Kerala Plus One Sociology Question Paper September 2021 with Answers

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Kerala Plus One September Previous Year Question Paper September 2021

Time : 2 1/2 Hours
Total Scores : 80

Answer any 2 questions from 1 to 4. Each carries 1 score. (2 × 1 = 2)

Question 1.
Fill in the blank:
Answer:

Question 2.
Man excercises authority and dominance in type of family.
Answer:
Patriarchal

Question 3.
The application of one’s own cultural values in evaluating the behaviour and beliefs of people from other culture is known as ______.
Answer:
Ethnocentrism

Question 4.
Mores, customs are dimensions of culture.
Answer:
Normative

Answer any 4 questions from 5 to 12. Each carries 2 scores. (4 × 2 = 8)

Question 5.
What is psychology?
Answer:
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. Psychologists make research on perception, cognition, attention, emotion, intelligence, subjective experiences, motivation, brain functioning, and personality.

Question 6.
Define the term‘Role’.
Answer:
Role is the behavioural level of one’s position. For each position there are duties and responsibilities. The behaviour the society expects from a person holding a certain position is called role. Positions are to be held and role is to carry out their responsibilities.

Question 7.
Define Nudear family.
Answer:
A nuclear family consist of a father, mother and their unmarried children.

Question 8.
Give one definition for culture.
Answer:
As a member of the society, a person acquires knowledge about all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions and it is passed down from generation to generation. Culture is called “the way of life for an entire society.” As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, art, norms of behaviour, such as law and morality, and systems of belief.

Question 9.
What is structured interview?
Answer:
The structured interview is quite official or formal. This is like using a questionnaire in a survey. The questions and their order are prepared in advance by the researcher. The respondents are asked questions in a certain order. The information received through structured interview is supposed to be more reliable.

Question 10.
What is meant by ecology?
Answer:
All societies have an environmental basis. Ecology is the chain of the physical and biological systems and processes. It is the study of the selationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them.

Question 11.
What do you mean by social stratification?
Answer:
Social stratification is the structural inequality that is found among different social groups. Each society is divided into different levels. Social stratification is this division of the society into various compartments.

Question 12.
Define the term social order.
Answer:
Social order is the tendency to resist and control’ social changes. It prevents and controls social changes.

Answer any 3 questions from 13 to 18. Each carries 3 scores. (3 × 3 = 9)

Question 13.
Who introduced the concept ‘Social Imagination’? Explain Social Imagination.
Answer:
C Wright Mills.

1. It describes how individuals and the society are mutually related.
2. It is clear awareness about the relation between personal experience and the broader social and historical context.
3. It is the ability to view a thing socially.
4. A person with social imagination can take decisions as per the circumstances and thus he is able to move forward.
5. This helps in the observation of the society based on facts.

Question 14.
What is meant by Reference group? Give one example.
Answer:
Some groups observe other groups and wish to become like them. So they imitate the life style of those groups. The groups whose life styles are being imitated are called Reference Groups. People tend to imitate film stars and famous sportsmen.

Question 15.
Give three common characteristics of Religion.
Answer:

1. Belief in supernatural powers.
2. There will be a set of symbols that awaken reverence, fear and piety in people.
3. There will be rituals, prayers, incantations, hymns, food restrictions, fasting, and a community of believers.
4. Awe, devotion, spiritual satisfaction, and modes of worship.

Question 16.
Give any three reasons for cultural change.
Answer:
Societies change their social order. These changes are called cultural changes. The inspiration for the changes can be internal or external. An example of the internal reason can be this: When new methods of cultivation are used the production increases. This allows the farming community to consume more and bring about changes in the quality of their lives. Interventions in the form of conquest and colonisation will bring deep changes in the culture of a society. The changes are examples for external reasons. Cultural changes can also happen through environmental changes and through contacts with other cultures. Environmental changes can alter the entire lifestyle of the people. If the forest dwellers are denied entry into the forest and the use of forest products by law, it will adversely affect them and their lifestyle.

Question 17.
Give the three basic advantages which privileged groupsenjoy.
Answer:
Privileged groups enjoy some of the following basic privileges:
a) Opportunities in Life: Material gains make their standard of life better. Factors like wealth, income, security, recreation, health, etc. increase the quality of their life.

b) Social status: I n the eyes of others, they enjoy high status and position.

c) Political influence: Privileged groups are able to establish their dominance over others and to play a decisive role in making crucial decisions. From such decisions they get advantages. Social stratification brings boundaries for social processes.

Question 18.
Why environmental problems are also social problems?
Answer:
Environmental problems are social problems. It has close relations with social inequality. So, environmental problems create different consequences. It is their social status and power that enable people to escape from, and survive, environmental crises. The solutions to the environmental crises the people of the higher or privileged classes find often increase the inequality in the society. Some environmental problems are universal. They affect all social groups alike. On such things all will be interested.

Answer any 3 questions from 19 to 24. Each carries 4 scores. (3 × 4 = 12)

Question 19.
Distinguish between commonsense knowledge and sociological knowledge.
Answer:

1. Commonsense knowledge is personal opinions.
2. It does not have any scientific backing.
3. But sociological knowledge is scientific.
4. It is different from commonsense knowledge and philosophical ideas.
5. In the studies about society, sociology adopts scientific methods.

Question 20.
Give four differences between Caste system and Class system.
Answer:

Caste	Class
The basis is birth and the concept of purity and impurity.	The basis is wealth, education, life opportunities, or competences.
Gained by birth.	Acquired.
Traditional	Not traditional
Has approval from religion.	No approval of religion or law.
Special for India alone.	Universal

Question 21.
Give short note on the following:
a) Objectivity
b) Subjectivity
Answer:
a) Objectivity has no prejudices. It is impartial. Conclusions are based only on facts.
b) Subjectivity is based on personal values and preferences. A person’s emotions and interests are reflected here.

All sciences are expected to be objective. But it is impossible to bring complete objectivity in Sociology as in the other natural sciences.

Question 22.
Write short note on:
a) Ghettoisation
b) Gated communities
Answer:
a) Ghettoisation:
Ghettoisation refers to the process whereby people belonging to minority groups are made to live in particular areas of cities and towns due to factors relating to their religious, ethnic or racial background. The conflicts and discriminations among them create social changes.

b) Gated Communities:
Rich neighbourhoods build walls and gates and keep themselves separate from the people around them. Entry into the gated communities is restricted. Such communities are called gated communities. Gated communities may have their own water and electricity distribution system and security measures.

Question 23.

A	B
Karl Marx	Emergence of Sociology
Max Weber	Division of Labour
Emile Durkheim	Class struggle
French Revolution	Bureaucracy

Answer:

A	B
Karl Marx	Class struggle
Max Weber	Division of Labour
Emile Durkheim	Bureaucracy
French Revolution	Emergence of Sociology

Question 24.
Explain the concept of welfare state.
Answer:
Desai pointed out the shortcomings of the welfare state after explaining their salient features. He has suggested some criteria for measuring the performance of a welfare state. They are given below:

a) Does the welfare state ensure security and freedom from poverty and social discrimination to all its citizens?
b) Does the welfare state ensure that the wealth gets redistributed among the poor and prevents the concentration of wealth in some hands, and do away with the inequalities in incomes?
c) Has the welfare state changed the financial system and the profit motive of capitalism to submit to the real needs of the society?
d) Does the welfare state ensure freedom from the cycle of sudden economic rises and depressions and bring about stable development?
e) Does the welfare state give everyone jobs?

Answer any 3 questions from 25 to 30. Each carries 5 scores. (3 × 5 = 15)

Question 25.
Define anthropology. Write its relations with sociology.
Answer:
Anthropology studies human races, their origin, development, customs and conventions.

1. Physical Anthropology – The biological origin of humankind.
2. Social Anthropology – Behaviour of people in social circumstances.

Anthropology studies simple societies. Social anthropology studies complex societies. Anthropologists use participant observations as the method of their studies. But sociology uses survey, questionnaire etc.

Question 26.

A	B
Quasi group	By birth
Primary group	Adolescence
Caste	Gender group
Peer group	Inequality
Social stratification	Family

Answer:

A	B
Quasi group	Gender group
Primary group	Family
Caste	By birth
Peer group	Adolescence
Social stratification	Inequality

Question 27.
Give brief note on the following:
a) Endogamy
b) Exogamy
Answer:

• Endogamy
  1. A method in which life partner is chosen from the same community.
  2. Marriage outside the community is not allowed. Example: Caste, race.
• Exogamy
  1. A method in which a person marries from a different community.
     Example: Marriage is prohibited between families related by blood.

Question 28.
Explain the following diemensions of culture:
a) Cognitive
b) Material
Answer:
a) It is difficult to recognise the cognitive dimension of culture. This is the ability to understand and recognise the meanings of things that we see and hear. Getting awareness or convictions from the information we get from the surroundings is called cognitive dimension of culture. We get awareness from oral things and written books.

b) Material dimension of culture includes all activities in which we use different material. It includes any material thing that man makes and uses. Tools, technologies, machines, buildings, means of transport and communication, productive instruments – all these are included here.

Question 29.
Give short note on:
Answer:
a) Cooperation is the basis of social life. Without
cooperation, social life is impossible. Even in the animal world, we can see cooperation happening in the most disciplined “manner. Among mammals, ants and bees we can see cooperation at a higher level, b) Cooperation and conflict are mutually linked.

1. When cooperation breaks down, there will be conflict.
2. Conflict is the fight between differing interests,
3. Lack of resources can cause conflict in the society.
4. Conflicts can also take place on the basis of class, caste, race, religion, sex, tribe and community.
5. Conflict is often not expressed openly.
6. Hidden conflicts and open cooperation are common in the society.

Question 30.
Distinguish between mechanical solidarity and or-ganic solidarity.
Answer:

Mechanical Solidarity	Organic Solidarity
This is a feature of primitive societies.	It is a feature of complex industrial society.
Similarity is the reason for unity.	Dissimilarity (Diversity) is the reason for unity.
Differences between them will be less.	Division of labour is more.
Division of labour is less.	People live depending on others.
Believes, emotionality, sense of righteousness make them united.	For fulfilling the basic needs of workers, they need the help of other workers.

Answer any 3 questions from 31 to 36. Each carries 6 scores. (3 × 6 = 18)

Question 31.
Describe the scope of siology.
Answer:
The scope of sociology’s very big.

1. It studies different types of social relations – at the individual, social, and global level.
2. The study of sociology helps to have clear cut attitudes.
3. Sociology gives greater importance to factual knowledge.
4. It releases people from the narrow-mindedness created by race, class, region, religion, etc.
5. It discovers social problems and takes steps to solve them.
6. It dispusses the need for social solidarity.
7. It discusses things like social-cultural changes, relations, stratific’ation, group, status, population, social organisations, etc.

Question 32.
Write Six characteristics of social group.
Answer:
A social group is a fellowship of individuals who share the common interests, cultures, values, and conventions of a particular society and constantly engage in mutual activities.

1. Constant mutual activities.
2. A permanent model for the constant mutual activities.
3. Group sense.
4. Common interests
5. Common criteria and values.
6. A fixed structure.

Question 33.
Describe survey method.
Answer:
Survey

1. This is the most well known research method in sociology.
2. It gives a common view.
3. Through survey, a.comprehensive view about a subject is obtained on the basis of the information collected from a selected group of people. The people selected for the survey are called respondents.

Different Tools in Surveys

1. Normally questionnaires and checklist are used.
2. Questions are asked directly from the respondents.
3. Questions are sent to the respondents.
4. Questions are asked over the phone.
5. Electronic equipment is used.

Question 34.
Explain three environmental problems.
Answer:
Important Environmental Problems
Depletion of Resources
Pollution Global Warming
Animals and Plants which are changed genetically

Depletion of Resources
Natural resources are divided into two – re-creatable and non re-creatable.
Underground water, mineral wealth, petroleum etc, can’t be recreated. SAs we use them, their availability becomes less and less. Solar energy, wind, waves, plans etc. are re-creatable. The depletion of non-re-creatable resources is a major environmental problem.

Pollution
The main pollutions are air pollution, water pollution and sound pollution.
Air Pollution: This is a big environmental problem that affects the urban and rural areas alike. Air pollution causes lung diseases and other problems. Smoke and poisonous gases from factories and vehicles, and using firewood and coal for cooking at homes create air pollution.

Water Pollution: This adversely affects the surface water sources and also the underground water set up.

Sound Pollution: This is a problem that s more in the urban areas.

Global warming:
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane prevent the heat of the sun from radiating back into the space. These gases play a big role in increasing global warming. It causes the melting of ice in the polar region raising the sea levels. Global warming can bring drastic changes in the climate of countries.

Genetically altered animals and plants:
BT cotton, BT Brinjal, etc. are crops which have been altered through genetic engineering. In genetic engineering, there is deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. The genetic material of one species is put into another one to make a new species.

It is social inequality that brings about environmental problems. Some people use their and power and potion to escape from environmental problems. This kind of escape by one group increases the worsening of social inequality. The rich people in the Kutch area of Gujarat use groundwater for their agriculture by digging bore-wells. The wells of the poor people go dry and they run here and there to get water for their needs. Different interests and ideologies cause environmental conflicts. Many of the activities done in the name of protecting common interests are done for the benefit of politically and economically powerful groups. Many of the environmental problems are the results of social inequality.

Question 35.
Give four characteristics of bureaucratic authority. Define bureaucracy.
Answer:
Bureaucracy is a formal institution that exists in the public sector. As a public sector institution, it limits the authority of the officials according to their responsibilities. It does not give them the supreme power. Bureaucracy has 5 main features.

a) The working of the officials.
b) Hierarchical division of official positions.
c) Belief in the written documents.
d) Running the Office.
e) Behaviour in the office.

a) The working of the officials:
The officials have their fixed official area in the bureaucracy. That is based on some laws, regulations and administrative control. The ordinary works in a bureaucracy are divided and they are given as the responsibilities of particular officials. Moreover the orders of the higher authorities are to be implemented by the bureaucrats. To carry out the duties of the bureaucracy only people with certain minimum qualifications will be appointed. The official posts of the bureaucracy are permanent.

b) Hierarchical division of official positions There is hierarchy in the bureaucracy. This hierarchy is formed according to the positions and powers. According to this, the higher official supervise then lower ones. Because of this hierarchical arrangement, the public have the right to approach the higher officials, if the decisions of the lower officials are not satisfactory to them.

c) Belief in written documents
In bureaucracy, administration is done on the ‘ basis of certain written documents. These will be filed and kept as records.

d) Running the office
Running the office is a specialised modern activity. Therefore trained, expert personnel are needed for its smooth functioning.

e) Behaviour in the office To carry out the official duties, all the time, and attention, of the officers is needed. Therefore they may be required to do overtime work. There are some rules and regulations that control the behaviour of an official in the office. These rules and regulations separate his behaviour inside the office and outside in his private affairs. As these rules and regulations are legal for any breach, the official will be answerable.

Question 36.
GS. Ghurye emphasis six features of caste system, what are they?
Answer:

1. In traditional India, different castes had given shape to stratification.
2. In the caste system, the position of each individual is obtained by birth.
3. The basis of caste divisions was purity-impurity concept.
4. The highest place in the caste system belonged to the Brahmins.
5. There were people who were outside the caste system and they were called Panchamas; they were below all the castes.
6. In the caste system India drastic changes have taken place over the years.

Answer any 2 questions from 37 to 40. Each car-ries 8 scores. (2 × 8 = 16)

Question 37.
a) Explain that marriage is a social institution,
b) Describe the fol lowi ng:
i) Monogamy and its types
ii) Different type of Polygamy
Answer:
a) Historically, in different societies, different kinds of marriages could be seen. They have their own functions. An important function of marriage is making a family. Marriage has many forms.

Their basis can be different: number of partners, laws specifying who can marry whom. Based on the number of partners there is monogamy and polygamy. In each society there are certain rules controlling and banning who can marry whom. In some societies these rules and controls may be soft. But in some societies there are strict rules regarding whom one can marry and whom one should not marry. Based on the suitability of the partners, there are two kinds of marriage: Endogamy
and Exogamy.

b)

1. Serial Monogamy
   • In some societies, one is allowed to marry after the death of the partner or after divorce. But one can have more than one partner. This kind of monogamy is serial monogamy.
2. Arranged Marriage
   • In this type of marriage a person’s partner is selected by his/her parents or relatives.

Question 38.
a) What is socialisation?
b) Explain three agencies of socialisation
Answer:
a) Socialization is the process through which the individual learns to become an accepted member of the society. This is a process that lasts from a person’s birth till his death. It is a process that happens step by step. It is acquired by mingling with others in the society. As a child grows, he imbibes the behaviour and values of the family and the society. He learns all these things with the help of others.

By learning the social manners, the child slowly becomes a social being. Socialization can be defined as the procesl of transformation from a bio-being to a social person. There are many agencies and organizations that socialise a child. They include family, school, peer groups, neighbourhood, professional groups, social classes, caste, region, religion.

Family:
Socialization starts from the family. Some children live with their parents and siblings in the nuclear family whereas other children live in extended families with many members. In a nuclear family, the parents are the main socializing agents. But in joint or extended families grandparents, uncles etc. also become socializing agents.

1. In traditional societies, the family into which a child is born decides its social status.
2. The area of the family into which a child is born and the social class there seriously affect its socialization models. Children imbibe their behaviour and manners from their parents and the people in the neighbourhood.
3. Some children accept the attitudes of their without questions. This is true especially in the contemporary times.

Peer Groups:
Peer groups are another agency for socialization. Children of the same age who are friendly with one another are the peer groups. Children of 4 or 5 years of age spend a lot of time with their peers.

1. Peer means equal. The friendliness among children will be based on equality.

2. Physically stronger children might try to dominate the weaker ones. Still there will be friendship among them and the consequent give and take. Parents often use their authority to enforce discipline among their children. But in the peer groups they do mutual cooperation. Peer group influence plays a big role in a person’s life. In moulding his nature, life style, attitudes and behaviour, it plays a big role.

Schools:
Study in school is a formal process. There is a fixed curriculum there. Even then schools are an important agency of socialization. The knowledge and values the teachers give the students help in their socialization process.

1. Sociologists point out that along with the curriculum, there is a hidden syllabus which helps their studies.
2. In India and South Africa, in some schools, the girls there are expected to keep the classrooms swept and clean.

In some schools there have been protests against this practice. They showed their protest by making the boys and girls do certain things which are not expected from them by the society.

Mass media: Mass media has become an integral part of our lives. Electronic media like the television have become very popular. The importance of the print media has also increased. In the 19th century “Conduct books” were printed in India. These books gave instructions to women showing them how to become good wives and housewives. They were popular in many languages.

1. Media make the means to get information very democratic.
2. Even in remote villages which have no roads or even a literacy centre, electronic media can get entry.

Question 39.
Describe merits and demerits of participant observa-tion.
Answer:
1. Participant observation is very common in sociology and social anthropology. In this method, a social scientists or a researcher immerses himself in the daily activities of the participants in order to record the behaviour in as many scenarios as possible. The researchers can observe the daily life of the people: their exchanges with each other, their formal and informal conversations, habits, etc.

2. Participant observation is quite different from the other methods of research. The field work here includes mutual contacts between the researcher and the participants for a very long time.

3. Sociologists or researchers spend a year or more with the group of people about whom they are making the studies or doing the research.

4. The sociologists that are not part of the group about which they are studying fully immerse themselves in the culture and various activities of the group. They leam their language and become participants in their daily life. By this, they are able to collect information about their inborn abilities, knowledge and expertise.

5. The aim of participant observation is learning the entire life style of the group which the researcher is studying. The social scientist and the social anthropologist study the things as if they are in a new world.

6. Participant observation is often called field work. Field work came from the natural sciences like botany, zoology and geology. The scientists in these fields do not confine themselves to the laboratories. They go to the fields and study everything about rocks, insects, plants and animals. That is who the name field work came.

Question 40.
Explain four causes of social change.
Answer:
These are changes that happen in social matters.

1. Geographical factors
2. Economic factors
3. Cultural factors
4. Political factors
5. Educational factors
6. Natural factors
7. Technical factors