2017

Q1. Who is the author of the book " What is sociology"?

Ans. Norbert Elias

Q2. Define sociology?

Ans. sociology is the science of social institution

Q3. What do you mean by role and status?

Ans. status describes the position a person occupies in a particular setting. We all occupy several
statuses and play the roles that may be associated with them. A role is the set of norms, values,
behaviors, and personality characteristics attached to a status.

Q4. Define the concept of community?

Ans. A community is a social unit with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs,
or identity. 

Q5. Define social group?

Ans. a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share
similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity.

Q6. What is social stratification?

Ans. Social Stratification means the categorization of people in groups.

Q7. Define the concept of social control?

Ans.  social control as the way that the norms, rules, laws, and structures of society regulate
human behavior.
Q8. What is culture?

Ans. Culture is a word for the 'way of life' of groups of people, meaning the way they do things.

Q9. Define notion of custom?

Ans.  A custom is a cultural idea that describes a patterned way of behaving that is characteristic
of life in a social system.

Q10. What do you mean by social norms ?

Ans. Social norms are the blue prints of the society and it basically means that the expectations
of society.

PART-B

Q11. Discuss the relationship between Law and sociology?

Ans. Sociology and Law are two interwoven topics. Society is directly related to Sociology and
in this matter, every society follows certain laws. Therefore, Laws are the essential part of the
society. Sociology helps law to better understand society for smoother regulation and formation
of laws. Similarly, the law is important to regulate a society. Norms, customs, traditions all these
come under the law if the law did not exist then the society would not be less than a jungle. A
human need certain rules and regulation to keep them on track and hence laws were made. These
laws are made and established by society itself or governments are elected to formulate laws.
From the formation to the execution till its impact on society everything comes under the
umbrella of Sociology.

Q12. Discuss the scope of sociology?

Ans. Sociology uses methods of research

2) It study fundamental social process like assimilation, revolution.

3) It also study primary units of social life like groups communities.

4) It also studies social institution like marriage, kinship, religion etc.

USES OF SOCIOLLOGY

1) It studies sociology in a scientific way

2) It develop rational thinking

3) It helps to develop the under develop society.

Q13. Explain the various types of status?

Ans. Achieved Status

An achieved status is one that is acquired on the basis of merit; it is a position that is earned or
chosen and reflects a person's skills, abilities, and efforts. Being a professional athlete, for
example, is an achieved status, as is being a lawyer, college professor, or even a criminal.

Ascribed Status

An ascribed status, on the other hand, is beyond an individual's control. It is not earned, but
rather is something people are either born with or had no control over. Examples of ascribed
status include sex, race, and age. Children usually have more ascribed statuses than adults, since
they do not usually have a choice in most matter.

Q14. Differentiate between association and institution?

Ans. (1) Association refers to an organized group of people having definite aims. But
institutions are forms of procedures and way of doing things.

(2) State, Flood relief association, political party are examples of association whereas college,
family, marriage etc. are the example of institution.

(3) Association lacks stability and temporary in nature whereas institutions are stable and
permanent in nature.

4) Association represents human aspects because it comprised of human beings. When a group
of people organize themselves to fulfill some specific aims association is formed. But institutions
refers to a social condition of conduct and behavior. Because institutions consists of rules,
regulations, laws and procedures.

(5) Associations are concrete in nature because it have its own form. But institutions are abstract
in nature because it does not have a concrete design and have no form.
(6) Associations are things and denote membership whereas institutions are modes or ways of
service or ways of doing things. Men form association and live in it but he acts through
institution. In other words institution gives life to association.

(7) Association are formed to fulfill man’s needs and necessities whereas institutions grows
naturally and spontaneously.

PART- C

Q15. Discuss the importance and nature of sociology?

Ans. In all ages and human times ever since out erect and restless species appeared upon the
planet, men have been living with others of their kind in something called societies. Prior to the
emergence of sociology the study of society was carried on in an unscientific manner and society
had never been the central concern of any science. It is through the study of sociology that the
truly scientific study of the society has been possible. Sociology alone studies social
relationships, society itself. Sociology is interested in social relationships not because they are
economic or political or religious or legal but because they are at the same time social. Sociology
study how the relations combine, how they build up smaller or greater systems and how they
respond to changes and changing needs or demands. Therefore the study of sociology is
essentially analytical.
Sociology because of its bearing upon many of the problems of the present world has assumed
such a great importance that it is considered to be the best approach to all the social sciences.
Giddings have rightly pointed out, 'Sociology tells us how to become what we want to be.'

NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY

1) Sociology is an independent science:- Sociology has now emerged into an independent

science. It is not treated and studied as a branch of any other science, like philosophy or political
philosophy, or history. As an independent science is has its own field of study, boundary and
method.

2) Sociology is a social science not a physical science:- Sociology belongs to the family of social
sciences, and not to the family of physical science. As a social science, it concentrates its
attention on man, his social behaviors, social activities and social life. As a member of the family
of social sciences it is intimately related to other social science like history, political science,
economic, philosophy, anthropology etc. The fact that sociology deles with the social universe
distinguishes it from astronomy, physics, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics and others physical
sciences.

3) Sociology is a categorical and not a normative discipline:- Sociology “confines itself to

statements about what is, not what should be or ought to be”. As a science, sociology is
necessary silent about question of value. It does not make any kind of value-judgment. Its
approach is neither moral nor immoral, but amoral. It is ethically neutral, but does not mean that
sociological knowledge is useless serves no purpose it only means that sociology as a discipline
can’t deal with problems of good and evil, Right and wrong, and moral or immoral.

4) Sociology is a pure science and not an applied science: – A distinction is often made between
pure sciences and applied sciences. The main aim of pure sciences is the acquisition of
knowledge and it is not bothered whether the acquired knowledge is useful or can be put to use
on the other hand, the aim of applied science is to apply the acquired knowledge into life and to
put it to use. Each pure science may have its own applied field. For example Physics is a pure
science and engineering is it’s applied field. Sociology as a pure science has its applied field.
Such as administration diplomacy, social work etc. Each pure science may have more than one
application. Sociology is a pure science, because the immediate aim of sociology is the
acquisition of knowledge about human society, not the utilization of that knowledge.

Q16. Explain the concept of social processes and also discuss the various types of social process?

Ans. Social processes are the ways in which individuals and groups interact, adjust and readjust
and establish relationships and pattern of behavior.

TYPES OF SOCIAL PROCESS

There are hundreds of social process. But we find some fundamental process that are found to

appear repeatedly in society. These fundamental processes are socialization, cooperation,

conflict, competition, accommodation, acculturation and assimilation etc. Loomis classified

social processes into two categories; the elemental and the comprehensive or master processes.

He describes elemental processes are those by which the separate elements of the social system

are articulated and comprehensive processes are those by which several or all of the elements are

articulated or involved. These elements are beliefs (knowledge), sentiment, end or goal, norm,

status-role (position), rank, power, sanction, and facility.

Q17. Discuss the functional theory of stratification?

Ans.
 Q18. Explain the importance of custom in Indian Society?

Ans. Social traditions and customs play a crucial role in maintaining the base of a society strong.
These customs and traditions are those which made the society and if these are maintained with
making some necessary changes in them along with time can prove to be beneficial for the
society.

Customs are those traditions which prevail in society from time immemorial and these customs
carry on the lineage of our ancestors. These customs and traditions are not meaningless but are
made for some reasons and these reasons keep on changing and therefore alterations in the
customs and traditions are necessary.

The importance of social tradition and customs:

 Social tradition and customs are important to society. It is important however to

remember that traditions can be developed that are simply wrong.
 Consider slavery in this country: it was considered necessary in the south for the
production of agricultural goods.
 The time came when it was no longer acceptable and for good reason. The change will
occur in society and it is necessary that custom and tradition keep up with the times.