Chapter 4 Introducing Western Sociologists

Chapter 4 Introducing Western Sociologists

Question 1.
Why is the Enlightenment important for the development of sociology?
Answer:

Question 2.
How was the Industrial Revolution responsible for giving rise to sociology?
Answer:

Question 3.
What are the various components of a mode of production?
Answer:
A mode of production has the following components:

Question 4.
Why do classes come into conflict, according to Marx?
Answer:
Karl Marx has studied two classes. Two opposite groups exist in each society.
First who does exploitation and second is that who is being exploited.
Conflict is always going on between these two classes from the very beginning.

Conflict is always going on between the exploiters and the exploited because capitalist hardly wants to give anything to labourer.
According to Marx, economic processes generally tend to generate class conflicts though this also depends on political and social conditions.

Question 5.
What are social facts? Flow do we recognise them?
Answer:

Question 6.
What is the difference between ‘mechanic’ and ‘organic’ solidarity?
Answer:
Durkheim says that in every society some values, ideas, beliefs, ways of behaviour, institutions and laws are there which binds the society in a single knot. Because of the presence of these elements, the relations and unity or solidarity exist in society.
He classified a society by the nature of social solidarity which existed in the society which are as follows:

Mechanical Solidarity

Organic Solidarity

Question 7.
Show, with examples, how moral codes are indicators of social solidarity.
Answer:

Question 8.
Discuss Durkheim’s concept of collective conscience.
Answer:

Question 9.
What are the basic features of bureaucracy?
Answer:

Question 10.
What is special or different about the kind of objectivity needed in social science?
Answer:
Refer to Question . no. 6.

Question 11.
Can you identify any ideas or theories which have led to the formation of social movements in India in recent times?

Answer:
For self-attempt.

Question 12.
Try to find out what Marx and Weber wrote about India.
Answer:

Question 13.
Can you think of reasons why we should study the work of thinkers who died long ago? What could be some reasons to not study them?
Answer:
For self-attempt.

Extra Questions

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Explain the term ‘Bourgeoisie’.
Answer:
According to Marx, Bourgeoisie are those few people who own the means of production in a capitalist society. They enjoy both economic and political power.

Question 2.
Explain the term ‘surplus value’.
Answer:
The term ‘surplus value’ refers to the quality of value produced by the worker beyond the necessary labour time, i.e., the marking time required to produce a value equal to the one he has received in the form of wages.

Question 3.
List two suitable grounds on which Marxian theory of class struggle has been criticised.
Answer:
Karl Marx has absolutely ignored the middle class. Middle class has a great importance in modem society especially that society which can be called the supreme capitalist society.
The class struggle cannot be accepted as constructive. Hence, it is always destructive and it leads to fascism which any society is unable to bear.

Question 4.
Explain briefly social fact as interpreted by Durkheim.
Answer:
Social facts are those ways of thinking, doing work and feel which has the special characteristics to maintain its existence exterior to the individual consciousness. Durkheim also writes, “Social facts are those ways of working, thinking and feeling which are exterior to man and which controls the man by their power of constraint”.

Question 5.
Why is Emile Durkheim called the ‘key classical theorists in sociology’?
Answer:
Emile Durkheim is one of the ‘key classical theorists in sociology’. He is best known for founding sociology as a scientific discipline and for defining the boundaries of its subject matter.
His key theoretical statement lies in his claim that social phenomena are realities that can only be explained by other social facts.

Question 6.
Differentiate between the sacred and the profane.
Answer:
The sacred is that which is considered holy and dreaded. It includes religious beliefs and rites, duties or anything related to religious treatment par excellence.
The profane relates to the ordinary, utalitarian aspects of life, dull or routine, full of impurity.

Question 7.
What is social fact, according to Durkheim?
Answer:
Social facts are those ways of working, thinking and feeling which are exterior to man and which controls the man by their power of constraints.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Discuss main contributions of Karl Marx.
Answer:
Karl Marx was bom in Trier, Germany on May 5,1818. Marx was educated at the Treves school. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Jena in June, 1841. Marx’s personal life was a difficult struggle. Marx died on 14th March, 1883.
Karl Marx says that each society has two opposite classes:
1. The exploiters (means capitalists) and
2. The exploited (means workers).

The term ‘surplus value’ refers to the quantity of value produced by the worker beyond the necessary labour time i.e., the working time required to produce a value equal to the one he has received in the form of wages.
The term ‘alienation’ refers to the work alien, which means foreigner, and therefore alienation would mean becoming stranger to one’s own people and the product etc. In a capitalist society, alienation dominates every institutional sphere such as religion, economy and polity.

Question 2.
Write short note on Max Weber.
Answer:
Max Weber was born on 21st April, 1864 in Erfurt, Germany. He studied and received his degree in law. After the completion of his doctoral and the post-doctoral dissertations in 1897 he joined Heidelberg University as a Professor of Economics. He started his works in sociology in 1916 and was appointed Professor of Sociology at Munich. He died on July 14,1920. His main works include:

Question 3.
How Durkhiem interpreted suicide?
Answer:
According to Durkheim, all deaths which are the direct or indirect results of any function of dead person about which he himself knows that thin act will cause death to him.
Durkheim suggested four forms of Suicide:

Question 4.
Explain in detail Karl Marx’s theory of class struggle.
Answer:
Karl Marx was of the view that:

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Write a short note on Emile Durkheim.
Answer:
Emile Durkheim was bom on 15th April, 1858 in France. His elementary education was completed at Ecole. After graduation from the Ecole, he started working for the
doctoral degree. He obtained his doctorate in 1893, and was appointed Professor in the Paris University. Durkheim founded L ‘Anne Sociologique, the first social science journal in France. He died on Nov. 15,1917. His works include :

According to Durkheim, social facts are the substance of sociological study. Durkheim was strongly concerned with outlining the nature and scope of sociology.

Question 2.
Explain “theory of suicide” as stated by Emile Durkheim.
Answer:
Emile Durkheim identified four types of suicide:

1. Egoistic Suicide: A person gives too much importance to his own self or ego; is not properly integrated in society; excessive self- reflection on personal matters leading to withdrawal from the outside world; as a result there is weakening in the bonds of solidarity in the family, religious and political organizations.

2. Altruistic Suicide: In this the person is over-integrated with the society. They commit suicide for the cause of society or a kind of self-denial, e.g. Sati, Jauhar.

3. Anomic Suicide: In societies that experience sudden changes. Anomic is a state which results from the weakening of the powers in the society that regulate social equilibrium. The person meets frustration and he cannot withstand it, he puts an end to his life.

4. Fatalistic Suicide: When there is excessive degree of regulation and an overly developed regime, e.g. seeing no alternative to enslavement under the master a slave takes his life.

Question 3.
Highlight the basic characteristics of religion.
Answer:
The basic characteristics of religion are:

Question 4.
How did Max Weber explain “social action”? Elaborate on the types of social action seen in society. (HOTS)
Answer:
According to Max Weber

Types of social action

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