on each of the following in not more than 150 words. (a) Democracy is a necessary evil. Comment on the concept of democracy from Sociological perspective.10 marks
  16. Q5(b)Compare Max Weber and Parsons Perspectives on power relations within society.10 marks
  17. Q5(c)The process of secularisation was greatly aided by transformation of human consciousness triggered by the popularisation of scientific ideas among common people. Discuss.10 marks
  18. Q5(d)"Rising divorce rates are indicative of changing attitudes towards marriage and commitment in contemporary societies." In light of this, discuss the reasons behind increasing number of divorces in contemporary times.10 marks
  19. Q5(e)Structural functionalism views social change as a gradual process of adaptation and equilibrium restoration in societies. Explain.10 marks
  20. Q6(a)The social organization of work in slave society was characterized by extreme exploitation and dehumanization of enslaved individuals. Discuss.20 marks
  21. Q6(b)Social change is significant alteration in social structures, interactions. Discuss the cyclical theories of social change and their relevance to understand the contemporary changes in society.20 marks
  22. Q6(c)Citizenship is a social construct that defines the rights, responsibilities, and membership of individuals within a political community. Discuss.10 marks
  23. Q7(a)Present day mass media has been seen to have an overt purpose, such as information dissemination, and covert functions, like shaping cultural norms and reinforcing social hierarchies. Analyse the role of mass media in India through Merton's theory of latent and manifest functions.20 marks
  24. Q7(b)Using the concept of hegemony from Antonio Gramsci's theory, discuss the dominant ideologies and cultural norms that reinforce power structures in Indian society. How do these ideologies shape people's perceptions and behaviours, contributing to the reproduction of existing power relations?20 marks
  25. Q7(c)The Supreme Court of India, through various judgements, has granted coparcenary rights to women. In light of this, discuss the concept of lineage and descent.10 marks
  26. Q8(a)Artificial intelligence is changing the relationship between man and technology. Elucidate the role of technology as a medium of social change.20 marks
  27. Q8(b)Investigate the experiences of transgender individuals in India regarding the negotiation of self-identity. How do cultural attitudes and legal recognition influence their sense of self and belonging?20 marks
  28. Q8(c)The course of human history involves a progressive development of the means of production paralleled by a corresponding increase in human alienation. Discuss.10 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 149 words written

History is the past Sociology and Sociology is the present history. Discuss.

Opening

Howard described history as past sociology and sociology as present history depicting the strong linkage between the two disciplines which can be found in works of early sociologists:

Body · points and prose

  • Durkhiem: study of historical data of suicide's rate in different society
  • Marx: theory/work of "Historical Materialism" understanding evolution of human society through lens of dialects and conflict
Diagram
Primitive communism → Slave society → Feudal society → Capitalist society
  • Weber in his analysis of Protestant Ethics and spirit of capitalism.

Schells describes that sociology emerged from history.

Indian sociologists also heavily relied on historical analysis to bring about a rich understanding of Indian society. e.g:

G.S. Ghurye's Indology, work such as 'Caste and Race in India'. Her student Irawati Karve also relied on epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayan.

L. Dumont: relying on P.N. Kane's writing.

T.N. Madan referring to "Rajatarangini" in his study of Kashmiri Pandits.

Diagram
Some differences between two discipline → sociology is more analytical, history is descriptive → sociology goes for generalization → sociology also tries to solve for problems of present society

Close · a summary

With new methodologies like 'Content analysis' the gap between two disciplines is shrinking.