Basic Concepts and Institutions MCQ Quiz in தமிழ் - Objective Question with Answer for Basic Concepts and Institutions - இலவச PDF ஐப் பதிவிறக்கவும்

The correct answer is - Verstehen is simply the use of 'intuition' and sympathetic participation by the researcher.

Key Points

• Verstehen is simply the use of 'intuition' and sympathetic participation by the researcher.
  • This statement is not true about Weber's notion of 'Verstehen'.
  • Weber's concept of Verstehen emphasizes understanding social action through systematic and rigorous analysis rather than relying solely on intuition or sympathy.
  • While empathy may play a role, it is not the primary method for achieving Verstehen in Weber's framework.

Additional Information

• Verstehen is a rational procedure of study.
  • This is true as Weber's Verstehen involves a rational and systematic approach to understanding social phenomena.
  • It requires the researcher to interpret the meanings and intentions behind human actions.
• Verstehen involved doing systematic and rigorous research.
  • This is correct because Weber emphasized the need for methodical and detailed research in the process of Verstehen.
  • He believed that understanding social actions required a disciplined and scientific approach.
• Weber's thoughts on 'Verstehen' were derived from a field known as hermeneutics.
  • This is accurate as Weber's concept of Verstehen was influenced by hermeneutics, the study of interpretation, especially of texts.
  • Hermeneutics provided the theoretical foundation for Weber's approach to understanding social action.

The correct answer is - A, B, C, D and E only

Key Points

• Characteristics of Social Network Groups
  • They are often called online communities (A)
    • Social network groups are frequently referred to as online communities because they connect individuals over the internet.
  • They do not involve direct face to face communication (B)
    • Communication within social network groups is typically mediated through digital means, such as text, video, and images, rather than face-to-face interaction.
  • They may not be local and bound to a place (C)
    • Social network groups can bring together people from various geographical locations, transcending local and regional boundaries.
  • They generate their own language, values, rules and norms (D)
    • These groups often create unique languages, cultural norms, and ethical guidelines that govern member interactions.
  • They give members a sense of self and esteem (E)
    • Participation in social network groups can enhance members' self-esteem and provide a sense of identity and belonging.

Additional Information

• Online Communities
  • Online communities are digital spaces where people with shared interests can interact, collaborate, and form relationships.
  • Examples include forums, social media platforms, and specialized groups like Reddit communities or Facebook groups.
• Digital Communication
  • Digital communication involves the use of electronic devices and the internet to exchange messages, which can include text, audio, video, and multimedia.
  • This form of communication allows for global connectivity and instant information exchange.
• Global Connectivity
  • Social network groups leverage the internet to connect people worldwide, facilitating the sharing of ideas and experiences across diverse cultures and regions.
  • This global reach is a key characteristic that distinguishes them from traditional, location-bound communities.
• Cultural Norms in Online Groups
  • Online groups often develop their own set of cultural norms, which can include specific jargon, codes of conduct, and shared values that define group identity and behavior.
  • These norms help maintain order and foster a sense of community among members.
• Psychological Benefits
  • Being part of a social network group can provide significant psychological benefits, including increased self-esteem, emotional support, and a sense of belonging.
  • These benefits can enhance overall well-being and contribute to personal development.

Divine authority is not a type of authority given by Weber. 

• Max Weber, a prominent sociologist, identified three types of authority: traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal.

Important Points

• Max Weber's concept of authority is central to his theory of social stratification.
• Authority is the power to command obedience from others.
• Weber argued that there are three main types of authority: traditional authority, charismatic authority, and legal-rational authority.
• Traditional authority is based on tradition and custom.
• It is the type of authority that is found in traditional societies, such as monarchies and tribal societies.
• Traditional authority is often associated with the concept of legitimacy. Legitimacy is the belief that an authority is rightful and deserving of obedience. 
• Charismatic authority is based on the leader's personal qualities and charisma.
• It is the type of authority that is found in revolutionary movements and religious cults.
• Charismatic leaders are often seen as having special powers or abilities.
• They are able to inspire followers to great sacrifices and to obey their commands without question.
• Legal-rational authority is based on a system of laws and regulations.
• It is the type of authority that is found in modern states and bureaucracies.
• Legal-rational authority is based on the belief that the ruler has been elected or appointed in accordance with a set of rules and procedures.
• Legitimacy in legal-rational societies is based on the belief that the ruler has the right to rule because they have been chosen through a fair and democratic process.

Additional Information

• Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist, economist, and political scientist who is considered to be one of the founders of modern sociology.
• Weber made important contributions to a wide range of sociological topics, including social stratification, bureaucracy, religion, and economic development.
• Weber's most important contributions to sociology include:
  • Concept of social action: Social action is the basic unit of sociological analysis.
  • It is any action that is oriented towards others.
  • Concept of social structure: Social structure is the set of social relationships that shape and constrain social action.
  • Concept of social stratification: Social stratification is the division of society into different social classes based on factors such as economic resources, social status, and political power.
  • Concept of bureaucracy: Bureaucracy is a type of social organization characterized by a hierarchy of offices, a system of rules and procedures, and a division of labor.
  • Concept of the Protestant Ethic: The Protestant Ethic is a set of values that emphasizes hard work, thrift, and individual responsibility.

Agency is the ability of individuals to make choices and act independently.

Key PointsAgency: 

• Agency is the ability of individuals to make choices and act independently.
• It is the capacity to make decisions and take actions that are not fully determined by external forces, such as social structures or cultural norms.
• Agency is a complex and contested concept.
• Bourdieu's concept of agency is situated between the extremes.
• According to Bourdieu, individuals have a degree of agency within the limits of their habitus and field.
• They can make choices and act independently, but their choices and actions are shaped by their social context.
• Bourdieu's concept of agency is a valuable tool for understanding how individuals navigate the social world.

Additional Information

• Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) was a French sociologist who is best known for his work on social class, education, and culture.
• Bourdieu developed a number of important concepts, including habitus, field, and capital.
• Habitus is a system of dispositions that guide an individual's thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Habitus is shaped by an individual's social class, education, and other life experiences.
• It provides individuals with a set of taken-for-granted assumptions about the world and their place in it.
• Field is the social space in which individuals and groups compete for resources and power.
• Fields can be economic, political, cultural, or social.
• Individuals and groups occupy different positions within fields.
• Their ability to compete for resources and power is shaped by their habitus and their position in the field.
• Capital is anything that can be used to gain an advantage in a field.
• There are four main types of capital: economic capital, cultural capital, social capital, and symbolic capital.
  • Economic capital is based on an individual's financial resources.
  • Cultural capital is based on an individual's education, knowledge, and skills.
  • Social capital is based on an individual's social connections and relationships.
  • Symbolic capital is based on an individual's social status and prestige.

Unibonded groups are characterized by a single dominant type of relationship, while multi-bonded groups have multiple types of relationships.

Important Points

• Pitirim Sorokin, a prominent sociologist, proposed a classification of social differentiation into unibonded and multibonded groups.
• Sorokin's classification of social differentiation into unibonded and multibonded groups highlights the diversity and complexity of social structures and relationships within societies. 
• Unibonded groups:
  • Characterized by a single dominant type of relationship or bond among members.
  • Members primarily interact and identify based on a shared characteristic, interest, or affiliation.
  • Relatively homogeneous in composition and purpose, with a clear and cohesive social structure.
  • Examples include religious congregations, sports teams, or academic clubs.
• Multi-bonded groups:
• Consist of individuals connected through multiple types of relationships or bonds.
• Members may interact based on various shared characteristics, affiliations, or roles.
• More heterogeneous in composition, encompassing diverse interests, backgrounds, and social roles.
• Examples include families, workplaces, or communities where individuals maintain multiple social roles and relationships.

Additional Information

• Social differentiation refers to the process through which individuals or groups within a society become distinct from one another based on various characteristics, roles, statuses, or attributes. 
• This differentiation can occur along multiple dimensions, including but not limited to:
• Economic Differentiation,Educational Differentiation, Occupational Differentiation, Cultural Differentiation, Political Differentiation, Gender Differentiation, Ethnic and Racial Differentiation.
• Social differentiation is a fundamental aspect of social structure and organization, shaping individuals' identities, interactions, and opportunities within society.
• It reflects the diverse and dynamic nature of human societies and contributes to the complexity of social life.
• Understanding social differentiation is essential for analyzing patterns of inequality, social stratification, and social change in diverse cultural, historical, and institutional contexts.

"Just as modernization dissolved the structure of feudal society, modernization today is dissolving industrial society and another modernity is coming into being" is a statement by Ulrich Beck.

Key Points

• Ulrich Beck
  • ​focused on questions of uncontrollability, ignorance and uncertainty in the modern age, and he coined the terms "risk society" and "second modernity" or "reflexive modernization". 
  • Risk society was coined by Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens during the 1980s.
  • Globalization creates risks that concern people from all different classes; for example, radioactivity, pollution, and even unemployment. 
  • He points out that risks are also socially constructed and some risks are perceived as more dangerous because they are discussed in mass media more frequently, such as terrorism.

Additional Information

• Zygmunt Bauman
  • ​wrote on issues modernity, holocaust, liquid modernity, globalisation, morality and post-modern consumerism.
  • His major works include Liquid Modernity, Liquid Love, Liquid Life, Liquid Times: Living in the age of uncertainty, Wasted Lives and Modernity and The Holocaust.
• Anthony Giddens
  • ​theory of structuration (gives primacy neither to structure nor individual) and late-modernity.
  • He says that we are living in 'late- modernity'. This kind of modernity has four fundamental institutions- Capitalism, Industrialism, Surveillance and Military power.
  • 'Modernity is a juggernaut' and 'Self is a reflexive project'.
  • His major works include The class structure in advanced societies, The Constitution of society, The Consequences of Modernity, Transformation of intimacy, Beyond Left and Right, and Third Way.
• Jean Baudrillard
  • ​Best known for analysis of media, Technological communication and contemporary culture.
  • His conceptual framework include hyperreality, simulation and simulacrum.
  • Most well known works are Seduction, The Gulf War did not take place, Simulacra and Simulation, The Mirror Production, The System of Objects and The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures.
  • often seen as part of post-structuralists. However he criticises both post-structuralism and post-modernism.

Sanskritization is a concept where MN Srinivas has explained caste mobility as a process of Social and Cultural change. Important Points 

• M.N. Srinivas explained the concept of Sanskritization in his book “Religion and society among the coorgs of South India” to describe the cultural mobility in the traditional caste structure of Indian society. 
• In his study of the coorgs of Mysore, he came to know that the lower castes were trying to raise their status in their caste hierarchy by adopting some cultural ideals of the Brahmins.

Additional Information

• Modernization is a process of social change that is based on scientific approach and logic.
• Secularization is the transformation of people or a society from identification with traditional , formal, belief systems or religious values and institutions toward unacknowledged belief systems or seemingly non-religious values and secular based belief systems.
• Westernization is the adoption of the practices and culture of western Europe by societies and countries in other parts of the world, whether through compulsion or influence.

The correct answer is - 3

Key Points

• According to Sutherland
  • Edwin H. Sutherland, a prominent sociologist, is known for his work on the theory of differential association.
  • He identified the elements of crime in social views.
  • According to his theory, there are 3 primary elements.
• The 3 Elements
  • Association with others who commit crimes.
  • Learning the techniques of committing crimes.
  • Learning the motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes necessary to commit crimes.

Additional Information

• Differential Association Theory
  • This theory proposes that criminal behavior is learned through interactions with others.
  • The learning process involves techniques of committing crimes as well as the specific direction of motives and drives.
  • It emphasizes the role of social relationships in the development of criminal behavior.
• Influence of Social Environment
  • The theory suggests that the social environment plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's behavior.
  • Individuals are more likely to commit crimes if they are frequently exposed to criminal behavior and values.
• Criticisms of the Theory
  • Some critics argue that the theory does not account for individual differences in the propensity to commit crimes.
  • Others suggest that it overlooks the role of biological and psychological factors in criminal behavior.

Occupational socialization

Key Points

• Occupational socialization
  • Refers to the process by which individuals learn the attitudes, behaviors, and skills needed to perform effectively in their occupational roles.
  • This involves both formal training and informal learning through observation and experience.
  • It ensures that employees can competently fulfill their job responsibilities in a sustainable manner.

Additional Information

• Occupational structure
  • Refers to the hierarchical arrangement of jobs within an organization or the labor market.
  • It involves the classification and distribution of occupations based on factors like skill level and responsibilities.
• Occupational segregation
  • Describes the division of labor based on gender, race, or other demographic factors.
  • It often leads to unequal employment opportunities and wage disparities.
• Occupational prestige
  • Refers to the societal value and respect attributed to certain jobs or professions.
  • It is often influenced by factors like education, income, and social status.

The correct answer is - Conkhin

Key Points

• Conkhin
  • Conkhin's study highlighted the impact of urbanization and education on conjugal role patterns.
  • The research indicated a significant shift towards more egalitarian roles within joint households due to these factors.
  • This study is crucial in understanding how social and economic changes influence family dynamics in urban settings.

Additional Information

• Raj Gandhi
  • Notable for his contributions in politics and social reforms in India.
  • However, there is no specific study attributed to him regarding urbanization and conjugal roles.
• M. S. Gore
  • Renowned Indian sociologist who has worked extensively on social change and modernization.
  • His research often focused on urbanization and its effects, but not specifically on conjugal roles in joint households.
• A. M. Shah
  • Known for his work on the Indian family and kinship structure.
  • His studies have significant insights into family systems, yet no specific study on urbanization's impact on conjugal roles.