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Past Questions
Objectivity in research requires
A)
Bias analysis of the field
B)
Preferential treatment of subjects studied
C)
Interference of personal judgements
D)
Unbiased study of the field
Based on established principles in Research & Teaching Aptitude, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Bias analysis of the field' (Option A).
Avunculocality is when married couples reside with:
A)
Husband’s father’s brother
B)
Husband’s mother’s brother
C)
Wife’s father’s brother
D)
Wife’s mother’s brother
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Wife’s mother’s brother' (Option D).
A group of people with common language, history, culture and usually geographic territory is
A)
State
B)
Nation
C)
Cult
D)
Elite
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'State' (Option A).
A close friends’ circle is an example of:
A)
Primary group
B)
Secondary group
C)
Tertiary group
D)
Reference group
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Secondary group' (Option B).
Which of the following does not fit Lewis H Morgan’s theory of social change?
A)
Barbarism
B)
Civilisation
C)
Industrialisation
D)
Savagery
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Civilisation' (Option B).
Abolition of Sati act 1829 is an example of social change through
A)
Education
B)
Science and technology
C)
Social legislation
D)
Geographical factors
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Science and technology' (Option B).
Conceiving babies through technological advancement as against natural conception is forbidden by some Christian denominations in Mizoram. This is an example of
A)
Cultural transmission
B)
Cultural diffusion
C)
Cultural lag
D)
High culture
The question describes a scenario where technological advancement (assisted reproductive technology/IVF) has progressed faster than the social, ethical, or religious beliefs (the Christian denominations' views) of a society. This phenomenon is known in sociology as 'Cultural Lag'.
1. **Cultural Lag**: Coined by William F. Ogburn, this occurs when the material culture (technology, science, tools) evolves rapidly, but the non-material culture (values, beliefs, laws, norms) struggles to keep pace, creating a gap or 'lag'. In this case, the technology to conceive babies exists, but the religious norms have not yet adapted to accept it.
2. **Cultural Transmission**: This refers to the process by which cultural elements (beliefs, values) are passed from one generation to the next. It does not describe the conflict between technology and belief.
3. **Cultural Diffusion**: This is the spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another. The scenario is about resistance to change, not the spread of a trait.
4. **High Culture**: This refers to cultural patterns that distinguish a small group of society from a larger group (often associated with the elite, such as opera or classical art). It is irrelevant to the conflict between science and religion.
The term Value neutrality in research is synonymous with
A)
Impartiality
B)
Biasness
C)
Prejudice
D)
Favouritism
Based on established principles in Research & Teaching Aptitude, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Impartiality' (Option A).
A shared belief system according to Durkheim is
A)
Collective consciousness
B)
Division of labor
C)
Social fact
D)
Social order
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Social order' (Option D).
“A caste may be said to be dominant when it preponderates numerically over other castes and when it also wields preponderant economic and political power. A large and powerful caste group can be more easily dominant if its position in the local caste hierarchy is not too low.” By this quote M N Srinivas means that:
A)
Being at the very top of ritual hierarchy is not as important as numbers and economic & political power in order to become the dominant caste.
B)
Brahmins are usually dominant because they are already high in the local caste hierarchy, and only need the numbers and economic & political power.
C)
Dominant castes usually have the highest number in powerful positions such as civil service, affluent businesses, politics, religious leadership etc.
D)
With their high numbers, low castes need to sanskritise to upper caste after getting economic & political power in order to become dominant.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Being at the very top of ritual hierarchy is not as important as numbers and economic & political power in order to become the dominant caste.' (Option A).
Civil society is:
A)
A contributor to polity and economy.
B)
Confined to the family sphere.
C)
Established by the government.
D)
Established by the military.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Confined to the family sphere.' (Option B).
Which of the following have written on elite theory?
A)
Erving Goffman
B)
Jacques Lacan
C)
Marcel Mauss
D)
Vilfredo Pareto
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Erving Goffman' (Option A).
Symbolic Interactionist perspective in Sociology teaches us that:
A)
Some human interactions do not mean anything.
B)
Some symbols do not mean anything.
C)
Symbols have well defined and static meanings.
D)
Words do not have a well defined and static meaning.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Some symbols do not mean anything.' (Option B).
In Max Weber’s ideal types, zweckrational refers to
A)
Goal-rationality
B)
Value-rationality
C)
Emotional-rationality
D)
Tradition
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Tradition' (Option D).
Research whereby the researcher collects and statistically analyse numerical data is
A)
Qualitative research
B)
Quantitative research
C)
Ethnographic Research
D)
Mixed Research
Based on established principles in Research & Teaching Aptitude, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Qualitative research' (Option A).
According to B Malinowski,:
A)
Magic has many superstitions and is therefore overcome by religion and science as society progresses.
B)
Magic is usually done to cause harm, religion is used to bring harmony, and science bridges the gap between the two.
C)
Religion, magic and science can simultaneously coexist in society as they all have the similar function of fulfilling human needs.
D)
Religion and magic exist in eternal conflict of ideology and practices while science exists on a different and separate plane.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Religion and magic exist in eternal conflict of ideology and practices while science exists on a different and separate plane.' (Option D).
Social facts:
A)
Are an aggregate of all individual facts.
B)
Are coercive to an individual.
C)
Are internal to the individual.
D)
Are scientifically proven.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Are coercive to an individual.' (Option B).
Who says that class system is based on similar life chances?
A)
Karl Marx
B)
Max Weber
C)
MN Srinivas
D)
Ralf Dahrendorf
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Karl Marx' (Option A).
How many components are there in Max Weber’s theory of stratification?
A)
5
B)
4
C)
3
D)
2
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is '3' (Option C).
Mizo society traditionally follows which form of post-marital residence?
A)
Matrilocality
B)
Mixed
C)
Neolocality
D)
Patrilocality
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Matrilocality' (Option A).
Who first introduced the idea of dialectics?
A)
EB Tyler
B)
Friedrich Hegel
C)
Karl Marx
D)
William Shakespeare
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'EB Tyler' (Option A).
What best describes the Enlightenment Period?
A)
Finding out the true meaning of god and religion.
B)
Inventions and discoveries in the field of industrial electricity.
C)
Separation of state and religion.
D)
The end of the Dark Ages.
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Inventions and discoveries in the field of industrial electricity.' (Option B).
Which of the following have defined primary and secondary groups?
A)
Charles H Cooley
B)
C Wright Mills
C)
George H Mead
D)
John S Mill
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'C Wright Mills' (Option B).
According to Parsons, a plurality of social actors who are engaged in more or less stable interaction according to shared cultural norms and meanings is
A)
Social fact
B)
Social action
C)
Social paradigm
D)
Social system
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Social fact' (Option A).
The belief that people, animals, objects, geographic features and natural phenomena are inhabited by spirit is called
A)
Animism
B)
Pluralism
C)
Secularism
D)
Monism
Based on established principles in the relevant subject area, the correct and most appropriate choice is 'Pluralism' (Option B).