Chapter 4: The Market as a Social Institution
Sociology • Class 12 • Indian Society
4
The Market as a Social Institution
Sociology • Class 12 • Indian Society
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Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude (GS-IV)
2026•Mains•GS-I•Q.10
Do you think digital technology promotes social empowerment? Explain with examples.
GS-I
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.5
(a) Describe the nature of social organization of work in industrial society.
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(c) Is religion playing an important role in increasing fundamentalism? Give reasons for your answer.
(d) To what extent is patriarchy a cause for the problems of women? Discuss.
(e) Social conflict is both a cause and a consequence of social change. Explain.
Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.1
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Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.2
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Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.3
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Sociology Optional
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Sociology Optional
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Sociology Optional
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Sociology Optional
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Sociology Optional
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Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.3
(a) Capitalism has brought increasing informalisation of work in society. Substantiate your answer.
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(c) Discuss the consequences of Across Region marriage on kinship system in modern Indian society.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.4
(a) Explain the concept of social mobility. Describe with suitable illustrations how education and social mobility are related to each other.
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Sociology
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(a) Explain the emerging challenges in establishing gender equality in the informal sector.
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Sociology Optional
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(a) Elucidate the main problems and challenges faced by the migrant labourers in the recent 'Lockdown period'.
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Sociology Optional
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(a) Explain how the pattern of patriarchy is being altered in a family and at the workplace in the present context.
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Sociology Optional
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(a) Discuss the changing nature of kinship relations in the contemporary world.
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Sociology Optional
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(a) Caste system studies in India have been dominated by the "book-view" initially. How did the entry of "field-view" bring about a balance in the study of Indian caste system? Discuss.
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Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.2
(a) What is identity politics? Discuss the main trends in Dalit movements in India.
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(c) Discuss the salient features of 'new middle class' in India.
Sociology Optional
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(a) What are the sociological reasons and implication of "reverse migration" during the recent pandemic in India?
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(e) What role do co-operatives play in poverty alleviation in rural India?
Sociology Optional
2023•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.4
(a) Analyse the perspectives of Isolation, Assimilation and Integration in understanding the trajectories of Indian Tribal Development.
(b) Explain the implications and the impact of globalization in situating the changing agrarian class structure in India.
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Sociology Optional
2023•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.5
(a) Citing some case studies, expand the concept of 'Development-induced Displacement'.
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(c) Highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
(d) Analyse the sociological interconnections between Social Media and Mass Mobilization in India.
(e) Discuss the nature of regional variations in sex ratio in India, stating reasons thereof.
Sociology Optional
2023•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.6
(a) How do you account for the increasing significance of religion in public and personal spheres in the context of secularization thesis in India? Explain.
(b) In the face of rising global climatic concerns, how do you contextualize the relevance of Chipko Movement and its Gandhian tone? Answer analytically.
(c) What actionable measures would you suggest to curb the recurrent child labour menace in India?
Sociology Optional
2023•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.7
(a) Do you think that the decades of Dalit political mobilizations and movements have helped in strengthening India's democracy? Substantiate your arguments with facts.
(b) What is 'reverse migration'? Discuss its features, causes and consequences in India.
(c) Discuss the phenomenon of rural-urban continuum with suitable examples.
Sociology Optional
2024•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.1
(a) What, according to you, are the factors responsible for the continuance of caste system in India? Explain.
(b) Discuss the changes taking place in the industrial class structure in India.
(c) Is patriarchy a key to understanding different forms of inequalities in Indian society? Elaborate.
(d) Do you think that family bondings are being affected by the changing kinship patterns in India? Comment.
(e) Despite the efforts of the government, bonded labour still continues in India. Discuss.
Sociology Optional
2024•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.5
(a) Examine with suitable examples the recent trends in the growth of urban settlements in India.
(b) Is there a connection between labour migration and informal sector? Justify your answer with reference to Indian context.
(c) Are slums the manifestations of industrialisation and urbanisation in India? Explain.
(d) Discuss the changing nature of political elites in India.
(e) What is your assessment about the recent farmers' movement in India? Elaborate.
Sociology Optional
2024•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.6
(a) Discuss the major challenges related to women's reproductive health in India. What measures would you suggest to overcome these challenges?
(b) What is sustainable development? How can sustainability be achieved in India where livelihood needs conflict with environmental protection?
(c) Critically examine the relevance of development planning in India.
Sociology Optional
2024•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.7
(a) Analyse the trilogy between environmental movement, development and tribal identity.
(b) To what extent have the legal provisions been effective in curbing violence against women in India? Give your argument.
(c) Trace the social and historical origins of Dalit movements in modern India.
Sociology Optional
2025•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.3
(a) What do you mean by nation building? What is the role of religion in nation building? Elaborate your answer.
(b) Do you think that new economic reforms of British rule have disrupted the old economic system of India? Substantiate your answer with suitable examples.
(c) Describe the main features of Indian new middle class. How is it different from the old middle class?
Sociology Optional
2025•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.5
(a) The transfer of land from cultivating to the non-cultivating owners is bringing about transformation in Indian society. Justify your answer by giving suitable illustrations.
(b) Bring out various factors responsible for declining of village Industries in India.
(c) Discuss the social bases of political mobilization in Independent India. Has some change occurred in these during the last 60-70 years?
(d) What are the major problems faced by the labour migrants while working in informal sectors of Indian States? Discuss.
(e) Do you think that law has been able to abolish child labour in India? Comment.
Sociology Optional
2026•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.2
(a) Describe the impact of capitalist mode of production on society.
(b) Differentiate between social hierarchy and social exclusion and substantiate your answer with reference to the caste system.
(c) 'Data without theory is blind and theory without data is empty.' Comment.
Sociology Optional
2026•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.7
(a) Compare and critically assess 'the grounded theory' with 'theory-driven research method' in sociology.
(b) According to Weber how do class, status and power interact to produce and sustain social inequality?
(c) Compare the social organisation of work in industrial capitalism and platform capitalism.
Sociology Optional
2026•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.3
(a) Examine the challenges of applying micro-level village studies to macro-level village structure of Indian society.
(b) Explain the emergence of middle class in agrarian society in India. What have been the socio-structural implications of the emergence of this middle class?
(c) When land reform was a paradigm shift, then what type of land reforms would you recommend to make India a more equitable society?
Sociology Optional
2026•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.4
(a) How does the Constitution of India promote education? Do you think that education can be a major instrument of social change? Clarify.
(b) Draw the current population pyramid of India. What policy measures would you recommend for population dynamics to achieve sustainability?
(c) Compare G. S. Ghurye's and A. R. Desai's approaches used in understanding Indian society.
Sociology Optional
2026•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.7
(a) Urbanisation in Independent India has been characterized by over-urbanization and rural push. Explain with demographic and sociological dimensions.
(b) Give a sociological explanation of violence against women in India. What suggestions would you give to mitigate these violences?
(c) Examine the process of formalisation of informal sector to safeguard the interests of marginalised sections of the society.
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.3
(a) Discuss distinct sociological method adopted by Emile Durkheim in his study of 'suicide'.
(b) Analyse Marxian conception of historical materialism as a critique of Hegelian dialectics.
(c) Examine epistemological foundations of qualitative methods of social research.
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.4
(a) What is Weberian critique of Marxist notion of social stratification ?
(b) Examine gender, ethnicity and race as major dimensions of social stratification.
(c) How can one resolve the issue of reliability and validity in the context of sociological research on inequality ?
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.5
(a) What do you understand by 'informalisation of labour' ? Write your answer with special reference to India.
(b) Discuss the changing interface between state and civil society in post-independent India.
(c) Give an assessment of Durkheimian notion of 'sacred' and 'profane' in sociology of religion.
(d) Examine 'patriarchal bargain' as gendered division of work in contemporary India.
(e) Assess the role of mass media as an agent of social change.
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.6
(a) Trace the changing nature of organisation of work in capitalist society over the years.
(b) What is new in 'new social movements' ? Elaborate your answer with special reference to India.
(c) Examine the dynamics of pressure groups in multi-party political system.
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.7
(a) Examine the relationship between the contemporary trends in marriage and changing forms of family.
(b) Discuss the regional variations of kinship system in Indian society.
(c) Problematise the concept of secularism in the present context.
Sociology Optional
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