Unit-V: Indian Society and Culture

 

Unit-V: Indian Society and Culture

Unit-V: Indian Society and Culture

STPGT Sociology – 50 MCQs with Answers

(Prepared by Subrata Majumder, M.A. Sociology)

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Foundations of Sociology

1. Who is regarded as the "Father of Sociology"?
   a) Karl Marx
   b) Max Weber
   c) Auguste Comte ✅
   d) Emile Durkheim

2. The term “Sociology” was coined by—
   a) Herbert Spencer
   b) Auguste Comte ✅
   c) Emile Durkheim
   d) Montesquieu

3. Which method is most used in sociology for empirical research?
   a) Historical
   b) Participant observation ✅
   c) Deductive logic
   d) Philosophical speculation

4. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Sociology?
   a) Empirical
   b) Normative ✅
   c) Systematic
   d) Objective

5. Who defined Sociology as “the science of social institutions”?
   a) Herbert Spencer
   b) Durkheim ✅
   c) Comte
   d) Weber

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Thinkers & Theories

6. Max Weber’s concept of Verstehen means—
   a) Observation
   b) Understanding ✅
   c) Generalization
   d) Prediction

7. “Division of Labour in Society” was written by—
   a) Marx
   b) Durkheim ✅
   c) Spencer
   d) Pareto

8. Who wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism?
   a) Karl Marx
   b) Max Weber ✅
   c) Durkheim
   d) Parsons

9. Which thinker emphasized on “Class Struggle”?
   a) Durkheim
   b) Marx ✅
   c) Weber
   d) Comte

10. The concept of “Anomie” was developed by—
    a) Weber
    b) Durkheim ✅
    c) Merton
    d) Spencer

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Sociological Methods

a) Society in Pre – British India.

11. Sampling method in sociology means—
    a) Studying entire population
    b) Studying a selected group ✅
    c) Avoiding statistics
    d) Interview only

12. Which is NOT a qualitative method?
    a) Case study
    b) Ethnography
    c) Survey ✅
    d) Participant observation

13. Objectivity in research means—
    a) Neutrality ✅
    b) Emotion
    c) Bias
    d) Personal value judgment

14. Hypothesis is—
    a) Proven fact
    b) Tentative assumption ✅
    c) Statistical formula
    d) None

15. Content analysis is used in—
    a) Media studies ✅
    b) Census
    c) Agriculture
    d) Chemistry

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Indian Society & Culture

16. “Purusharthas” in Hinduism are—
    a) Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha ✅
    b) Karma, Bhakti, Jnana
    c) Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya
    d) Dharma, Nyaya, Tyaga

17. Jajmani system is related to—
    a) Urban industry
    b) Rural caste-based exchange ✅
    c) Modern politics
    d) Nuclear family

18. Who wrote Caste in Modern India?
    a) G.S. Ghurye ✅
    b) M.N. Srinivas
    c) Yogendra Singh
    d) A.R. Desai

19. Sanskritization is a concept by—
    a) A.R. Desai
    b) M.N. Srinivas ✅
    c) Ghurye
    d) Weber

20. The term “Dominant Caste” was coined by—
    a) Srinivas ✅
    b) Ghurye
    c) Dumont
    d) Ambedkar

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Social Institutions

21. Exogamy refers to marriage—
    a) Within caste
    b) Outside one’s group ✅
    c) Within family
    d) Between siblings

22. Polygyny means—
    a) One woman, many men
    b) One man, many women ✅
    c) Group marriage
    d) Widow marriage

23. Who called family a “Unit of Production and Consumption”?
    a) Parsons
    b) Engels ✅
    c) Weber
    d) Durkheim

24. Who emphasized “Functions of Religion in Society”?
    a) Marx
    b) Durkheim ✅
    c) Freud
    d) Weber

25. Secularization refers to—
    a) Rise of rituals
    b) Decline of religious influence ✅
    c) Increase of casteism
    d) Growth of communalism

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Stratification & Inequality

26. Which is an open system of stratification?
    a) Slavery
    b) Caste
    c) Class ✅
    d) Estate

27. Caste is based on—
    a) Achievement
    b) Birth ✅
    c) Occupation only
    d) Wealth

28. Who wrote Homo Hierarchicus?
    a) Ghurye
    b) Louis Dumont ✅
    c) Srinivas
    d) Weber

29. Social mobility means—
    a) Geographical movement
    b) Change in social position ✅
    c) Migration
    d) Cultural diffusion

30. Reservation policy in India is an example of—
    a) Social exclusion
    b) Affirmative action ✅
    c) Stratification
    d) Exploitation

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Social Change & Development

31. Which is NOT a factor of social change?
    a) Technology
    b) War
    c) Caste rigidity ✅
    d) Migration

32. Sanskritization is a process of—
    a) Westernization
    b) Imitating higher castes ✅
    c) Industrialization
    d) Urbanization

33. Green Revolution led to—
    a) Equality in villages
    b) Agrarian stratification ✅
    c) No change
    d) Decline of rural elites

34. Westernization in Indian society was discussed by—
    a) Srinivas ✅
    b) Dumont
    c) Ghurye
    d) Desai

35. Social movement led by Mahatma Phule was—
    a) Arya Samaj
    b) Satya Shodhak Samaj ✅
    c) Brahmo Samaj
    d) Ramakrishna Mission

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Rural & Urban Issues

36. Rural–Urban migration is mainly caused by—
    a) Festivals
    b) Push & pull factors ✅
    c) Family ties
    d) Modern media

37. Slums are mostly associated with—
    a) Rural India
    b) Urbanization ✅
    c) Agriculture
    d) Caste system

38. Who wrote Indian Village?
    a) M.N. Srinivas
    b) S.C. Dube ✅
    c) Ghurye
    d) Yogendra Singh

39. Urbanization without industrialization is termed as—
    a) Pseudo-urbanization ✅
    b) Ruralization
    c) Sub-urbanization
    d) None

40. Smart City Mission was launched in—
    a) 2010
    b) 2015 ✅
    c) 2018
    d) 2020

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Globalization & Contemporary Issues

41. McDonaldization refers to—
    a) Global fast-food culture ✅
    b) Indianization
    c) Privatization
    d) Digitalization

42. Information technology revolution has led to—
    a) Feudalism
    b) Knowledge society ✅
    c) Agrarian society
    d) Traditionalism

43. Feminist slogan “Personal is Political” was popularized in—
    a) Second wave feminism ✅
    b) First wave
    c) Third wave
    d) Post-modern feminism

44. Gender is—
    a) Biological
    b) Socially constructed ✅
    c) Natural
    d) Fixed

45. Which is a form of social exclusion in India?
    a) Secularism
    b) Caste untouchability ✅
    c) Democracy
    d) Urbanization

46. Which Act provides for Right to Education in India?
    a) RTE Act 2009 ✅
    b) UGC Act 1956
    c) Education Act 1986
    d) NEP 2020

47. Who is known as the architect of Indian Constitution?
    a) Nehru
    b) Ambedkar ✅
    c) Gandhi
    d) Patel

48. Liberalization in India started in—
    a) 1980
    b) 1991 ✅
    c) 2001
    d) 1975

49. The “Digital Divide” refers to—
    a) Class inequality in internet access ✅
    b) Gender inequality
    c) Age gap
    d) Regionalism

• Sociology helps in—
  a) Understanding society ✅
  b) Isolating individuals
  c) Destroying culture
  d) Rejecting institutions

Society in Pre–British India – 20 MCQs with Answers

1. Early Social Structure

1. The Varna system was first mentioned in—
   a) Rig Veda ✅
   b) Yajur Veda
   c) Atharva Veda
   d) Sama Veda

2. Which Varna was considered as warriors and rulers?
   a) Brahmins
   b) Kshatriyas ✅
   c) Vaishyas
   d) Shudras

3. The Jajmani system in pre-British villages was related to—
   a) Religious rituals
   b) Caste-based occupational exchange ✅
   c) Military alliances
   d) Foreign trade

4. The joint family system in India was primarily—
   a) Patriarchal ✅
   b) Matrilineal
   c) Nuclear
   d) Egalitarian

5. “Gotra” in ancient India signified—
   a) Land ownership
   b) Clan lineage ✅
   c) Caste
   d) Wealth

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2. Religion & Culture

6. The Upanishads mainly dealt with—
   a) Ritual sacrifices
   b) Philosophical ideas ✅
   c) Warfare techniques
   d) Trade routes

7. Who is considered the founder of Jainism?
   a) Rishabha
   b) Vardhamana Mahavira ✅
   c) Gautama Buddha
   d) Kapila

8. The Four Noble Truths are associated with—
   a) Vedas
   b) Buddhism ✅
   c) Jainism
   d) Bhagavad Gita

9. The Bhakti movement in pre-British India emphasized—
   a) Idol worship only
   b) Personal devotion to God ✅
   c) Caste rigidity
   d) Ritual sacrifices

10. Sufism in India is related to—
    a) Islam ✅
    b) Buddhism
    c) Hinduism
    d) Jainism

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3. Economy & Education

11. In pre-British India, the village economy was mainly—
    a) Industrial
    b) Self-sufficient ✅
    c) Urban-oriented
    d) Dependent on imports

12. Land revenue during the Mughal period was collected through—
    a) Zamindars ✅
    b) Priests
    c) Traders
    d) Guilds

13. “Madrasas” in pre-British India were institutions of—
    a) Military training
    b) Islamic education ✅
    c) Sanskrit learning
    d) Trade practices

14. Gurukula system was based on—
    a) Oral transmission of knowledge ✅
    b) Written textbooks
    c) Modern schools
    d) Market learning

15. Persian language in pre-British India was associated with—
    a) Mughal administration ✅
    b) Buddhist scriptures
    c) Vedic rituals
    d) Folk songs

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4. Women & Family

16. Sati was a practice where—
    a) Widows remarried
    b) Widow immolated herself on husband’s pyre ✅
    c) Women were educated
    d) Women led religious movements

17. Widow Remarriage was largely prohibited in—
    a) Upper castes ✅
    b) Tribes
    c) Villages
    d) Bhakti sects

18. The Devadasi system was linked with—
    a) Temple service ✅
    b) Military service
    c) Political duties
    d) Agricultural work

19. In pre-British society, women mainly had rights in—
    a) Religious rituals
    b) Household management ✅
    c) Property inheritance
    d) Political governance

20. Dowry system in ancient India was originally meant as—
    a) A burden on bride’s family
    b) Voluntary gifts to bride ✅
    c) Tax collection
    d) Religious fine

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✅ 20 MCQs complete with answers