MAINSTORMING 2021 SOCIOLOGY – MOCK 1– KEYS

1. (a) Discuss the social changes that happened in Europe, leading to the emergence of
sociology as a discipline.
 
 With birth of Renaissance – Medieval Europe transformed as Modern Europe
 Renaissance also gave birth to important NEW ideological paradigm -- "Ideology of
modernism"
 Modernity characterized by : Liberty, Equality, Reason, Democracy, Science
 Rise of Industrial Revolution – Explain it.
 Political development – French revolution and rise of democracy
 Modernity posed challenges which led to growth of new intellectual ideas - precipitated
by new material conditions & political order.
 Due to specificity of origin sociology aka "science of the new industrial society"
 
1.(b) Differentiate between qualitative data and quantitative data.
 
 Approach refer to ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
 Methods -- ways of conducting research. Especially systemic ways
 Methods use specific techniques of data collection
 

Quantitative Methods Qualitative Methods

Uses number & statistics Uses ‘text’

Formalized methods Less formalized methods

Many observations. Little info Few observations. Much info.

Makes inferences from specific to Not so concerned with inference

general

Replicable analyses Not necessarily replicable

Seeks social ‘regularities’ or ‘laws’ Seeks ‘understanding’ &

interpretation

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1.(c) Critically analyzes R.K. Merton’s theory of deviant behaviour.

 
 Anomie Definition - By Robert Merton
 The gap between the culturally-defined-goals and structurally-available-means to achieve
them
 Characteristics of Anomie
o Part of system and general feature in any society
o When insufficient means --> Deprivation --> Structural Strain --> Deviance
production
o Structure of society itself creates deviance than psychological factors.
 According to Merton deviance typology – a deviant person -- gives a response among
Following five options – Explain them
o Conformist
o Innovator
o Ritualist
o Retreatist
o Rebellion
 Critical view of Merton deviant behaviour
o Ignored individual personality and more focus on structure
o Not all strains led to deviant act.
o Neglects role of social control
o Deviants disproportionately high in lower classes - patently incorrect
o Albert Cohen - Non-utilitarian crimes
o Cloward & Ohilins - Sub-culture-led
o Interaction - led
 Erwin - Total institution
 Becker -- Labelling theory
 Sutherland - Via association with illegal elements
 

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1.(d) Compare and contrast between sociology and economics.

Economics Sociology

Narrow, Specific scope Wider scope.. All aspects of human activity

Main emphasis on eco variables -- Price,  Study the productive enterprises as

supply, money flow etc. a social organization
o Supply of labour affected by value
& preferences

More systematic. More scientific than Comparative and relatively less scientific than
sociology. economics

Some laws universal applicable NO universal laws possible in sociology

Traditional economist -- understood Sociologist criticized the economic theory as

economy in broader framework of reductionist. Ignoring the social factors involved in
ownership, relation to means of production making economic-education.
etc.

 
 Lot of convergence been developing now
o Sociologist readily uses economic data to draw conclusions
o Economist not just interested in market mechanism - but also in economic
development.
 
1.(e) what are main features of critical social research?
 
 Critical social research
o Social inquiry whose central theme involves the problematization of knowledge
than seeing the phenomena as objective
o Locating phenomena in their specific historic context
o reveal the inner relations and thus reconstructs the abstract concept
o Also considers the social structural relation that surrounds it.
 Features of critical social research
o Abstraction -
 analyses the abstract and reveals the underlying structures/relations
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o Totality -
 view that social phenomena are interrelated and form a total whole.
o Essence -
 seek the essential nature of social phenomena or social relations; For Marx
capitalism critical analysis - commodity form is its essence
o Praxis -
 means practical reflective assessment. Knowledge changes because of
praxis.
o Ideology
 ideology is present from the moment that social relations take on a
hierarchical form.
o Structure
 Phenomena to be seen how it’s inter-related to set of elements and its
connection to the whole.
o History
 refers to both the reconstructed account of past events and the process by
which this reconstruction is made
o Deconstruction and reconstruction
o The whole point of critical research is that the researcher is prepared to abandon
lines of thought that are not getting beneath surface appearances
o Take housework. The conventional approach is to see it as a set of tasks. Delphy
addressed it as unpaid domestic work.
 
2.(a) According to you what is the subject matter of sociology. Discuss the practical
significance of sociology.
 
 Sociology -
o Anything that is related to social life is a matter of sociology
o Subject matter refers to anything that performs certain functions to an individual
or society and bound by certain social relations.
o series of interactions between human beings
 Significance of sociology

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o The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal which is hidden.”

o Sociology plays an important role to understand society and human behaviour.
o Answers why and when a society is moving from feudalistic to Industrialisation?
o Tries to find solutions to today problems.
o To enrich the culture and appreciate the diversity
o Shaping up the human behaviour.
 Shows what are stereotypes, prejudices.
 LGBT are part of human sexuality not to be condemned.
 
2.(b) How does the interpretive approach study a social phenomena. What are the
limitations of interpretive approach.
 
 Interpretative approach
o Social phenomenon interpreted with meanings
o Gives multiple reasons
o Weber-
 verstehen approach
 study sociology from multiple meanings unlike natural science
o Phenomenology
 Not possible to study society without subjectivity unlike science
 Alfred Schulz, Peter Berger, Harold Garfinkel opinions
o Ethno-methodology
Social actors give different meanings to different social situations which can’t be studies through
positivism.
 Limitations of interpretative approach
o Problems in the methods of Observation like value neutrality
o Ethno methodology e.g. interpreter bias
o Generalisations
o Too much subjectivity, very little value to social science.
o Ecological validity – issues in field experiments
o Definitive conclusion based on qualitative features
 

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2.(c) What is case study approach? How are they used in social research?
 
Introduction  Detailed account of a single social
phenomenon.
 As its in-depth -- Usually offers qualitative
judgements

 
 To study particular instances
 To put to test certain generalizations about a community or social group
 Used to produce typologies, hypothesis.
 Advantage - In-depth analysis, certainty in following conclusion
 Dysfunctions - NO external validity, poor generalizations
 
3.(a) What is class? What are the similarities and differences between Marx and
Weber’s theory of stratification?
 
 Class -
 A group whose members are similarly related to Forces of production (FoP)
 Unique feature of capitalist society
 

Aspect Marx Weber

Dimension Uni - Class Multiple ( Class, Status, Power)

Class Definition Based on ownership of Forces of Occupational groups

production

Number of Classes TWO Four

Class Consciousness Inevitable Status group weakens group solidarity

Also proliferation of middle class
reduces it

Polarisation Will happen eventually Need not happen.

Proliferation of middle classes

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Revolution Proletarian revolution inevitable Various conflict management

possibilities
Routinisation of conflict
Can be avoided

Stratification Because of vested interests; NOT Interplay of caste, status, power

- universal; particular to Changes with time, place.
capitalistic society

 
Marx reduced all form of inequality to class but for Weber it’s multi-dimensional.
 
3.(b) Critically analyse the contributions of G.H.Mead to ‘Symbolic Interactionism’.
 
 Mead Basic Premise
 Unique explanation on human interactions
 Rejected behaviourisitic school (because no blind response to external stimuli)
 Believed people had "self" and the role of the sociologist is to study that
 Rather than individual psychology, Mead gives importance to social world in
understanding a social experience.
 To explain this - Mead took various concepts like Gesture, Symbols, Mind, Self.
 Book - Mind, Self and Society 1934
 His ideas on Self - root to Symbolic interactionism
 Critical view of Mead
o No social activity is discrete, its only as series of interactions
o Did not see influence of Biology or genetic or history factors.
o Failed to elaborate the origin of meanings
o Tendency to downplay large scale social structures
o Vagueness of concepts - mind, self, society
 
3.(c) Analyse the salient features of Historical materialism.
 Historical materialism - Explained in "In contribution to the Critique of Political Economy"
 Salient features

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 Subsistence
o History begins when humans produce their means of subsistence.
 Idea of Dialectics -
o The base for Marx idea of history.
o Idea of dialectical change is initiated by Hegel.
o But he views History as dialectics of ideas
o But for Marx - its dialectics of contradictions in economic conditions.
 Tracing of societies
o With this Historic materialism as base, Marx traced human societies from one
stage to another
 Material conditions as base
o Thus, material conditions forms base for structure of society and its development
o Development of social relationships
 Contradictions and change in mode of production
 
4. (a) how do Industrialization and modernization impact social mobility? Illustrate with
examples from India.
 
 Social Mobility - transition of individuals/groups from one position to another in the
social
 Hierarchy I, e from one stratum to another.
 Degree of mobility decides whether a society is closed or not
 Industrialisation and modernisation and social mobility
o Induced social mobility for all classes
o Rise of new capitalist classes - Techno-capitalists NOT product of hereditary
capitalism
o Open systems permit flow of statuses, powers and prestige both horizontally and
o vertically.
 Status based on education , entry into bureaucracy
o Inter generational mobility
o Intra generational mobility
o Vertical mobility

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o Horizontal mobility
o Pseudo mobility
 Mostly industrialized, also urbanized and both reinforce each other - Greater social
mobility
o Various hitherto depressed social groups - now broke the caste - occupation
hierarchy
o Education and new avenues for occupation
o Cities - less of caste-based segmentation
 Yet No long-range mobility. Often confined, narrowed path.
o Women CEO's in India - still low in numbers
 4.(b) What are the reasons for presence or absence of ‘spirit of capitalism’ among
communities. Discuss. 
 1904 Protestant ethic & Spirit of capitalism
 Weber to highlight the relationship between religious ideas and human activity.
 Key to casual explanation. (Not mono, plural-causal)
 Reasons for spirit - based on his observations found casual linkage between Calvinism
and rise of capitalism
o Doctrine of Predestination
o Concept of Calling
o Material / worldly asceticism
 Spirit of capitalism- In other religions

Study Substance Spirit Comments

Religion of China 1951 Y N Confucius ethics stressed more on

harmony, traditional values

Religion of India, 1958 Y N Spiritual barrier - Ideas of Karma,

Dharma, Punarjanma - prevented rise of
Capitalism
 Structural barrier - Caste system

Ancient Judaism 1952 N Y  Historical factors impede the

substance development though
spirit is there

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 4.(c) How is the elite theory of power different from that of ‘pluralist’ and functionalist
theories? Give examples in justification of ‘elite theory’.
 
 Elite theory of power
o Elite - Group of minority people found at top layer/any field owns it
o Power always circulates between two sets of elites – Lion and Foxes.
o ‘Lions’ are brave, courageous, leadership, initiator, and risk taking and lazy.
o ‘Foxes’ are cunning and opportunist.
o Believes that power circulates between lions and foxes.
 Elite theory vs. Others
o No power transfer, only top elites hold; But pluralist held that its held by various
actors in society
o Vs Functionalist: Elite theory did not accept power is pursued to fulfill societal
goals unlike functionalists.
 Examples for Elite theory
o Historic -Pareto - In Europe, Rise of military persons dispel the old aristocrats in
15th century
o C Wright Mills in his book, The Power Elite -rise of political, economic, and military
elites
o USA - Clinton and Bush family holds power for long
o Recent 2016 USA election - Trump rise - capitalist, president
 
5.(a) Illustrate the role of religion in contributing to social change.
 
 Religion and social change
 Weber -
o capitalist work ethic, calvinism
o Rise of industrialisation pioneered in protestant nations
 Marxist -
o Helps in preserve the existing class structure
o Being good Christian, rewards in heaven
 Liberation theology - Mexican 1960s
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o Church to promote social change via the political arena

o Attempts to reduce or eliminate social injustice, discrimination, and poverty.
 Recent - Arab Spring - 2010-2014
o Islamic groups - active via social media
o Highlight the inequities in Tunisia, Egypt
 
5. (b) what is a sampling frame? Discuss the sampling techniques used in social
research?
 
 Sampling frame
o list of everyone in the target population from which a sample is drawn
o E.g. - Telephone directory
 Sampling techniques in social research
o Simple random
o Systemic sampling
o Stratified sampling
o Cluster Random
 
5.(c) Write a note on the various types of religious practices that are prevalent across
India.
 
 The practice of religion can include feasts and festivals, God or gods, marriage, funeral
services, music and art, meditation or initiation, sacrifice or service, and other aspects of
culture
 Common - all 6 major religions
o Prayer is a ritualistic practice or invocation common to many religions
o Pilgrimage
o Fasting
o Religious songs, arts
 Note on tribal religions, sects, cults
 Religion as way of life in India
 
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5.(e) Assess the importance of the concept ‘sacred’ and ‘profane’ in sociology of
religion.
 
 Durkheim theory of religion
 Unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things and unites them into one
single moral community called church.
 Religious beliefs can be classifiable into TWO - Sacred & Profane
 Sacred - items set apart, given significance
 Profane - items integrated into ordinary everyday living, no significance
 Sacred and profane are highly relevant and a rigid rules present
o No chappal inside temples, even near to sacred objects
o Separation of sacred - profane: thru rites
o Rituals reinforce the division between the sacred and the profane
o Offering is seen as“mediation” to open to the lines of communication between
the sacred and the profane, or the deity and the individual.
 The dichotomy of sacred and profane is dubious as often there is a continuum between
the two.
 
6.(a) Evaluate the role of modernization in emergence of fundamentalism.
 
 Fundamentalism - An ideology of religious or other social groups which calls for an
adherence to
literal meanings of sermons/scriptures/doctrines and apply them to all aspects of Life.
 Modernity and fundamentalism
o Modernity led to drastic changes in society, loss of traditional beliefs and
institutions
o Promises certitude and restitution of old age.
o A psychological appeal - So difficult to resist
o Steven Bruce - Reasons for rise of fundamentalism
 Restoration of original lifestyle
o Against the project of modernity, secularism which upsets the
traditional beliefs & way of life
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o Gabriel and Almond study - "Strong religion" 2003

 Structural Factors
 Unemployment
 Presence of ethnic persecuted groups
 Radical social change
 Specific Historic chances
 Growth of Colonialism and Foreign interferences
 Fundamentalism as global response to the modern secularist culture
 
6.(b) Can families be imagined beyond kinship and marriage? Give your views in light of
the legislations being passed in India and the judgments of Supreme court.
 
 Family - important social institution satisfy individual and collective needs
 Types of families differs according to social changes encountered
o Level of society and family
o Though differences exist, predominantly
o Joint family - high in feudal societies
o Nuclear families - dominant feature in industrialized societies
o House-hold based: rising in urbanized societies
 Yet, these families formed mainly through kinship(Affinial) and marriage(Consanguine)
 Modernity and rise of new type of families - other than kinship
 Other types --
o Single-parent
o Gay - Lesbian with or w/o children
o LGBT-headed
o Step families
 Legislations -
o Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019
o Surrogacy Regulation Bill, 2019
o Both reinforce family - patriarchal, heterosexual.
 Supreme court -
o Recognize right to intimacy as a core component of autonomy and privacy

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o Alternate families have to be recognized and accepted, as its social fact in India
o Single person households constitute 12.5% of the all households in India (Pandit
2019)
o greater visibilisation of the LGBT+ community since the 1980s and 1990s in India
o Nandy 2017 - highlight concept of non-normative families - unwed biological
mothers and unwed friends - raising child
 
6.(c) Discuss the impact of covid-19 pandemic on informal workers in India. Suggest
some measures to secure the socio-economic rights of informal workers.
 
 Pandemic – affected informal workers – differentially treated
 Not included in Vaccination drives
 Poor state support, impinged by no social security cover
 Pauperisation of workers
 Right to work disrupted
 Becoming distress migrants and vulnerable to bonded labour contracts
 Forced to seek old-boy networks, feudal links etc
 Commodification of labor and alienation
 Women workers – forced toward further lower wages
 Isolation, invisibility and forced to work in adverse(without PPE) conditions
 Required changes in policy / Solutions
 Poor Migrants
 Loss of jobs
 Forced to re-migrate without livelihood support
 Rising indebtedness. Skill level of them fading
 Remigration despite heavy health risks
 Measures needed
 State one time support of financial aid – with respect to their level of deprivation
 Healthcare provisions – to be fixed
 Inclusion in vaccination drives
 Health care provision and support in times of Pandemic.
 Permanent contractualisation of workers to be avoided

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 Vigil civil society to avoid bonded and forced labour

 Informal workers organisation and State recognition of them
 1st unorganized sector workers union – recognized in Rajasthan
 Women workers and migrant labourers – unique focus.
 Even in contractual agreements – idea of payout if work contract abruptly
withdrawn.
 
7.(a) What are the factors that determine the level of Division of labour in a society?
What are critics of feminist to Durkheim’s Division of Labour theory.
 
 Division of labour -
DoL in modern society helps to integrate the various diverse and complex interests. This is based
on organic solidarity or interdependence between members
 Factors for DoL
 Material and moral density
 Rise of organic solidarity or interdependence
 Durkheim explained factors for rising DoL
o Primitive Vs Modern analogy
o Few specializations ((age / sex) vs. High ) / Replaceable vs. Inter-dependent
o Norms / Values / Collective conscience - strong vs. low
o Law nature - repressive vs. reformatory
o Material and Moral density - Low vs. High
o Mechanical --> Organic Solidarity
 Due to likeness Vs Due to differences & dependency.
 With time -- population increases resulting in rise in MATERIAL density..
 This leads to increased chances of MORAL density (I.e. interactions b/w them) between
different segments.
 Feminist on Durkheim DoL
o Organic solidarity only accounting public/outside work - by men. Women work is
ignored
o Saw sex roles of his time as natural, which are only historic developments
o Thus little mention and analysing of women and their role.

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7.(b) The role of civil society in India is restricted to delivery of goods. Critically
comment.
 
 Societal problems - To solve, in popular imagination, it is still the State that seems to
occupy a central position.
 The role of civil society is still vaguely understood, it’s not just delivery of goods
 1970- 80s social movements such as the anti-caste movement, the struggle for gender
justice, for civil liberties, for the environment, for food security, for the right to work, for
the right to education, for the right to information, and movements against mega
development projects
 In 1970s - civil society remerged because
o “overreach” of the state in the advanced capitalist, the erstwhile socialist, and the
developing world.
o Interventionist state
o Profit-driven market
 Latent functions /role of civil society
o Bridge between marginalized to State
o Empower citizens
o Safeguard human rights
o Raise issues of public concern more effectively than traditional agents of political
society such as the political party and the state.
o Decentralised and pluralist form of power sharing and participation
 
7.(c) Provide a critique of A.G.Frank’s ‘Development of underdevelopment’
 
 Andre Gunder Frank
 Book - Development of under Development
 Model of metro - satellite
 Underdevelopment because its historical product of past and continuing economic
&other Relations between them;
 Legacy of colonialism bane to developing country along with Capitalism
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 Enforced rigid DoL; Comparative advantage; Political instability & Asymmetric

relationship in free trade
 Surplus from trade & industrialisation -- taken by developed nations
 Dictated development model - reason for poverty.
 Creation of Underdevelopment - different from Un-development; Actually mis-developed
 Critique of Frank theory
o dependency is exaggerated
o Too much on economic factors, leaving out political, social, cultural aspects
 Social evils - In India, like untouchability and all - hamper development
o Pessimistic and unrealistic
o Insulating from global capitalism and globalisation is almost impossible, yet given
as solution by "Dependency" schools
 8.(a) What is the definition of social change? How can social change be measured in a
society? Analyse the factors that restrict social change in a society.
 
 Social change - Important alterations that occur in the social structure or in the pattern of
action and interaction in societies, thus function of a social system
 Measuring social change
 Factors restrict social change
o compatibility of the innovations with the existing culture,
o Charismatic leaders / vested interests role
o Role of change agents
o Values conflict - generation gap etc
 

8.(b) Discuss the role of micro-social movements in reinventing participative democracy

in India in the era of globalization.
 
 D.L.Seth - Micro-movements and new politics of participatory democracy
 Micro movements
o Led by small group of social activists from remotest or disparate locations

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o Issues raised - issues of economically marginalized and socially ostracized poorer

people
o From 1990s - worldwide alliances
 Role of them - era of globalisation
o New discourse on participative democracy
 Articulation of alternative development and governance - against resource
usurpation
 Conflict with State and local power structures - and people part of it to
tackle.
 Expanding people consciousness - Real political participation - Anti-Climate
change by Student activism
 Defines issues in trans-local terms
o Expand arena of politics beyond electoral politics
o Differentiate from philanthropic or welfare NGOs
o Rising prices, corruption, childcare for migrant families etc
o Took issues mainly ignored by political parties, labour unions etc
o Civil-associational group - Democratizing the development through the
empowerment of the people
o Bodhgaya movement 1978 - land re-distribution in non-violent way
o Tarun Bhagat singh, Rajasthan - land and water management in 700+ villages
 
 In the era of globalisation, State has to redefine its role, interventions in development
model for meaningful development of all social groups.
 
 

8.(c) What is the ‘new middle class’ in India? Analyse the potential of the new middle
class to bring social change.
 
 New middle class in India (that is, those spending between $2 and $10 per capita per day)
doubled in size between 2004–05 and 2011–12
 How it’s new?

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o Though upper caste dominate, other social groups, hitherto marginalized enters
o Occupational structure is heterogeneous
o Traditional service and Knowledge services rather than in services similar to poor
o Regional Diversity
 Causes - Globalisation, beneficiaries of welfare state, Education and awareness
 New middle class and social change
o Caste-based occupations eroding
o Occupational interests exist, yet bound by typical living style, behaviour patterns
 Stands for democratic norms and values
o Facing double closure phenomenon
o Recipient part of economic surplus unlike working class
o Andre Beteille - self-congratulating behaviour of middle class – unique to middle
class
o Cultural entrepreneurs
o Ambitious and looking out for mobility than working class
o Book Great Indian Middle Class - Pavan Verma - Key for luxury goods
consumption.
 
 
 

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