Question : Globalization involves deterritoria-lization.” Examine with reference to the nation state.
(2015)
Answer : Globalization is generally recognized as the fading or complete disappearance of economic, social and cultural borders between nation-states. The contemporary analysts associate globalization with deterritorialization, according to which a growing variety of social activities takes place irrespective of the geographical location of participants via telecommunication, digital computers, audiovisual media, rocketry etc. Business people on different continents now engage in electronic commerce; academics make use of the latest video conferencing equipment to organize seminars with
participants ....
Question : Explain the relevance of the idea of ‘cultural lag’ in understanding social change.
(2015)
Answer : Cultures provide a condition for resistance to change. The term cultural lag refers to the notion that culture takes time to catch up with technological innovations, and that social problems and conflicts are caused by this lag.
It is the tendency of material culture to evolve and change rapidly while non-material culture tends to resist change and remain fixed for a far longer period of time.
Cultural lag creates problems for a society in different ways. ....
Question : Critically examine the cultural theories of social change with suitable examples.
(2013)
Answer : Social change is defined as the alteration of mechanisms within the social structure characterized by changes in cultural symbols, rules of behavior, social organizations and value systems. Various theories of social change are as follows :
(i) Evolutionary Theory: The notion of social evolution was taken from the theories of biological evolution. Spencer propounded an analogy between social and organic growth and between society and organization. The theories of social evolution are composed of one or ....
Question : Illustrate the conflicts and tensions experienced by societies undergoing social change.
(2013)
Answer : Social change is long term change in the social, cultural, political and ideological components of the society. Because of globalization, urbanization and industrialization there is free flow of ideas and goods happening across the cultures. In this way the old traditional ideas are giving way to new ideas. Thus, there exists a situation of flux where new problems are coming into the picture.Therefore, the social change is the result of problems created, solution aspired and ....
Question : “Science and technology are major forces accelerating the process of social change”. Comment.
(2011)
Answer : Though the modern science is relatively recent origin having started with Galileo about 350 years ago but it has made rapid progress and have completely transformed outwardly the manner of our living.
Human society has changed rapidly more in the thousands of year ago. The impact of science is very visible on every aspect of society such as agriculture, medicine, health care, telecommunications, transportations, computerisation and so on is part of our daily living.
Technological ....
Question : “Social support mechanism needs to be strengthened for effective implementation of development programmes”. Comment.
(2011)
Answer : Social development mechanism has been designed to help people who are in need of help-such as elderly, rural poor, destitute women and children, physically disabled, mentally disturbed. Social support mechanism has been developed to take care of needs of these people. This has been resulted in many benefits for poor, women, physically and mentally disabled peoples. Several social support mechanisms working in the country are health delivery system through ASHA in rural area, rural employment ....
Question : Highlight prerequisites of social movement. Bring out the differences between social movement and revolution.
(2011)
Answer : A social movement is a sustained collective effort that focuses on some aspect of social change. According to M.S.A. Rao, a social movement essentially involves sustained collective mobilisation through either informal or formal organisation and is generally oriented towards bringing about change in the existing system of relationships.
There are mainly three prerequisites for a social movement:
Question : “Collective action in politics can bring integration and disintegration in society” Comment.
(2011)
Answer : The literal meaning of collective action is doing anything as a group such as implementing agreements. Collective action also involves public choices in setting of standards of social integration and provision of public goods through the collaboration of individuals. This also describes the situation in which multiple individuals would be benefitted from certain action. Public goods are often provided by governments in societies.
One of the abiding puzzles in the development economics is the remarkable failure ....
Question : Development and Dependency
(2011)
Answer : This notion arose around 1970 as a reaction to modernisation theory which held that all societies progress through similar stages of development, that today’s underdeveloped areas are thus in a similar situation to that today’s developed areas at sometime in the past.
Therefore the task in helping the under developed areas out of poverty is to accelerate them along this supposed common path of development by various means such as investment, technology transfers and closer integration ....
Question : Examine the social dimensions of displacement induced by development.
(2010)
Answer : Development induced displacement is forcing communities and individuals out of their homes, often also their homelands, for the purpose of economic development. It is a subset of forced migration.
Though historically associated with construction of Dams, Hydro Electric projects or for irrigation purposes, it now seems to be triggered by many other activities like mining, creation of military installation, airports, industrial plants, weapon testing grounds, railways, conservation projects, etc. Today, it is a major social problem, ....
Question : Analyse the social impact of market economy on traditional societies.
(2010)
Answer : Introduction of market economy into hitherto traditional societies based only on subsistence to agriculture and simple division of labour completely changed the face of these societies. The production that was earlier meant basically for village consumption with little or no surplus became a market driven process with emphasis on cash crops and surplus production. It is not that traditional societies did not have market presence. They had markets with market values andprinciples.
Thus the relationships that ....
Question : Structure of a social movement.
(2009)
Answer : The term social movement was first used by Saint Simon in France at the turn of the 18th century to describe the social upheaval that emerged. It is an organized effort to bring change or resist change in the society. But these social movement are of great sociological interest because they are a major source of social change. These social movements have been classified on the basis of numerous criteria such as nature of change ....
Question : Education as an agent of social change
(2008)
Answer : Education is an important mechanism engaged in transmission of societal culture from one generation to other and also cherishing new values demanded by the social situation and thereby contributing for social equilibrium and social change. Education means acquiring gradual knowledge about societal norms, values and culture either informally through family or formally through schooling system or both.
Education teaches man the use of the various capacities, abilities, intelligence, etc., bestowed upon him by Nature. Education gives ....
Question : In what important ways can religion be a force both for social stability and social change? Discuss.
(2008)
Answer : Religion is intrinsically found in both primitive and modern society. Religion is mainly responsible for maintain equilibrium in the society through socialization and also responsible for social change in the form of social mobility in both closed and open societies.
Religion is a means for satisfying man’s emotional needs and also a response to man’s intellectual needs. Durkheim defined religion as “a unified system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things, that is to say ....
Question : How does hierarchy get built into the system of natural and social inequalities?
(2008)
Answer : The concept of hierarchy is foundation to the study of social structure and social life as well. Therefore, contribution to the study of hierarchy largely comes from the writings of the scholars taking interest in the field of social continuity and social change.
Hierarchy refers to the ranking of people in a given society in which their positions are not subjected to change. In hierarchical societies the distinction between the ranks is defined by theological consideration ....
Question : Education as an instrument of social change
(2007)
Answer : According to Ruskin, “Education consists in making people polite what they out to be”. The ideals and patterns of politeness differ from society to society. An individual is trained in these through education. Here the word ‘education’ does not contain merely literacy but is employed in its most comprehensive sense. It is only in this meaning of the world that the sociologist studies or contemplates it. Education teaches man the use of the various capacities, ....
Question : Human factors involved in directed social change.
(2006)
Answer : In the sociology of development the nation of directed social change is very important. The directed type change is not only planned, but it also gives a direction to achieve a set target. It has been argued that major policies with holistic development began with Russian Revolution and later on this was adopted by many countries and also followed by newly independent states. Sociologists opined that particularly after the Second World War the need of ....
Question : Education is one of the basic activities for the continued existence and development of a society. Elaborate this statement.
(2006)
Answer : Literally education means to teach or to develop but the broader meaning of it is management of knowledge. It has always been argued that it is only through education man becomes a man which itself speaks the relevance of education. But according to Durkheim, education is the influence exercised by the adult generation upon those who are not yet ready for adult life. Its objective is to awaken and develop in the child those physical, ....
Question : Explain the idea of social responsibility of science. Analyse the social consequences of development of science and technology in context of removal of backwardness in developing societies.
(2006)
Answer : Science is essentially concerned with human understanding of the real world such as inherent properties of space, matter, energy and their interaction. Science and technology have always been part of the development process that is inherent to civilization. One of the activities through which the culture broadly expresses itself is the intellectual and scientific advancement. In modern time science and technology have become indispensible.
Science generates information, change in attitudes and has values and is a ....
Question : State the significance of social policy in social development. Under what conditions a social policy fails to be effective in its performance?
(2006)
Answer : In the sociology of social development different variables have been picked up such as development by whom, development for whom and development for what cost. After Second World War, almost in every nation the notion of social development emerged and it is the most analytical hub unit and almost right from classical thinkers in economics to sociologists all picked up the notion of development in their writings.
At the same time, the issue of development has ....
Question : Discuss education as an instrument of social change and modernization
(2005)
Answer : Education is one of the important agencies of social control. Social change and modernisation. Plato has argued that the aim of education loas to develop in the body and in the soul of the pupil all perfection and all the beauty of which they are capable.
According to Aristotle, to educate means to develop man’s faculties, especially his mind, so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, beauty and goodness.
Sumner defined ....
Question : Social consequences of science and technology in India.
(2005)
Answer : In the modern Indian capitalist society the development of science and technology have exerted tremendous impact on social values and social change. The society is now transforming from the industrial to post-industrial society. With the application of science and technology the agricultural and industrial production has increased manifold. The modern means of communication, like computer has promoted the modern education. Communication has brought revolutionary change in society and has resulted in the emergence of “composite ....
Question : Science and Social Responsibility
(2004)
Answer : Barber (1962) identifies three positions on the issue of social responsibility of science. One position is to take a general kind of social responsibility for the consequences inventions and discoveries. The scientists who take this stand have very zealously tried to make clear to the public, the significance of new atomic energy possibilities their comments and warnings are widely enlighten the people. Another reaction is to accept total responsibility for the social consequences of science ....
Question : Privatisation of Education and Equality of opportunity.
(2004)
Answer : Theoretically all societies advocate equality of opportunity for education irrespective of the caste, creed, sex or class of the individual. However, the extent to which this is put into practice differs-in reality.
The new economic policy in terms of the processes of globalization, liberalization, privatisation has added to reproduction of social, economic and educational inequalities and disadvantages rather then equality of opportunity. Due to the process of privation, business enterprises world dominate the educational system. ....
Question : Bring out a comparative analysis of Marxian and Personian views of social change and examine the relevance of each view for social development in the contemporary India.
(2004)
Answer : Karl Mar’x theory of social change is called Deterministic or single factor theory about social change. According to this theory there is only one factor and not many factors responsible for bringing about social change. According to Karl Marx, economic factor is the only factor responsible for bringing about social change. In the words of MacIver and Page, Karl Marx believed that, ‘Cultural life of man, his intellectual, aesthetic spiritual life, his creeds and his ....
Question : Social Impact of New Technologies in India.
(2003)
Answer : Technology affects society greatly in that a variation in technology causes a variation in some institution or custom. In this context, Ogburn rightly says, “Technology changes society by changing our environments to which we in turn adapt. This change is usually in the material environment and the adjustment we make with changes often modifies customs and social institutions”. Social Impact of New technologies in India may be described in the following points:
Question : Education and Social Development.
(2003)
Answer : Education and social development: Social development calls for a combination of several strategies which together constitute the environment required for the achievement of the objectives of the several ingredients that go to constitute social development. Social development is obviously a multi-dimensional effort. It means literacy, education, good health and all that goes to make good health possible like food and nutrition security, drinking water, easy availability of medical and health facilities preventive and attractive, and ....
Question : Discuss the meanings and significance of culture in Human Society. Critically bring out the role of culture in the development of personality.
(2003)
Answer : The word culture comes from the Latin word ‘colere’, which means “to cultivate, to till the soil”. Culture is a valuable concept for understanding human action within the context of social organizations. Like structure, it originates through interaction and finally becomes a lasting social pattern to be followed by the people.
Sociologists define culture in different ways. In 1871, Edward B. Taylor gave a descriptive definition of culture which still remains uncontested: “culture is the complex ....
Question : Ethos of science
(2002)
Answer : The “Ethos of Science” generally refers to the basic ideas, ideologies objectives, and social application of science. In other words, the various inventions, discoveries, technological and communication development are based on the constructing or reconstructing ideas of the society. The ethos also consists of the ultimate ends and means of scientific discoveries and the realisation of some vested social interest. It has often been difficult to say exactly to say whether science is proving ....
Question : What are the uses of Bogardus’ Social distance scale and Likert scale? Discuss.
(2002)
Answer : This scale is chiefly used to find out the prejudice behaviours, social differentiation and discrimination which are found among the people of different classes. Social distance scale measures the attitudes of like or dislike towards other groups on the part of an individual. The Social Distance Scale is of two types. (a) Social Distance scale of Bogardus and (b) Sociometry. In the Social Distance scale of Bogardus, some such situations are chosen which may manifest ....
Question : In what way is the process of socialisation helpful in the development of personality? Explain with suitable examples.
(2002)
Answer : Socialisation and personality development are very closely associated processes. It is the socialization process which builds the human personality and national character. According to Kimbal Young “socialization will mean the process of inducting the individual into the social and cultural world, of making him a particular member of society and its various groups and inducting him to accept the norms and values of that society. “Socialisation is definitely a process of learning and not of ....
Question : Distinguish between process of formal education and socialization. Examine effectively informal education as an instrument of social change.
(2001)
Answer : In sociological words the very term "formal education" refers to the process of education which is institutionalised and operate in an organisational way. The formal system of education has been initially derived from the informal system because without informality one may not expect the significance of formality in any spheres of life. The emergence of formal education may be traced when the modern industrial capitalist society emerged. Earlier, around the world, the basic educational values ....
Question : Define social policy. Evaluate the performance of social policy in modernising of developing society
(2001)
Answer : The technical term 'social policy' simply refers to the matters pertaning to health, education, housing, social insurance and national assistance. In 1951 two American social scientists D.Lerner and H.D. Lasswell edited a review of social science in relation to broad matters of public and social policy entitled the Policy Science : Recent Development in Scope and Method. This work aimed to stress the importance of social science for clarifying the assumption behind social thought, to ....
Question : Elaborate the concept of structural change. Discuss the endogenic factors of structural change in society with suitable examples.
(1999)
Answer : The structural change refers to large-scale change over a long period of time which are of different nature. These change come into being by total replacement of older forms of structure and by substituting them with new ones. Revolutionary change in the society is the good example of structural changes. The objective of such a change is to alter the entire basis of the older social structure, its basic institutions and replacement with the new ....
Question : Education and Culture.
(1998)
Answer : Culture is a way of acting, manners, inheritance of social values and a way of living in the society. It consists of art, knowledge, belief, morals, customs, instituttions etc of the society. Education may be perceived as an agency through which the cultural traits and characteristics are internalised where the cultural values are formally learnt and taught. The educational institutions are also responsible for cultural preservance and change. Some of the irrelevant elements of ....
Question : Examine the social consequences of change in technology. Illustrate your answer with example from new productive processes and equipment.
(1998)
Answer : The development in science and technology has exerted tremendous impact on social value and social change. The society is transforming from the industrial to the post industrial society. The social consequences of science and technology may be categorised under the two headings, namely the positive and negative consequences. The positive consequences are as follows:
Firstly, poverty is the major problem in India and the world. The agricultural and industrial production has increased manyfold with the application ....
Question : Role of education in social development.
(1997)
Answer : The social development consists of the enhancement in the life style of the people, upliftment of the poor and deprived class, consumption of modern means by the people and all-round upliftment of the people in society. Education has been playing significant role in the development process by imparting among the people the values correlated to it. In spite of high rate of productivity, a society may not be considered developed because the entire wealth and ....
Question : What is the problem of universalisation of primary education? Discuss fully.
(1997)
Answer : The universalisation of primary education simply refers to ensure primary education facility to all section, group, gender, caste, class etc., of the society. India along with most of the countries of the world has enumerated it as the fundamental right of the people. The government has taken the responsibility of providing elementary or basic education to all. Schooling has become synonyms with books, homework, punishment, competition, exams, reports, correction and marks. The joy of learning, ....
Question : Education and Social inequalities.
(1996)
Answer : Social inequality refers to the unequal distribution of social rewards and statuses. The power, prestige and wealth of the society are considered limited, hence all the people of the society are not able to get these things in abundance while others remain deprived of it. The social inequality also consists of the opportunity provided by the society to these different segments or strata. Education is considered as one of important mechanisms to eliminate inequalities ....