Passage Based Questions: Terms, Concepts and their Use in Sociology | Sociology Class 11 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Passage - 1

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
The important point is that these classifications and types that we discuss in sociology help us as the tools through which we can understand reality. They are keys to open locks to understand society. They are entry points in our understanding, not the final answer. But what if the key becomes rusted or bent or does not fit the lock, or fits in with effort? In such situations we need to change or modify the key. In sociology we both use and also constantly interrogate or question the concepts and categories.

Q1: How are classifications and types in sociology described in the passage?
Ans:

• Classifications and types in sociology serve as tools to understand reality, acting as keys to unlock our understanding of society.
• They are entry points for understanding, not definitive answers.

Q2: What does the passage suggest about the flexibility of sociological concepts and categories?
Ans:

• Sociological concepts and categories are not rigid; they can be modified or changed when necessary.
• If a concept becomes ineffective (like a rusted or bent key) or doesn't fit the situation, sociologists are encouraged to adapt or alter the concepts to better understand social phenomena.

Q3: How does the passage emphasize the approach of sociologists towards concepts and categories?
Ans:

• Sociologists both use and question concepts and categories continually.
• This interrogation ensures that sociological understanding remains dynamic and adaptable, allowing for the evolution of concepts to better align with the complexities of society.

Passage - 2

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Sociology is the study of human social life. A defining feature of human life is that humans interact, communicate and construct social collectivities. The comparative and historical perspective of sociology brings home two apparently innocuous facts. The first that in every society whether ancient or feudal or modern, Asian or European or African human groups and collectivities exist. The second that the types of groups and collectivities are different in different societies.

Q1: What is the defining feature of human life, according to the passage?
Ans: A defining feature of human life is that humans interact, communicate, and construct social collectivities.

Q2: What does the comparative and historical perspective of sociology reveal about human societies?
Ans:

• The comparative and historical perspective of sociology highlights two facts:
• In every society, whether ancient, feudal, or modern, human groups and collectivities exist.
• The types of groups and collectivities vary across different societies.

Q3: How does the passage emphasize the diversity of human social groups across different societies?
Ans:

• The passage underscores that human groups and collectivities exist in every society, but the specific types of these groups vary across different societies.
• This variation in the nature of social groups highlights the diversity and complexity of human social life in different cultural, historical, and geographical contexts.

Passage - 3

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
A quasi group is an aggregate or combination, which lacks structure or organisation, and whose members may be unaware, or less aware, of the existence of groupings. Social classes, status groups, age and gender groups, crowds can be seen as examples of quasi groups. As these examples suggest quasi groups may well become social groups in time and in specific circumstances. For example, individuals belonging to a particular social class or caste or community may not be organised as a collective body.

Q1: How is a quasi group defined in sociology?
Ans:

• A quasi group is an aggregate or combination of individuals that lacks structure or organization.
• Members of quasi groups may be unaware or less aware of the existence of these groupings.

Q2: What are some examples of quasi groups mentioned in the passage?
Ans:

• Examples of quasi groups include social classes, status groups, age groups, gender groups, and crowds.
• These examples illustrate groups that lack formal organization but share common characteristics or identities.

Q3: Can quasi groups transform into social groups? Provide an example mentioned in the passage.
Ans:

• Yes, quasi groups may evolve into social groups in specific circumstances and over time.
• For instance, individuals belonging to a particular social class, caste, or community may not be initially organized as a collective body but can become a social group under specific conditions or contexts.

Passage - 4

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Social structure here refers to patterns of regular and repetitive interaction between individuals or groups. A social group thus refers to a collection of continuously interacting persons who share common interest, culture, values and norms within a given society.

Q1: How is social structure defined in the context of sociology?
Ans: Social structure refers to patterns of regular and repetitive interaction between individuals or groups within a society.

Q2: What is the definition of a social group provided in the passage?
Ans: A social group is defined as a collection of continuously interacting persons who share common interests, culture, values, and norms within a given society.

Q3: What are the key elements that define a social group according to the passage?
Ans:

• A social group is characterized by continuous interaction among its members.
• Members of a social group share common interests, culture, values, and norms, forming the basis of their collective identity within a specific societal context.

Passage - 5

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
The groups to which we belong are not all of equal importance to us. Some groups tend to influence many aspects of our lives and bring us into personal association with others. The term primary group is used to refer to a small group of people connected by intimate and face-to-face association and co-operation. The members of primary groups have a sense of belonging. Family, village and groups of friends are examples of primary groups. Secondary groups are relatively large in size, maintain formal and impersonal relationships. The primary groups are person-oriented, whereas the secondary groups are goal oriented. Schools, government offices, hospitals, students’ associations etc. are examples of secondary groups.

Q1: How are primary groups defined in sociology?
Ans:

• Primary groups are small groups of people connected by intimate and face-to-face association and cooperation.
• Members of primary groups have a strong sense of belonging and engage in personal relationships.
• Examples of primary groups include family, village communities, and groups of friends.

Q2: What distinguishes secondary groups from primary groups?
Ans:

• Secondary groups are relatively large in size and maintain formal and impersonal relationships.
• Unlike primary groups, secondary groups are goal-oriented and focus on achieving specific objectives.
• Examples of secondary groups include schools, government offices, hospitals, and students' associations.

Q3: What is the key difference in orientation between primary groups and secondary groups, as mentioned in the passage?
Ans:

• Primary groups are person-oriented, emphasizing intimate and personal relationships among members.
• Secondary groups, in contrast, are goal-oriented, emphasizing formal and impersonal relationships focused on achieving specific objectives.

Passage - 6

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
‘Society’ or ‘association’ refers to everything opposite of ‘community’, in particular the apparently impersonal, superficial and transitory relationships of modern urban life. Commerce and industry require a more calculating, rational and self-interesting approach to one’s dealings with others. We make contracts or agreements rather than getting to know one another. You may draw a parallel between the community with the primary group and the association with the secondary group.

Q1: How does the concept of 'society' or 'association' differ from 'community' in the context described in the passage?
Ans:

• 'Society' or 'association' represents the opposite of 'community' and refers to the impersonal, superficial, and transitory relationships found in modern urban life.
• In commerce and industry, interactions are more calculating, rational, and self-interest-driven, often involving contracts or agreements rather than personal connections.

Q2: How are the relationships in modern urban life characterized according to the passage?
Ans:

• Relationships in modern urban life are described as impersonal, superficial, and transitory.
• They often involve a more calculating and self-interested approach, emphasizing contracts and agreements over personal connections.

Q3: What parallel does the passage draw between 'community' and 'association'?
Ans:

• The passage draws a parallel between 'community' and the primary group, emphasizing personal and intimate relationships.
• It also draws a parallel between 'association' and the secondary group, highlighting formal, impersonal relationships driven by rationality and self-interest.

Passage - 7

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
In the colonial period many middle class Indians aspired to behave like proper Englishman. In that sense they could be seen as a reference group for the aspiring section. But this process was gendered, i.e. it had different implications for men and women. Often Indian men wanted to dress and dine like the British men but wanted the Indian women to remain ‘Indian’ in their ways. Or aspire to be a bit like the proper English woman but also not quite like her.

Q1: During the colonial period, who were the reference groups for many middle class Indians, and how was this process gendered?
Ans:

• Many middle class Indians aspired to behave like proper Englishmen during the colonial period, making Englishmen their reference group.
• This process was gendered, with different implications for men and women.

Q2: How did this gendered process manifest in terms of aspirations and behaviors among Indian men and women?
Ans:

• Indian men aspired to dress and dine like British men but expected Indian women to retain their 'Indian' ways.
• Indian women were encouraged to aspire to be somewhat like proper English women but also not entirely like them, indicating a complex negotiation of cultural identity and gender roles.

Q3: What was the paradox in the aspirations of Indian men and women during the colonial period, as mentioned in the passage?
Ans: The paradox was that Indian men desired to adopt British ways but wanted Indian women to maintain their cultural identity, leading to a complex situation where both men and women navigated between the aspiration to emulate English norms and the desire to preserve their own cultural traditions.

Passage - 8

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Social stratification refers to the existence of structured inequalities between groups in society, in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards. Thus stratification can most simply be defined as structural inequalities between different groupings of people. Often social stratification is compared to the geological layering of rock in the earth’s surface. Society can be seen as consisting of ‘strata’ in a hierarchy, with the more favoured at the top and the less privileged near the bottom.

Q1: How is social stratification defined in the passage?
Ans:

• Social stratification refers to the presence of structured inequalities between different groups in society, concerning their access to material or symbolic rewards.
• It can be defined as structural inequalities between various groupings of people, creating a hierarchy within society.

Q2: What analogy is used to describe social stratification in the passage, and how is society depicted in this analogy?
Ans:

• Social stratification is compared to the geological layering of rock in the earth’s surface.
• Society is depicted as consisting of 'strata' arranged in a hierarchy, where the more privileged and favored individuals are positioned at the top, and the less privileged individuals are located near the bottom of the social structure.

Q3: What is the fundamental characteristic of social stratification as described in the passage?
Ans: The fundamental characteristic of social stratification is the presence of structured inequalities between different groups in society, whether it's related to material possessions or symbolic rewards, resulting in a hierarchical arrangement of social strata within the society.

Passage - 9

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Historically four basic systems of stratification have existed in human societies: slavery, caste, estate and class. Slavery is an extreme form of inequality in which some individuals are literally owned by others. It has existed sporadically at many times and places, but there are two major examples of a system of slavery; ancient Greece and Rome and the Southern States of the USA in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a formal institution, slavery has gradually been eradicated. But we do continue to have bonded labour, often even of children. Estates characterised feudal Europe.

Q1: What are the four basic systems of stratification historically existing in human societies, as mentioned in the passage?
Ans: The four basic systems of stratification historically existing in human societies are slavery, caste, estate, and class.

Q2: Can you provide examples of societies where slavery was a significant system of stratification?
Ans: Slavery was notably present in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as in the Southern States of the USA during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Q3: What characterizes the estate system of stratification mentioned in the passage?
Ans: The estate system characterized feudal Europe, where individuals were categorized into different estates or social classes, each having specific rights, privileges, and responsibilities within the feudal society.

Passage - 10

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
In traditional India different castes formed a hierarchy of social precedence. Each position in the caste structure was defined in terms of its purity or pollution relative to others. The underlying belief was that those who are most pure, the Brahmin priestly castes, are superior to all others and the Panchamas, sometimes called the ‘outcastes’ are inferior to all other castes. The traditional system is generally conceptualised in terms of the four fold varna of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. In reality there are innumerable occupation-based caste groups, called jatis.

Q1: How was the caste system traditionally structured in India, and what determined the hierarchy of social precedence?
Ans:

• In traditional India, the caste system was structured hierarchically, with each position defined in terms of its purity or pollution relative to others.
• The hierarchy was based on the underlying belief that the Brahmin priestly castes, considered the most pure, were superior to others, while the Panchamas or 'outcastes' were deemed inferior to all other castes.

Q2: How is the traditional Indian caste system conceptualized in terms of the varna system?
Ans:

• The traditional Indian caste system is conceptualized in terms of the fourfold varna: Brahmins (priestly class), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas (merchants and farmers), and Shudras (laborers and service providers).
• In reality, there are numerous occupation-based caste groups called jatis, creating a complex social hierarchy within each varna.

Q3: What are the innumerable occupation-based caste groups called in the traditional Indian caste system?
Ans: The innumerable occupation-based caste groups in the traditional Indian caste system are called jatis. These jatis represent specific occupational or social groups within the larger varna system, contributing to the complexity of the caste structure in India.

Passage - 11

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Social inequality or stratification is thus an unconsciously evolved device by which societies ensure that the most important positions are deliberately filled by the most qualified persons. Is this true? In a traditional caste system social hierarchy is fixed, rigid and transmitted across generations. Modern class system in contrast is open and achievement-based. In democratic societies there is nothing to legally stop a person from the most deprived class and caste from reaching the highest position.

Q1: What is the purpose of social inequality or stratification in societies, according to the passage?
Ans:

• Social inequality ensures important positions are filled by the most qualified individuals.
• It acts as an unconsciously evolved mechanism to achieve this goal.

Q2: How does a traditional caste system differ from the modern class system in terms of social hierarchy?
Ans:

• Traditional caste system: Fixed, rigid, and transmitted across generations.
• Modern class system: Open and achievement-based, allowing mobility and opportunities for individuals.

Q3: Is there any legal barrier for individuals in democratic societies to rise from the most deprived class and caste to the highest position?
Ans:

• No, in democratic societies, there are no legal barriers preventing individuals from the most deprived class and caste from reaching the highest positions.

Passage - 12

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Role stereotyping is a process of reinforcing some specific role for some member of the society. For example men and women are often socialised in stereotypical roles, as breadwinner and homemaker respectively. Social roles and status are often wrongly seen as fixed and unchanging. It is felt that individuals learn the expectations that surround social positions in their particular culture and perform these roles largely as they have been defined. Through socialisation, individuals internalise social roles and learn how to carry them out.

Q1: What is role stereotyping, and how does it manifest in society?
Ans:

• Role stereotyping is the process of reinforcing specific roles for individuals within society.
• For instance, men and women are often socialized into stereotypical roles, such as the breadwinner for men and homemaker for women.

Q2: Why are social roles and status often perceived as fixed and unchanging?
Ans:

• Social roles and status are wrongly perceived as fixed and unchanging due to the expectations ingrained in specific cultures.
• Individuals learn these expectations through socialization and tend to perform the roles as they have been defined.

Q3: How do individuals internalize social roles, according to the passage?
Ans:

• Through socialization, individuals internalize social roles.
• They learn the expectations surrounding these roles in their culture and subsequently learn how to carry them out.

Passage - 13

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Roles and status are not given and fixed. People make efforts to fight against discrimination roles and status for example those based on caste, race or gender. At the same time there are sections in society who oppose such changes. Likewise individual violation of roles are often punished. Society thus functions not just with roles and status but also with social control.

Q1: Are roles and status fixed in society, according to the passage? Provide an example.
Ans:

• No, roles and status are not fixed; people actively work to fight against discriminatory roles based on caste, race, or gender.
• Example: Efforts to challenge traditional gender roles where women are expected to be homemakers and men as breadwinners.

Q2: What is the role of social control in society, as mentioned in the passage?
Ans:

• Society functions not only with roles and status but also with social control.
• Social control involves mechanisms to regulate individual behavior, including punishing those who violate established roles and norms.

Q3: Can you provide an example of societal resistance to changes in roles and status?
Ans:

• Yes, there are sections in society that oppose changes in roles and status.
• Example: Resistance against efforts to break down traditional caste-based roles and allow equal opportunities and privileges to all individuals regardless of their caste background.

Passage - 14

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Status thus refers to the social position with defined rights and duties assigned to these positions. To illustrate, mother occupies a status, which has many norms of conduct as well as certain responsibilities and prerogatives. A role is the dynamic or the behavioural aspect of status. Status is occupied, but roles are played. We may say that a status is an institutionalised role. It is a role that has become regularised, standardised and formalised in the society at large or in any of the specific associations of society.

Q1: What does the term "status" refer to in the context of social positions?
Ans:

• Status refers to a social position with defined rights, duties, responsibilities, and prerogatives.
• For example, being a mother entails a specific status with norms of conduct and certain responsibilities.

Q2: How does a role differ from a status, according to the passage?
Ans:

• A role is the dynamic or behavioral aspect of a status; it represents how the responsibilities and duties associated with a status are carried out.
• Status is occupied, while roles are played, and a status can be considered an institutionalized, regularized, standardized, and formalized role in society.

Q3: Can you provide an example of a status that is mentioned in the passage?
Ans:

• Yes, the passage mentions the status of a mother as an example.
• A mother occupies a specific social status with defined norms of conduct, responsibilities, and prerogatives within society.

Passage - 15

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
Conflict theorists usually would see social control more as a mechanism to impose the social control of dominant social classes on the rest of society. Stability would be seen as the writ of one section over the other. Likewise, law would be seen as the formal writ of the powerful and their interests on society. Social control refers to the social process, techniques and strategies by which behaviours of individual or a group are regulated.

Q1: How do conflict theorists view social control in society?
Ans:

• Conflict theorists perceive social control as a mechanism employed by dominant social classes to impose their control over the rest of society.
• They see stability as the result of one section having power and influence over others.

Q2: How do conflict theorists interpret the role of law in society?
Ans:

• Conflict theorists view law as a formal tool used by the powerful to enforce their interests and control over society.
• Laws are seen as reflecting the will and dominance of those in positions of power.

Q3: According to the passage, what does social control refer to?
Ans:

• Social control refers to the social process, techniques, and strategies used to regulate the behavior of individuals or groups within a society.
• It involves mechanisms through which societal behaviors are managed and regulated.

Passage - 16

Direction: Read the following Passage and Answer the Questions.
In every society there is another type of social control that is known as informal social control. It is personal, unofficial and uncodified. They include smiles, making faces, body language, frowns, criticism, ridicule, laughter etc. There can be great variations in their use within the same society. In dayto-day life they are quite effective.However, in some cases informal methods of social control may not be adequate in enforcing conformity or obedience. There are various agencies of informal social control e.g. family, religion, kinship, etc.

Q1: What is informal social control, and how does it differ from formal social control?
Ans:

• Informal social control is personal, unofficial, and uncodified methods used to regulate behavior within society.
• It includes gestures like smiles, body language, criticism, and laughter, in contrast to formal social control which involves official laws and institutions.

Q2: Give an example of an informal social control method mentioned in the passage.
Ans:

• An example of informal social control method mentioned in the passage is criticism.
• Criticism, along with other non-verbal cues like making faces and body language, serves as an informal way to regulate behavior.

Q3: What are some agencies of informal social control mentioned in the passage?
Ans:

• Various agencies of informal social control include family, religion, kinship, and other personal relationships within society.
• These entities play roles in influencing and regulating behavior through informal means such as social norms, values, and expectations.