📘 Indian Social Institutions: Family, Marriage, Kinship
Topics:
Family (structure, functions, changes)
Marriage (forms, functions, changes)
Kinship (concept, types, descent, usages

Indian Social Institutions – 100 MCQs with Answers

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SECTION A – FAMILY (30 MCQs)

Structure & Types

1. The most common type of family in traditional Indian society is—
   a) Nuclear
   b) Joint ✅
   c) Extended
   d) Single-parent

2. A nuclear family consists of—
   a) Parents and children ✅
   b) Parents, children, grandparents
   c) Cousins and relatives
   d) Community

3. Patriarchal family system means—
   a) Authority rests with father ✅
   b) Authority rests with mother
   c) Authority rests with both
   d) No authority

4. Matrilineal families are mostly found in—
   a) Punjab
   b) Meghalaya (Khasi, Garo, Jaintia) ✅
   c) Rajasthan
   d) Tamil Nadu

5. Which sociologist defined family as a "unit of interacting personalities"?
   a) Parsons ✅
   b) Ghurye
   c) Srinivas
   d) Dumont

Functions of Family

6. Which is NOT a primary function of family?
   a) Reproduction
   b) Economic production
   c) Sports ✅
   d) Socialization

7. Emotional support is considered a—
   a) Primary function ✅
   b) Secondary function
   c) Political function
   d) Cultural survival

8. Family as an agency of social control uses—
   a) Informal means ✅
   b) Legal rules only
   c) Military power
   d) Bureaucracy

9. Which sociologist analyzed the functions of the family?
   a) Talcott Parsons ✅
   b) Marx
   c) Weber
   d) Ghurye

10. Which function of family is declining in modern society?
    a) Socialization
    b) Economic production ✅
    c) Emotional support
    d) Reproduction

Changes in Family

11. Industrialization led to the rise of—
    a) Joint families
    b) Nuclear families ✅
    c) Clan system
    d) Community families

12. Urbanization leads to—
    a) Growth of nuclear families ✅
    b) Growth of clan marriages
    c) Extended joint families
    d) Increase of matriarchy everywhere

13. Modernization has led to—
    a) Increase of joint family
    b) Increase of nuclear family ✅
    c) No family
    d) Tribe dominance

14. Women’s participation in workforce has—
    a) Strengthened patriarchy
    b) Increased equality in family ✅
    c) Eliminated family
    d) Reduced nuclear families

15. Which type of family is growing in Indian cities today?
    a) Joint family
    b) Nuclear family ✅
    c) Clan
    d) Tribal

Miscellaneous

16. Caste endogamy was maintained through—
    a) Family sanctions ✅
    b) Industrialization
    c) Modern laws
    d) None

17. "Kinship organization is the basis of Indian social organization" – Who said this?
    a) Irawati Karve ✅
    b) Srinivas
    c) Dumont
    d) Weber

18. Joint family system provides—
    a) Social security ✅
    b) Political power
    c) Complete individual freedom
    d) None

19. In joint families, decision-making is controlled by—
    a) Eldest male ✅
    b) Women
    c) Children
    d) State

20. Modern law in India supports—
    a) Joint family dominance
    b) Equality of nuclear family ✅
    c) Patriarchy
    d) Caste hierarchy

21. Single-parent families in India are mainly due to—
    a) Divorce & migration ✅
    b) Joint family traditions
    c) Child marriage
    d) Rural systems

22. Who defined family as “a group defined by common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction”?
    a) Murdock ✅
    b) Parsons
    c) Weber
    d) Srinivas

23. Polygamous families are—
    a) One spouse
    b) More than one spouse ✅
    c) Without children
    d) Childless

24. In patriarchal families, descent is traced through—
    a) Father ✅
    b) Mother
    c) Both
    d) Neither

25. In matrilineal families, property passes through—
    a) Mother’s line ✅
    b) Father’s line
    c) Both
    d) None

26. Extended family is—
    a) Parents & children
    b) Parents, children, grandparents & other kin ✅
    c) Only siblings
    d) None

27. Patrilocal family means—
    a) Bride goes to husband’s house ✅
    b) Groom goes to bride’s house
    c) Both stay separate
    d) None

28. Matrilocal family is seen among—
    a) Khasis ✅
    b) Jats
    c) Tamils
    d) Bengalis

29. Which system is declining rapidly in India?
    a) Joint family ✅
    b) Nuclear family
    c) Clan
    d) Tribal

30. Family planning in India is mainly linked to—
    a) Nuclear families ✅
    b) Joint families
    c) Matrilocal families
    d) Extended kin

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SECTION B – MARRIAGE (35 MCQs)

Forms of Marriage

31. Monogamy means—
    a) One husband & one wife ✅
    b) One husband, many wives
    c) One wife, many husbands
    d) Group marriage

32. Polygyny means—
    a) One man, many wives ✅
    b) One woman, many husbands
    c) Group marriage
    d) None

33. Polyandry is—
    a) One woman, many husbands ✅
    b) One man, many wives
    c) Group marriage
    d) None

34. Fraternal polyandry is found among—
    a) Tibetans ✅
    b) Punjabis
    c) Tamils
    d) Bengalis

35. Group marriage means—
    a) Two couples
    b) Many men with many women ✅
    c) One man, one woman
    d) None

36. Which is the most common form of marriage in modern India?
    a) Monogamy ✅
    b) Polygyny
    c) Polyandry
    d) Group

37. Endogamy means marriage—
    a) Within one’s caste/community ✅
    b) Outside caste
    c) Within same gotra
    d) With foreigners

38. Exogamy means marriage—
    a) Outside one’s group ✅
    b) Within caste
    c) Within family
    d) None

39. Cross-cousin marriage is common in—
    a) South India ✅
    b) North India
    c) Punjab
    d) Kashmir

40. Gotra exogamy is mainly practiced by—
    a) Hindus ✅
    b) Muslims
    c) Christians
    d) Tribes

Functions of Marriage

41. Marriage regulates—
    a) Sexual relations ✅
    b) Politics
    c) Administration
    d) Technology

42. Marriage provides—
    a) Legitimacy to children ✅
    b) Illegitimacy
    c) Economic exploitation
    d) None

43. Marriage as a sacrament means—
    a) Religious & sacred union ✅
    b) Contract only
    c) Temporary relationship
    d) None

44. Marriage as a contract is emphasized in—
    a) Islam ✅
    b) Hinduism
    c) Buddhism
    d) Sikhism

45. Economic cooperation is an important—
    a) Function of marriage ✅
    b) Declining factor
    c) Ritual only
    d) None

46. Marriage helps maintain—
    a) Kinship ties ✅
    b) War
    c) Division
    d) None

47. In tribal societies, marriage ensures—
    a) Exchange of brides ✅
    b) Dowry
    c) Polygyny only
    d) None

48. Marriage strengthens—
    a) Family institution ✅
    b) State power
    c) Capitalism
    d) None

Changes in Marriage

49. Child marriage was legally prohibited by—
    a) Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 ✅
    b) Hindu Marriage Act 1955
    c) Dowry Act 1961
    d) None

50. Hindu Marriage Act was passed in—
    a) 1955 ✅
    b) 1947
    c) 1961
    d) 1975

51. Dowry Prohibition Act was passed in—
    a) 1961 ✅
    b) 1929
    c) 1955
    d) 1970

52. Widow remarriage was legalized in—
    a) 1856 ✅
    b) 1829
    c) 1947
    d) 1901

53. Inter-caste marriages are supported by—
    a) Hindu Marriage Act 1955 ✅
    b) Shastras
    c) Gotra rules
    d) None

54. Modern Indian marriages show rise of—
    a) Love marriages ✅
    b) Child marriages
    c) Polygyny
    d) Polyandry

55. Divorce was legalized under—
    a) Hindu Marriage Act 1955 ✅
    b) IPC 1860
    c) Dowry Act 1961
    d) None

56. In modern India, marriage is seen as both—
    a) Sacrament & contract ✅
    b) Ritual only
    c) Contract only
    d) None

57. Who defined marriage as “a socially sanctioned sexual union”?
    a) Murdock ✅
    b) Parsons
    c) Weber
    d) Srinivas

58. Which religion considers marriage a sacrament?
    a) Hinduism ✅
    b) Islam
    c) Christianity
    d) Judaism

59. Which religion considers marriage a contract?
    a) Islam ✅
    b) Hinduism
    c) Sikhism
    d) Buddhism

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SECTION C – KINSHIP (35 MCQs)

Concept & Types

67. Kinship means—
    a) Socially recognized relations based on blood/marriage ✅
    b) Economic ties
    c) Political relations
    d) None

68. Consanguineal kinship is based on—
    a) Blood relations ✅
    b) Marriage
    c) Neighborhood
    d) Adoption

69. Affinal kinship is based on—
    a) Marriage ✅
    b) Blood
    c) Descent
    d) Ritual

70. Primary kinship includes—
    a) Father, mother, brother, sister ✅
    b) Cousins
    c) In-laws
    d) Neighbors

71. Secondary kinship includes—
    a) Relatives of primary kin ✅
    b) Parents only
    c) Siblings only
    d) None

72. Tertiary kinship includes—
    a) Relatives of secondary kin ✅
    b) Father & son
    c) Siblings
    d) Cousins only

73. Parallel cousins are—
    a) Children of father’s brother or mother’s sister ✅
    b) Cross cousins
    c) Unrelated
    d) None

74. Cross cousins are—
    a) Children of father’s sister or mother’s brother ✅
    b) Parallel cousins
    c) Step cousins
    d) None

75. In North India, cross-cousin marriage is—
    a) Forbidden ✅
    b) Encouraged
    c) Compulsory
    d) None

76. In South India, cross-cousin marriage is—
    a) Common ✅
    b) Prohibited
    c) Abnormal
    d) None

Rules of Descent

77. Patrilineal descent is—
    a) Through father’s line ✅
    b) Through mother’s line
    c) Both
    d) None

78. Matrilineal descent is—
    a) Through mother’s line ✅
    b) Father’s line
    c) Both
    d) None

79. Bilateral descent means—
    a) Through both parents ✅
    b) Through father only
    c) Through mother only
    d) None

80. Unilineal descent is of—
    a) One line only ✅
    b) Both lines
    c) Neither
    d) None

81. Patrilineal descent is common in—
    a) Most of North India ✅
    b) Khasi tribe
    c) Kerala matrilineal groups
    d) None

82. Matrilineal descent is found in—
    a) Khasis & Nayars ✅
    b) Punjabis
    c) Jats
    d) Marathas

Usages of Kinship

83. Kinship helps in—
    a) Regulation of marriage ✅
    b) Political laws
    c) Economic growth
    d) None

84. Kinship defines—
    a) Social obligations ✅
    b) Political authority only
    c) Law enforcement
    d) Technology

85. Kinship usages are important in—
    a) Rural India ✅
    b) Western Europe only
    c) Only tribal societies
    d) None

86. Kinship influences—
    a) Marriage alliances ✅
    b) Banking
    c) Technology
    d) Industry

87. Kinship organizes—
    a) Family & lineage ✅
    b) Police
    c) Army
    d) Bureaucracy

88. Kinship supports—
    a) Caste endogamy ✅
    b) Inter-caste mobility
    c) Urbanization
    d) None

89. Kinship helps in—
    a) Succession of property ✅
    b) Politics only
    c) Religion only
    d) None

90. Kinship strengthens—
    a) Social solidarity ✅
    b) Isolation
    c) Conflict
    d) None

Miscellaneous

91. Who defined kinship as “socially recognized relations among persons through blood and marriage”?
    a) Morgan ✅
    b) Parsons
    c) Srinivas
    d) Weber

92. Kinship terminology in India varies by—
    a) Region & culture ✅
    b) Economy only
    c) Politics only
    d) None

93. Sapinda exogamy is related to—
    a) Hindu kinship rules ✅
    b) Muslim marriage
    c) Christian kinship
    d) Tribal law

94. Kinship obligations in India are—
    a) Strong ✅
    b) Weak
    c) Absent
    d) None

95. Kinship influences—
    a) Caste panchayat ✅
    b) Bureaucracy
    c) Colonial law
    d) None

96. In joint families, kinship provides—
    a) Collective responsibility ✅
    b) Complete isolation
    c) Anomie
    d) None

97. Kinship ties are declining in—
    a) Urban societies ✅
    b) Villages
    c) Tribes
    d) None

98. Kinship system provides—
    a) Social identity ✅
    b) No role
    c) Political power only
    d) None

99. Kinship is most rigid in—
    a) Caste society ✅
    b) Industrial society
    c) Tribal society
    d) None

100. Kinship rules in India are regulated by—
     a) Customs & religion ✅
     b) State alone
     c) Technology
     d) None

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✅ 100 MCQs with answers complete

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Sociological Thought of Auguste Comte — Short Notes & 100 MCQs (with Answers)

Law of Three Stages • Positivism • Social Statics & Dynamics • Hierarchy of Sciences

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Short Notes

• Law of Three Stages: Theological → Metaphysical → Positive.
• Positivism: Valid knowledge comes from observation and experiment.
• Social Statics & Dynamics: Order vs. change and progress.
• Hierarchy of Sciences: Math → Astronomy → Physics → Chemistry → Biology → Sociology.

100 MCQs with Answers