Chapter 1: Structural Change
Sociology • Class 12 • Social Change and Development in India
1
Structural Change
Sociology • Class 12 • Social Change and Development in India
Related PYQs (52)
2021•Mains•GS-I•Q.20
How does Indian society maintain continuity in traditional social values? Enumerate the changes taking place in it.
GS-I
2022•Mains•GS-II•Q.17
Do you agree with the view that increasing dependence on donor agencies for development reduces the importance of community participation in the development process? Justify your answer.
Governance
2024•Mains•GS-I•Q.10
In dealing with socio-economic issues of development, what kind of collaboration between government, NGOs and private sector would be most productive?
Development and Governance
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.6
(a) Globalization has pushed the labour into informal organization of work. Substantiate your answer with suitable examples.
(b) Social change can be brought about through development. Illustrate from the contemporary situation of India.
(c) Examine the role of protest movements in changing the status of Dalits in India.
Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.1
(a) Salient features of A.R. Desai's Marxist Sociology
(b) Significance of Village Studies in Indian Sociology
(c) 'Isolationism' as a dominant feature of colonial tribal policy
(d) Anti-Brahmanical movements during the colonial period
(e) Patriarchy as a form of dominance
Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.2
(a) How has B.R. Ambedkar identified the features of caste system? How is it different from the mainstream treatment of caste features?
(b) Discuss Andre Beteille's account of the relationship between caste, class and power as a change from symmetrical to asymmetrical one.
(c) Analyse the major components of Land Reform Acts. Show their effectiveness in curbing rural inequality.
Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.3
(a) Bring out the significance of the difference between family and household.
(b) Elucidate the concepts of 'majoritarianism' and 'minoritarianism' in accentuating communal tensions in India.
(c) Comment on the increasing significance of caste in politics.
Sociology Optional
2016•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.4
(a) How is the tribal question related with the issues of integration and autonomy in modern India?
(b) Comment on the factors behind the changing status of women in urban India.
(c) What accounts for the growth and consolidation of the middle classes in modern India?
Sociology Optional
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.6
(a) Discuss some of the striking issues of development induced imbalances that need urgent attention.
(b) Examine the impact of heritage tourism on urban socio-spatial patterns in India.
(c) What are the causes and solutions for the low female sex-ratio in the DEMARU States of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Gujarat?
Sociology Optional
2018•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.1
(a) The focal point of Sociology rests on interaction. How do you distinguish it from common sense?
(b) Distinguish between fact and value in Weber's Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism.
(c) Do you think 'I' and 'Me' are central terms in Mead's work?
(d) What is the difference between natural and social inequality? Give examples from caste and class dimensions.
(e) What are the new forms of family in developed societies? Discuss.
Sociology Optional
2018•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.2
(a) Is non-positivistic methodology scientific? Illustrate.
(b) Explain Durkheim's basic arguments on suicide. Can you analyse high suicide rates of contemporary Indian society with Durkheim's theory?
(c) Evaluate if social stratification is functional for society.
Sociology Optional
2018•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.3
(a) Does collapse of functionalism and bankruptcy of Marxism coincide with the rupture of modernity? Discuss.
(b) Define patriarchy. How does patriarchy manifest in interpersonal relations?
(c) What is the difference between anomie in Merton and Durkheim? Explain.
Sociology Optional
2018•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.4
(a) According to Marx, how are human beings alienated from their human potential and what does he suggest to change this?
(b) Schooling does not ensure upward mobility of all members of the society. Discuss with reference to class societies.
(c) Discuss the challenges thrown by religious revivalism to a secular nation-state.
Sociology Optional
2018•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.5
(a) Is the theory of cultural lag valid in present times? Discuss.
(b) Are social movements primordial in means and progressive in agenda? Explain.
(c) Does scientific method make Sociology a science? Illustrate your answer with Durkheim's method.
(d) Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection with suitable examples from Indian society.
(e) Is social mobility possible in closed systems of stratification? Illustrate from research work.
Sociology Optional
2019•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.8
(a) Why has 'active aging' become a glocal goal? Do you agree that the role of elderly care-giving is disproportionately gendered in developing countries? Why?
(b) What is POSH Act? "Identification of tormentor by women at workplace does not come easily even today." Examine the statement with substantive examples from India.
(c) What is 'social security? Examine recent security measures adopted by the Government in India.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.1
(a) Elaborate A. R. Desai's perspective to the study of Indian society.
(b) Banning practice of 'Sati' is attributed to annihilation of a major social evil in colonial India. Comment.
(c) How do you justify Dumont's deliberate stress on ideology that produced intellectualized account of Indian society?
(d) Explain the definitional problems concerning the tribal communities in India.
(e) Secularism was an outcome of 20th century humanistic radicalism. Comment on this statement.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.2
(a) Indian caste system is unique and has been unhealthy for the growth of sociology of India. How far do you agree with this view?
(b) Discuss Whitehead's contention that caste has potential to displace class and colonial contradiction.
(c) Indian rural society is a faction-ridden society. Discuss.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.4
(a) Discuss the conceptual issues about lineage and descent in India. Give suitable illustrations.
(b) Analyze household dimensions of family in India.
(c) Write a note on 'cultural pluralism' in multi-religious society like India.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.6
(a) Discuss in detail the main issues of development planning in mixed economy like India.
(b) Do you think MSP (Minimum Support Price) Scheme for agricultural produce can help in rural development? Elaborate your response with suitable examples.
(c) How can skill development programme induce social change? Illustrate.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.7
(a) Technology has accelerated the process of development and dependency. Discuss.
(b) Phenomenological perspectives in sociology reject many of the assumptions of positivism. Comment.
(c) Critically assess the Marxian theory of 'Alienation'.
Sociology Optional
2020•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.8
(a) How does Marx view social conflict as an essential element in social change?
(b) What is the impact of gender division of labour on the development of society?
(c) Examine how social movements come to an end. Illustrate with examples.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.1
(a) Europe was the first and the only place where modernity emerged. Comment.
(b) Do you think ethnomethodology helps us in getting reliable and valid data? Justify your answer.
(c) Discuss the challenges involved in collecting data through census method.
(d) Explain whether Durkheim's theory of Division of Labour is relevant in the present day context.
(e) Critically examine Max Weber's theory of Social Stratification.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.2
(a) From the viewpoint of growing importance of multidisciplinarity, how do you relate sociology to other social sciences?
(b) How far are sociologists justified in using positivist approach to understand social reality? Explain with suitable illustrations.
(c) How is sociology related to common sense?
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.3
(a) How do qualitative and quantitative methods supplement each other in sociological enquiry?
(b) Critically examine the dialectics involved in each mode of production as propounded by Karl Marx.
(c) Do you agree with Max Weber's idea that bureaucracy has the potential to become an iron cage? Justify your answer.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.6
(a) Elucidate the main problems and challenges faced by the migrant labourers in the recent 'Lockdown period'.
(b) Explain how political parties and pressure groups are dialectically related to each other in terms of achieving their goals.
(c) Give your comments on the growth of religious revivalism in the present day context.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.7
(a) Explain how the pattern of patriarchy is being altered in a family and at the workplace in the present context.
(b) Critically examine the contribution of dependency theories in understanding the present global scenario.
(c) Explain the growing salience of ethnicity in the contemporary world with illustrations.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.8
(a) Discuss the changing nature of kinship relations in the contemporary world.
(b) Describe the role of Science and Technology in enabling us to face the challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(c) Highlight the roles and functions of civil society in a democratic system.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.1
(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.
(b) What does Dr. B. R. Ambedkar mean by the concept of "Annihilation of caste"?
(c) Discuss different forms of kinship system in India.
(d) Critically examine briefly the phrase "Little Republics" as used to denote India's villages.
(e) Caste-like formations are present in Non-Hindu religious communities as well. Discuss with examples.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.2
(a) What is identity politics? Discuss the main trends in Dalit movements in India.
(b) Is Indian society moving from "Hierarchy" towards "differentiation"? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples.
(c) Discuss the salient features of 'new middle class' in India.
Sociology Optional
2021•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.5
(a) Analyze the idea of developmental planning in India.
(b) Comment on the role of co-operatives in rural development.
(c) Urban slums are sites of social exclusion - explain.
(d) Does regionalism essentially lead to decentralization of power? Substantiate your answer with relevant examples.
(e) Discuss the role of technology in agrarian change in India.
Sociology Optional
2022•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.8
(a) Sociologists argue for democratization of science and technology for inclusive development. Comment.
(b) Are traditional social institutions getting weakened as agents of social change in the contemporary society? Substantiate.
(c) How do you understand the relationship between patriarchy and social development?
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.
(c) Critique the victory narratives of Green Revolution in the context of Indian society.
Sociology Optional
2023•Sociology•Sociology Paper-II•Q.5
(a) Citing some case studies, expand the concept of 'Development-induced Displacement'.
(b) Examine the concept of 'Cultural Pluralism' in the context of India's Unity in Diversity.
(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-I•Q.8
(a) Modern families have not just become nuclear and neo-local, but also filiocentric. How do you explain this trend?
(b) Discuss various theories of social change. Explain the limitations of unilinear theory of social change.
(c) Critically examine the World-Systems theory of Immanuel Wallerstein in terms of development and dependency of various nations.
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.2
(a) Do you think that in a society like India orthogenetic changes take place through differentiation? Do you observe continuities in the orthogenetic process? Elaborate your answer with suitable examples.
(b) Agrarian class structure has been undergoing changes due to modern forces. Critically examine.
(c) How same sex marriages are responsible for population dynamics in India? Discuss.
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.1
(a) In what ways do class and caste intersect and overlap in shaping social structure?
(b) Critically examine the position of women in the informal economy.
(c) Discuss the role of geographical factors in social change and development.
(d) Although sociology, as a subject of study, overarches all disciplines in social sciences yet it maintains its distinctiveness. Comment.
(e) Explain in brief the relationship between social movement, collective action and revolution in bringing about social and political changes.
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-II•Q.2
(a) Indological approach, advocated by G. S. Ghurye, focuses on the study of Indian society through Indian texts. How can Indological approach be useful in the study of other society? Comment in detail.
(b) Examine how Indian Nationalism was a result of 'Akhand Bharat'/Indian Subcontinent's socio-cultural and political consciousness.
(c) How does A. R. Desai argue that Indian social classes must be studied through the colonial mode of production? Elucidate.
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
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
2017•Sociology•Sociology Paper-I•Q.8
(a) Examine any two theories of social change in detail.
(b) Critically analyse the role of science and technology in bringing about social change.
(c) Elaborate on various types of religious practices prevalent in Indian society.
Sociology Optional
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