Sociological Theory MCQ Quiz in தமிழ் - Objective Question with Answer for Sociological Theory - இலவச PDF ஐப் பதிவிறக்கவும்

The correct answer is Emile Durkheim.Key Points

• In his study of religion Durkheim studied most primitive form of religion which is of Primitive Arunta tribe.
• By Totem  Durkheim means sacred symbols which generates feeling of oneness.
• It is the symbolization of the collective consciousness which is religion is done through the totem

Thus Totem is the essence of religion as observed by Emile Durkheim

Mukherjee's concept of social ecology is based on the idea that society and the environment are interconnected. He argued that the social and economic problems of rural India are caused by a number of factors, including environmental factors.

Important Points

• R.K. Mukherjee was an Indian sociologist who is known for his work on rural sociology.
• Mukherjee conducted extensive research on the social and economic conditions of rural India. He was particularly interested in the problems of poverty, illiteracy, and disease in rural India.
• Mukherjee's work on social ecology has been influential in the field of rural development in India.

Additional InformationOther important works of R.K. Mukherjee:

• The Social Structure of North Indian Villages (1955)
• The Economic Structure of North Indian Villages (1956)
• Six Villages of Bengal (1961)
• Sociology of Rural Communities (1961)
• The Indian Village (1967)

These works cover a wide range of topics, including rural sociology, social change, economic development, and Indian history and culture. Mukherjee's work is characterized by its careful empirical research and its insights into the social and economic problems of India.

 William Graham Sumner popularized the terms "mores" and
 "folkways" in the field of sociology.Important Points Here's what the terms mean according to Sumner:

• Folkways are norms for routine or casual interaction, which arise organically in a society over time. They include common customs, practices, and procedures that often shape daily behavior but are not essential to society's survival.
• Violating these norms might result in mild social disapproval but not serious consequences. Examples include eating habits, dress codes, and manners.
• Mores, on the other hand, are the moral views and practices that are held as central to societal identity, and the violation of which can result in severe reprobation or punishment.
• They're norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. Mores include, for example, societal views on issues like murder, theft, or other behavior deeply ingrained as good or bad.

It's important to note that while Sumner played a significant role in bringing these concepts into social scientific discourse, such ideas have antecedents in cultural anthropology and other fields.

Additional Information  

• William Graham Sumner (1840-1910) was a prominent American social scientist and was one of the founders of sociology in the United States. He was a professor of political and social science at Yale University and was known for his staunch advocacy of laissez-faire economics, free markets, and social Darwinism.
• Sumner's academic work laid the groundwork for many foundational theories in sociology and anthropology. He is best known for his development and application of the concepts of "folkways" and "mores," terms which he used to describe the everyday and more consequential behavioral norms, respectively, that underpin social order.

The correct answer is C, A, B, D.

Key Points

• Claude Levi Strauss(1908-2009) is known as father of Structural Anthropology and Modern Anthropology. He is a Structuralist in the purest form.
• He considers culture as a system of symbolic communication and inculcated linguistics in anthropology.
• He focused on individual cognitive structures rather then collective consciousness. 
• Following are the chronological sequence of the work of C. Levi Strauss:

1. The Elementary Structure of Kinship(1949)- ​According to Levi Strauss, one cannot attribute a cultural phenomenon like unilateral cross-cousin marriage to personal feelings. He has briefly discussed Alliance Theory of Kinship and Positive marriage rules.
2. Structural Anthropology(1958)- Claude Levi-Strauss postulates that all cultures are equal since all civilizations have unchangeable underlying structures and, as a result, all cultural behaviors have counterparts in other cultures.
3. The Savage Mind(1962)- Levi-Strauss's study of the myth and its function in human society is one of the book's major contributions. He contends that myths are complex systems of symbols and meanings that represent deep societal beliefs and values rather than stories. 
4. The Raw and the Cooked: Introduction to a Science of Mythology(1964)-Levi Strauss contributed the idea of the binary opposition in this book. There are categorical opposites that arise from everyday experience with the most fundamental types of things, such as raw and cooked, fresh and rotten, and so on.

Additional Information

•  Following are the major contributions and ideas of Levi Strauss through his work:

1. Linguistics and Phonology in understanding culture
2. Mechanical and Statistical Model
3. Deep underlying structure
4. Alliance theory of Kinship
5. Raw and cooked folktales of South America
6. Bricolage
7. Role of Binary opposition

The corrct naswer is Karl Mannheim.Key Points

• Karl Mannheim (born Károly Manheim, 27 March 1893 – 9 January 1947) was an influential Hungarian sociologist during the first half of the 20th century.
• In Mannheim's view, social conflict is caused by the diversity in thoughts and beliefs (ideologies) among major segments of society that derive from differences in social location. Ideas and beliefs are rooted in larger thought systems (Weltanschauungen), a phenomenon Mannheim called relationism.
• According to Karl Mannheim, Ideology and Utopia argue that ideologies are mental fictions whose function is to veil the true nature of a given society. They originate unconsciously in the minds of those who seek to stabilize a social order.
• It was Karl Mannheim who said, All truths are ideologically biased, all truths ultimately reflect the interest and biases of social groups.
•  In ideologically charged situations, one's prejudices end up affecting one's factual beliefs.

Additional Information

• Charles Lemert is an American-born social theorist and sociologist. He has written extensively on social theory, globalization and culture.
• Clifford James Geertz was an American anthropologist who is remembered mostly for his strong support for and influence on the practice of symbolic anthropology and who was considered "for three decades... the single most influential cultural anthropologist in the United States."
• Karl Heinrich Marx FRSA was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, a critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and the four-volume Das Kapital.

Thus, All truths are ideologically biased, all truths ultimately reflect the interest and biases of social groups, are the views of Karl Mannheim.

The correct chronology is- D,B,C,A. 

Important Points

• The Rise and Fall of the East India Company (1958): This book is a historical study of the East India Company, from its beginnings as a trading company to its eventual decline and fall.
• Mukherjee examines the Company's impact on Indian society and economy, and argues that its policies led to the impoverishment of India and the rise of British colonialism.
• The Dynamics of a Rural Society (1961): This book is a study of social change in a rural village in West Bengal.
• Mukherjee examines the impact of modernization and development on the village's social structure, economy, and culture.
• He argues that modernization has led to both positive and negative changes in the village, and that it is important to find a balance between tradition and modernity.
• Six Villages of Bengal (1971): This book is a comparative study of six villages in West Bengal, representing different stages of economic development.
• Mukherjee examines the relationship between economic development and social change in these villages. He finds that economic development has led to some positive changes, such as improved living standards and access to education and healthcare.
• However, he also finds that it has led to some negative changes, such as increased inequality and environmental degradation
• The Sociologist and Social Reconstruction (1980): This book is a collection of essays on various topics in sociology, including social change, social stratification, and social development.
• Mukherjee argues that sociologists have a responsibility to use their knowledge to help solve social problems and promote social justice.
• He calls for a "sociology of commitment" that is engaged with the real world and seeks to make a positive difference in society.

Additional Information

• R.K. Mukherjee was a pioneering Indian sociologist who made significant contributions to the study of Indian society.
• He was one of the first Indian sociologists to use empirical research methods to study social problems, and he was also a strong advocate for the use of sociology to promote social change and social justice.
• Mukherjee's work covered a wide range of topics, including caste, class, social stratification, social change, and social development.
• He was particularly interested in the study of rural society, and he conducted extensive research on the impact of modernization and development on rural communities.

The correct answer is - Dipankar Gupta 

Key Points

• Dipankar Gupta is a prominent subaltern sociologist in India.
• He is known for his work on caste, class, and social movements.
• His book "Caste, Class and Domination in India" is considered a classic work in Indian sociology.
• Gupta's work is focused on the experiences and perspectives of marginalized and oppressed groups, and he has been a vocal critic of the caste system and other forms of social inequality.
• Gupta has also written extensively about the role of social movements in challenging social injustice.

Additional Information

• M.N. Srinivas was a prominent Indian sociologist who is known for his work on caste, social stratification, and village studies.
• He is considered to be one of the founders of Indian sociology.
• Srinivas's work is often seen as being in contrast to the subaltern perspective, as he focused on the role of social institutions and cultural values in maintaining social order and stability. 
• Amartya Sen is a Nobel Prize-winning economist and philosopher who has made significant contributions to the fields of welfare economics, social choice theory, and development economics.
• Sen's work is often associated with the capability approach, which focuses on the importance of individual freedom and agency in achieving well-being. Sen has also written extensively about poverty, inequality, and social justice. 
• Ramchandra Guha is a historian and environmental activist. He is known for his work on Indian environmental history, social movements, and biography.
• Guha has written extensively about the history of peasant movements, tribal struggles, and environmental activism in India.

Reflexivity refers to the ability of individuals to think about their own thoughts and actions.

• Giddens argues that reflexivity is a fundamental characteristic of human beings and that it is what distinguishes us from other animals.

Important Points

• Reflexivity is a key concept in Anthony Giddens' theory of structuration. 
• Reflexivity allows us to examine our own beliefs, values, and assumptions.
• It also allows us to change our behavior in light of new information or experiences.
• Reflexivity is essential for social change, as it allows us to challenge existing social structures and norms.

Additional Information

•  Anthony Giddens is one of the most important sociologists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
• Key Contributions to Sociology:
• Structuration theory: Giddens' structuration theory is a major contribution to sociological theory. Structuration theory emphasizes the interaction between structure and agency.
• Reflexivity: Giddens' concept of reflexivity is also a major contribution to sociology.
• Reflexivity refers to the ability of individuals to think about their own thoughts and actions. 
• Time-space distanciation: Giddens' concept of time-space distanciation is another important contribution to sociology.
• Time-space distanciation refers to the way in which social relations are stretched across time and space. 

The correct answer is option 1- (a) - (ii), (b) - (iv), (c) - (i), (d) - (iii).

Important Points

Hermeneutics is a methodological practice used primarily in theology and philosophy, though it has been adapted for other fields as well.

• One of its major principles is that you cannot separate an individual from their culture or their historical background, hence the truth is interpreted, rather than taken as is.

Symbolic Interactionism is a micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society.

• It's a theoretical perspective that centers on the idea of communication, specifically the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely upon in the process of social interaction.

Phenomenology seeks to explore and describe phenomena as they appear to a person's subjective experience, rather than trying to provide an objective analysis of the phenomena.

• It aims to offer rich, descriptive accounts of people's personal lived experiences, views and beliefs.

Interpretive approaches are concerned with how we interpret the social world in which we live, how we make sense of the social rituals, norms, and conventions that structure our everyday lives.

• Theories and approaches that adopt this perspective emphasize the underpinning meanings that guide human action and interaction.

The right answer is option 2. The "father of symbolic interactionism" is often considered to be George Herbert Mead, an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist.

Important Points Symbolic Interactionism:

• Symbolic Interactionism is a sociological perspective that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction and how it is used to construct the social reality of individuals.
• This perspective is particularly focused on the way individuals use symbols and meanings to communicate and understand the world around them.
• The theory was ultimately named and conceptualized by sociologist Herbert Blumer, a student of G.H. Mead, but its roots lie in the work of philosopher and sociologist George Herbert Mead.
• Symbolic interactionism is a significant theoretical approach to understanding human behaviour in sociology. It's widely used in studies of communication, small group behaviour, public opinion, mass behaviour, and many other areas, providing valuable insights into these areas by focusing on the meanings of actions within the social context.

Additional Information

• George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) was an American philosopher, sociologist, and psychologist. He's most well-known for his work in social psychology and the development of symbolic interactionism, a theory on how social interaction impacts the individual and the society.
• Mead's theories have greatly contributed to the field of social psychology and continue to influence sociological research in areas such as symbolic interactionism and the social construction of self.
• Herbert Blumer was an influential American sociologist. He is best known for developing the theoretical perspective in sociology known as symbolic interactionism. This perspective emphasizes the importance of symbols and meaning in human interaction.
• His work underscored the argument that society consisted of individuals who agreed on shared meanings to the extent that they could act together. He posited that humans interact with things based on meanings ascribed to those things; these meanings come from social interaction, and they are modified through interpretation.
• His substantial contributions to sociology and further development of Mead's ideas on symbolic interactionism have had a lasting impact on the field.
• Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist, political economist, and historian comes from the classical sociological tradition. His ideas form one of the pillars of modern sociology, along with the works of Émile Durkheim and Karl Marx.
• Weber's best-known work delves into the relationship between religion and social structures, particularly his book, "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism". One of Weber's most significant concepts is his notion of "ideal types" - theoretical constructs that frame specific dimensions of social reality.
• Erving Goffman (1922-1982) was a Canadian-born American sociologist, social psychologist, and writer. Some consider him to be the most influential American sociologist of the twentieth century. His work primarily dealt with the themes of the micro-processes of social interaction, self-presentation, and the strategies people use to manage face-to-face interactions in social settings.
• One of his most notable works is "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" (1956), in which he articulated the concept of "dramaturgy."