Understanding Society MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Understanding Society - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - Mukherjee

Key Points

• D.P. Mukherjee (1979) critiqued the colonial impact on Indian society and economy.
• He observed that British colonial policies led to:
  • The rise of zamindars who were not productive landowners but merely parasitic rent-collectors.
  • The emergence of a new class of English-educated Indians who were disconnected from Indian cultural traditions and became “job-hunter graduates”.
• These outcomes were seen as unintended consequences of colonialism that failed to foster a genuine, self-sustaining middle class in India.

Additional Information

• Colonial education system
  • The British introduced English-medium education primarily to produce clerks and administrators for the colonial bureaucracy.
  • This education was often detached from indigenous knowledge systems and had limited employment potential, leading to unemployment or underemployment.
• Land revenue policies
  • Colonial policies such as the Permanent Settlement created a class of absentee landlords (zamindars) who extracted rent without investing in agricultural productivity.
  • This contributed to rural poverty and stagnation, especially in Bengal and northern India.
• Middle class formation
  • Unlike in the West, colonial India’s new social groups lacked economic autonomy and were dependent on colonial structures.
  • Thus, the formation of a stable, self-reliant middle class was obstructed under colonial rule.

The correct answer is - Rudolph and Rudolph 

Key Points

• Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph
  • They co-authored the 1967 book "The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in India".
  • Their work argues that tradition can serve modern purposes in Indian political and social life.
  • They challenged the linear dichotomy between tradition and modernity by showing how traditional institutions adapt within modern contexts.
  • Their study was influential in the field of political sociology and Indian modernization theory.

Additional Information

• Core Concepts from the Book
  • Modernity is characterized by:
    • Universal commitments over local ties
    • Rationality, science, and utility over sacred and emotional reasoning
    • Individual choice and achievement over ascribed identity
  • The book critiques the assumption that modernization requires a complete rejection of traditional forms.
• Impact on Indian Sociology
  • The work was foundational in discussions of political development in postcolonial India.
  • It introduced the idea that tradition can be reinterpreted to function within democratic and bureaucratic institutions.

The correct answer is - Segregation between European and indigenous settlements

Key Points

• Segregation between European and indigenous settlements
  • Meera Kosambi’s research extensively studied the urban layout during the colonial period.
  • She highlighted the physical and social separation between European settlers and the indigenous population.
  • This segregation was evident in the infrastructure, residential areas, and public spaces of colonial cities.
  • The European quarters were often better planned and had superior amenities compared to the indigenous areas, reflecting the colonial power dynamics.

Additional Information

• Colonial Urban Planning
  • Colonial cities often featured dual city structures, where the colonial and indigenous areas were distinctly separate.
  • This separation was designed to maintain control and minimize interaction between the colonial rulers and the local population.
  • Such urban planning also facilitated the administration and management of colonial interests.
• Impact on Indigenous Population
  • The segregation reinforced the social hierarchies and racial discrimination prevalent during the colonial period.
  • Indigenous populations often had limited access to basic amenities and lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
  • This urban structure had long-term impacts on the social and economic development of the indigenous areas.

The correct answer is - 1950s

Key Points

• 1950s
  • According to V.S. D’Souza, urban studies began to gain traction in India during the 1950s.
  • This period saw increased attention to the challenges and opportunities presented by urbanization in the post-independence era.
  • Research and policy discussions started focusing on urban planning, migration, and infrastructure development.

Additional Information

• Urban Planning in India
  • Urban planning in India has evolved significantly since the 1950s, focusing on managing growth and improving livability.
  • Key initiatives included the establishment of the Town and Country Planning Organization (TCPO) and the formulation of the first Five Year Plans.
• Challenges of Urbanization
  • Rapid urbanization posed challenges such as housing shortages, traffic congestion, and inadequate infrastructure.
  • Efforts were made to address these issues through urban renewal programs and the development of new towns and satellite cities.
• Migration Trends
  • Post-independence India saw significant rural-to-urban migration, driven by the search for better economic opportunities.
  • Studies in the 1950s and 1960s began to analyze the impact of migration on urban growth and social dynamics in cities.

The correct answer is - Urban sociology in India lacked scientific rigor

Key Points

• Urban sociology in India lacked scientific rigor
  • V.S. D’Souza critically evaluated Indian urban sociology and highlighted its lack of scientific rigor.
  • He pointed out that methodological weaknesses were prevalent in the studies conducted in this field.
  • D’Souza emphasized the need for systematic and empirical research to understand urban phenomena accurately.

Additional Information

• Historical context of Indian urban sociology
  • Indian urban sociology emerged as a distinct field post-independence, reflecting the rapid urbanization and its challenges.
  • Early studies were often descriptive rather than analytical, lacking a robust theoretical framework.
• Role of caste in urban settings
  • Contrary to some beliefs, caste continues to play a significant role in urban India, influencing social interactions and economic opportunities.
  • Studies have shown that urbanization does not completely dissolve traditional social structures like caste.
• Comparison between Indian and Western urbanization
  • While there are similarities, Indian urbanization has unique aspects due to its historical, cultural, and socio-economic contexts.
  • Issues like informal settlements and migration patterns are particularly significant in the Indian context.

The correct answer is Organic Solidarity.

Key Points

• Durkheim believed that society exerted a powerful force on individuals.
  • David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. 
• People’s norms, beliefs, and values make up a collective consciousness, or a shared way of understanding and behaving in the world.
• The collective consciousness is formed through social interactions.
• Durkheim described the evolution of society from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity.
• In organic solidarity, the individual is considered vitally important, even sacred.
• In organic solidarity, the individual, rather than the collective, becomes the focus of rights and responsibilities, the center of public and private rituals holding the society together.

Additional Information

• Organic solidarity
  • ​It is social cohesion based upon the dependence individuals have on each other in more advanced societies.
• Mechanical solidarity
  • ​ It normally operates in “traditional” and small-scale societies.
  • In simpler societies (e.g., tribal), solidarity is usually based on kinship ties of familial networks.

Option 2: A - II, B - I, C - IV, D - III is the correct answer.Important Points

• Auguste Comte is associated with the level of intellectual development.
• Emile Durkheim studied size and density.
• Karl Marx studied economic influence.
• Herbert Spencer is associated with the study of evolution and complexity.

Additional Information

• Comte's level of intellectual development is a three-stage theory of social evolution where societies move from a theological stage to a metaphysical stage and finally a positivistic stage.
• Durkheim's size and density is of the idea that the size and density of a society can affect its social structure, solidarity, and collective conscience.
• Marx's economic influence is of the belief that economic relationships and class struggles are the primary driving forces in social development and change.
• Spencer's evolution is a social evolutionary theory that applied Darwin's theory of natural selection to human societies, suggesting that they evolve and progress towards increasing complexity and efficiency.

The correct answer is Virtues are acquired by practice.
Key Points

Aristotle claimed virtues are not innate.

• To be virtuous one needs to govern non rational part of life, which means to develop virtues.
• To Aristotle, virtue is an activity, not a state,  which needs to earn by practice and just actions.
• One needs to acquire virtuous state by following golden mean.

Thus, the correct answer is Virtues are acquired by practice.

The correct answer is Personality.Key Points

• Deviant behavior is defined as actions that violate social norms, which may include both informal social rules or more formal societal expectations and laws.
• There are likely many factors that play a role in deviant behavior. These include genetics, personality, upbringing, environment, and societal influences.
• It is also important to note that what is considered deviant can vary from one culture to the next.
• Other factors—including sex and socioeconomic status—also influence the informal and unwritten social rules and expectations that people are expected to conform to.

Additional Information

• Status is our relative social position within a group, while a role is a part our society expects us to play in a given status. For example, a man may have the status of father in his family.
• There are three types of a person's social status: Master, Achieved, and Ascribed.
• Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of society, as well as be codified into rules and laws.
• Hierarchy refers to the ranking of members in social groups based on the power, influence, or dominance they exhibit, whereby some members are superior or subordinate to others

Thus, Personality influences deviance.

Max Weber coined the concept, "social relationship" to describe patterned human interaction which is intentional, meaningful and symbolic. 

Important Points

• Max Weber was a German sociologist associated with the study of social action. 
• His ideas profoundly influence social theory and research.
• Weber was a key proponent of methodological anti-positivism, arguing for the study of social action through interpretive rather than purely empiricist methods, based on a subjective understanding of the meanings that individuals attach to their own actions.

Additional Information

• C.H. Cooley was an influential sociologist who was one of the founding members of the American Sociological Association.
• V. Pareto was an Italian sociologist who wrote the renowned book 'The Mind and the Society.'
• Erving Goffman is best-known contribution to social theory is his study of symbolic interaction. 

Option 1) A - 2, B - 3, C - 4, D - 1 is the correct answer.

Important Points

• Ann Oakley wrote The Captured Womb: A History of the Medical Care of Pregnant Women.
• Erving Goffman authored Forms of Talk.
• Richard Jenkins wrote Social Identity.
• Sylvia Walby authored The Future of Feminism.

Additional Information

• Ann Oakley is a feminist sociologist known for her research on gender and women's experiences.
• Erving Goffman is a Canadian sociologist who studied the interactional aspects of everyday life and developed the concept of "dramaturgy."
• Richard Jenkins is a British sociologist who has made important contributions to the field of social identity theory.
• Sylvia Walby is a feminist sociologist who has conducted research on gender-based violence and developed the concept of patriarchy as a social system.

In his famous work on the changing stratification of a Tanjore village, Andre Beteille observed the changes in Caste System, Class System and Power System.Important Points 

• Andre Beteille was a follower of Max Weber. He followed weber's famous tripartite model of social stratification i.e Caste, Class and Power. 
• The book "Caste, Class and Power : Changing patterns of stratification in Tanjore Village (1965)" mentions Beteille's tripartite model of Stratification.

The correct answer is S.V. Ketkar."Key Points

• The Book "History of Caste in India" is authored by Shridhar Venkatesh Ketkar, provides a descriptive account of the History of Caste in India with the evidence of the laws of manu on the social conditions in India during the third century A.D. interpreted and examined.
• This book was first published in 1909.

Additional Information

• N.K. Dutta studied occupational hierarchy due to prevalent caste system.
• Majumdar and Madan wrote An introduction to Anthropology.
• Herbert Risley gave racial theory of cate system.

The correct answer is Rural India in Transition.Key Points

• Govind Sadashiv Ghurye was a pioneering Indian academic who was a professor of sociology. In 1924, he became the second person to head the Department of Sociology at the University of Bombay. And, is widely regarded as the founder of Indian Sociology & Sociology in India.
• Books by Ghurye are: 
  • ​Caste and Race in India
  • Caste and Class in India
  • Cities and Civilization
• Rural India in Transition authored by A. R. Desai.

Additional Information

• Caste and Race in India: Over The Years This Book Has Remained A Basic Work For Students Of India Sociology And Anthropology And Has Been Acknowledged As A Bona-Fide Classic.
• Caste and Class in India - Govind Sadashiv Ghurye. This work of G S Ghurye is a presentation of his views on the history and the origin of the caste.
• Cities and Civilization: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
• Akshay Ramanlal Desai was an Indian sociologist, Marxist, and social activist. He was a Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Bombay in 1967.
• According to Desai, India's nationalism is the result of the material conditions created by British colonialism. The Britishers developed new economic relations by introducing industrialization and modernization.

Thus, A book not authored by G.S. Ghurye is Rural India in Transition.

The correct answer is Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.Key Points

• Sociology and social anthropology developed in India in the colonial interests and intellectual curiosity of the western scholars on the one hand, and the reactions of the Indian scholars on the other.
• British administrators had to acquire the knowledge of customs, manners, and institutions of their subjects.
• The roots of sociology and social anthropology go back to the period when British officials realized that a knowledge of Indian culture and social life was indispensable for them in their administration work.

Additional Information

• Social Anthropology is the comparative study of the ways in which people live in different social and cultural settings across the globe. Societies vary enormously in how they organize themselves, the cultural practices in which they engage, as well as their religious, political, and economic arrangements.
• Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life.
• Anthropology is the study of the origin and development of human societies and cultures. Culture is the learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods.

Thus, Sociology and Social Anthropology in India developed colonial interests because the British realized the need to understand the native society and its culture in the interest of smooth administration.