Chapter 1: Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society - Important Questions and Answers

List of Questions and Answers

1. Define Social Structure.
OR What do you understand by the term 'social structure'?
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: The term social structure points to the fact that society is structured — i.e., organised or arranged — in particular ways.

2. Define Social Stratification.
OR What is social stratification?
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: Social stratification refers to the existence of structured inequalities between groups in society, in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards.

3. Define Social Structure according to Durkheim.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: Social structure, according to Durkheim, constrains our activities in a parallel way, setting limits to what we can do as individuals. It is 'external' to us just as the walls of the room are.

4.Define Accommodation.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: A functionalist view often uses the term accommodation to explain situations where women would prefer not to claim property rights in their natal home. It would be seen as an effort to compromise and co-exist despite conflict.

5. Difference between Mechanical Solidarity and Organic Solidarity.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans:

Mechanical Solidarity Organic Solidarity
It was present in societies before the industrial era. It is present within a society shaped by industry.
Present in society with less population. Present in society with large population.
You will see cooperation with Mechanical Solidarity.The people working has common interest. You will see conflict and competition in Organic Solidarity.Here you will see people with selfish aims.
It is more of person oriented. It is more of goal oriented.

6. Give the meaning of the term 'alienation'.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: Marx used the term alienation to refer to the loss of control on the part of workers over the concrete content of labour, and over the products of their labour. In other words, workers lose control over how to organise their own work; and they lose control over the fruits of their labour.

7. Name the scholars associated with functionalist and conflict perspective.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans:
Functionalist perspective : Emile Durkheim
Conflict perspective : Karl Marx

8. What do you understand by 'division of labour'?
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: The role of division of labour — which implies cooperation — is precisely to fulfill certain needs of society. The division of labour is at the same time a law of nature and also a moral rule of human conduct.

9. What do you understand by the term 'conflict'?
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: The term conflict implies clash of interests.The bases of conflict vary. It could be class or caste, tribe or gender, ethnicity or religious community.

10. What are the three basic forms of advantages which privileged groups enjoy?
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: The following are the advantages :

  • Life Chances: All those material advantages which improve the quality of life of the recipient — this may include not only economic advantages of wealth and income, but also benefits such as health, job security and recreation.
  • Social Status: Prestige or high standing in the eyes of other members of the society.
  • Political Influence: The ability of one group to dominate others, or to have preponderant influence over decision-making, or to benefit advantageously from decisions

11. Life Chances, Social Statuses and political influences are enjoyed by __________.
a) Primary Groups
b) Tertiary Groups
c) Privilege Groups
d) Interest Groups
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: c) Privilege Groups.

12. The central concepts to understanding the dialectical relationship between the society and individual are ________.
a) structure
b) stratification
c) social processes
d) All the above
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: d) All the above

13. The choices an individual makes/has in life, in terms of the school s/he goes to , or if s/he goes to school at all, the clothes s/he gets to wear, the foods /he consumes etc all of which is determined by _____________.
a) Status
b) role
c) Prestige
d) All the above
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: a) Status

14.Social structures are made up of two components ______________ and ____________.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: human actions and relationships.

15. The term 'structure' refers to the way society is ___________.
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: structured.

16."Social structure constrains our activities to constructed frameworks and patterns of organisation and directs our behaviour" Name the thinker.
a) Max Weber
b) Durkheim
c) Bottomore
d) K. Marx
(Chapter 1: Understanding Society - Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society)

Ans: b) Durkheim

More Questions and Answers Coming Soon.