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12 previous year questions for Sociology from 3 years. Practice with year-wise breakdown.
12
Questions
3
Years
2
Papers
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(a) What is common sense? How are common knowledge and sociology related to each other? Explain. [10M]
(b) What is the relationship (similarities and differences) between sociology and history in terms of their area of study and methodology? Discuss. [10M]
(c) What is a variable in social research? What are their different types? Elaborate. [10M]
(d) Can Merton's reference group theory be relevant in understanding "identity making" in digital world? Explain. [10M]
(e) Is the social stratification theory gender-blind? Elucidate. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(a) “Textual perspective is important in understanding of Indian Social System.” Discuss. [10M]
(b) Justify that the Indian traditions are modernizing. Also discuss its contributing factors. [10M]
(c) According to you, which social reform movement has played the most effective role in uplifting the status of women? Explain. [10M]
(d) How did Colonial Policies for the tribes affected their socio-economic conditions in India? Discuss. [10M]
(e) How would you appropriate to characterise G. S. Ghurye as a practitioner of ‘theoretical pluralism’? [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(a) In what way is the scope of sociology unique? Explain. [10M]
(b) Does the structural-functionalist perspective on social stratification promote a status quo? Give reasons for your answer. [10M]
(c) Do you think that the formal workspaces are free of gender bias? Argue your case. [10M]
(d) How does Weber’s Verstehen address the objectivity-subjectivity debate in sociology? [10M]
(e) To what extent can education and skill development be an agent of social change? Critically analyze. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(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. [10M]
(b) Bring out various factors responsible for declining of village industries in India. [10M]
(c) Discuss the social bases of political mobilization in Independent India. Has some change occurred in these during the last 60–70 years? [10M]
(d) What are the major problems faced by the labour migrants while working in informal sectors of Indian States? Discuss. [10M]
(e) Do you think that law has been able to abolish child labour in India? Comment. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) Discuss the nature of Sociology. Highlight its relationship with Social Anthropology. [10M]
(b) Analyse the changing nature of caste as a status group. [10M]
(c) Marriage as an institution has undergone a radical transformation from ‘ritual’ to ‘commercial’ in its outlook. Explain the factors behind this change. [10M]
(d) Democracy needs a vibrant culture of civil society in order to strengthen its foundation of citizenship. Comment. [10M]
(e) What are the ‘basic and irreducible’ functions of the family as proposed by Talcott Parsons? Explain. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) What, according to you, are the factors responsible for the continuance of caste system in India? Explain. [10M]
(b) Discuss the changes taking place in the industrial class structure in India. [10M]
(c) Is patriarchy a key to understanding different forms of inequalities in Indian society? Elaborate. [10M]
(d) Do you think that family bondings are being affected by the changing kinship patterns in India? Comment. [10M]
(e) Despite the efforts of the government, bonded labour still continues in India. Discuss. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) Describe various characteristics of a ‘social fact’. How is rate of suicide a social fact according to Durkheim? [10M]
(b) Explain G.H. Mead’s idea of development of ‘self’ through the ‘generalised other’. [10M]
(c) Describe the differing principles of work organization in feudal and capitalist societies. [10M]
(d) How is ‘power’ different from ‘authority’? Discuss various types of authorities as theorized by Max Weber. [10M]
(e) Critically examine the roles of science and technology in social change. What is your opinion on their increasing trend in ‘online’ education and teaching? [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) Examine with suitable examples the recent trends in the growth of urban settlements in India. [10M]
(b) Is there a connection between labour migration and informal sector? Justify your answer with reference to Indian context. [10M]
(c) Are slums the manifestations of industrialisation and urbanisation in India? Explain. [10M]
(d) Discuss the changing nature of political elites in India. [10M]
(e) What is your assessment about the recent farmers’ movement in India? Elaborate. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(a) What is the distinctiveness of the feminist method of social research? Comment. [10M]
(b) Discuss the relationship between sociology and political science. [10M]
(c) How does the dramaturgical perspective enable our understanding of everyday life? [10M]
(d) Is reference group theory a universally applicable model? Elucidate. [10M]
(e) Do you think that the boundary line between ethnicity and race is blurred? Justify your answer. [10M]
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) Highlight the significant features of A.R. Desai’s ‘Dialectical Perspective’ to study Indian Society. [10M]
(b) “The decade of 1950s was the golden period of village studies in Indian Sociology.” Explain the statement. [10M]
(c) Analyse the differences between the attributional and interactional approach in studying the caste system. [10M]
(d) Are Tradition and Modernity antithetical to each other? Comment. [10M]
(e) Discuss the main features of Land Reforms in post-independence India. [10M]
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each:
(a) Examine the relevance of corporate social responsibility in a world marked by increasing environmental crises. [10M]
(b) How is civil society useful in deepening the roots of democracy? [10M]
(c) What functions does religion perform in a pluralistic society? [10M]
(d) Analyze critically David Morgan’s views on family practices. [10M]
(e) Does women’s education help to eradicate patriarchal discriminations? Reflect with illustrations. [10M]
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each :
(a) Citing some case studies, expand the concept of ‘Development-induced Displacement’. [10M]
(b) Examine the concept of ‘Cultural Pluralism’ in the context of India’s Unity in Diversity. [10M]
(c) Highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. [10M]
(d) Analyse the sociological interconnections between Social Media and Mass Mobilization in India. [10M]
(e) Discuss the nature of regional variations in sex ratio in India, stating reasons thereof. [10M]
We have 12 UPSC Mains Sociology optional subject questions spanning 3 years (2023–2025).
Sociology has 2 papers in UPSC Mains: Sociology-I, Sociology-II. Each paper carries 250 marks.