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NCERT Class 11 Sociology Chapter 2 Term, Concepts and their use in Sociology
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Term, Concepts and their use in Sociology
Chapter: 2
| PART – (I) INTRODUCING SOCIOLOGY |
| EXERCISES |
1. Why do we need to use special terms and concepts in sociology?
Ans: The main sociological concepts include structure, agency, stratification, society, class, culture, gender, and religion. Each sociological theory is centered around several key concepts, such as the Marxist theory and the concepts of class, capitalism, and labor. Special terms and concepts in sociology are essential for precise communication and understanding of complex social phenomena. They allow sociologists to analyze and discuss social structures, behaviors, and relationships in a standardized way. We need to use special terms and concepts in sociology to understand the society better. In sociology, there are different ways of understanding the society. For example, Max Weber gave importance to individuals for existence of a society whereas Emile Durkheim laid emphasis on society as a whole. Terms like “socialization,” “norms,” and “social stratification” help clarify abstract ideas and avoid ambiguity, enabling clear comparisons and research across different societies. Using these concepts also ensures that sociological discussions are based on empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks, fostering deeper insights into human behavior and societal issues. Ultimately, these terms create a common language for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to address social challenges effectively.
2. As a member of society you must be interacting with and in different groups. How do you see these groups from a sociological perspective?
Ans: From a sociological perspective, groups are essential units of society that shape individual behavior, identity, and social roles. By interacting in groups, people strategically propose certain guidelines, institutions within which they seek to live. According to social interaction theory people learn to respond and behave to the environment due to the interaction between an individual and the environment.
Sociology includes three major theoretical perspectives: The functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the symbolic interactionist perspective (sometimes called the interactionist perspective, or simply the micro view). They also contribute to socialization, as individuals learn roles and behaviors that align with societal standards. Sociologically, groups can have both positive and negative influences on individuals, reinforcing social cohesion or perpetuating inequalities.
From a sociological perspective, groups are key components of society, shaping human interactions and social structures. They can be categorized into primary groups, like families and close friends, which provide emotional bonds and a sense of identity, and secondary groups, such as organizations or clubs, which are more task-oriented and less personal. Groups influence social norms, roles, and behaviors, often serving as a medium for socialization and value transmission. Like other social scientists, sociologists carefully observe human behavior and ask questions about what forces drive certain patterns in this behavior—they seek to understand human interaction in the context of society. There are three primary sociological perspectives for studying society and groups: functionalist, conflict, and interactions.
3. What have you observed about the stratification system existing in your society? How are individual lives affected by stratification?
Ans: The lower strata is devoid of certain symbolic rewards and material advantages which improve the quality of the life of the recipient such as wealth, income, health, security in a job, etc. On the other hand, the higher strata enjoys all the benefits of the society. There is a noticeable division between the wealthy and the poor, with access to resources, opportunities, and privileges often being determined by one’s socioeconomic position. Education and job opportunities are more accessible to those from higher strata, while individuals from lower backgrounds may face barriers. Caste and social networks also play significant roles in shaping opportunities. In modern Western societies, social stratification is defined in terms of three social classes: an upper class, a middle class, and a lower class; in turn, each class can be subdivided into an upper-stratum, a middle-stratum, and a lower stratum.
4. What is social control? Do you think the modes of social control in different spheres of society are different? Discuss.
Ans: Social control is a tool used by societal groups to maintain order and ensure that their collective will is being followed by members. Group leaders do not directly intervene in the lives of individual members, however. Social control is the use of social pressure by parents, police, and other authority figures in society to influence the actions, beliefs, and movements of individuals. It is the process by which a group regulates itself according to the beliefs and values which most of its individuals hold. In family settings, control is often exercised through norms and emotional influence, while in the legal system, it is enforced through laws and punishments. In workplaces, control is maintained through regulations and hierarchy, each sphere using distinct methods to ensure conformity. Social control can also be exercised in form of reward and punishment, it means rewarding for doing good and punishing for offence. The mode of social control is different in different spheres of society because every group has its own norms and values and they are different in structure and functions.
Social control refers to societal and political mechanisms that regulate individual and group behaviour in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society, state, or social group. Sociologists identify two basic forms of social control – informal control and formal control. Social control is the process whereby society seeks to ensure conformity to the dominant values and norms in that society. This process can be either informal, as in the exercise of control through customs, norms, and expectations, or formal, as in the exercise of control through laws or other official regulations.
5. Identify the different roles and status that you play and are located in. Do you think roles and status change? Discuss when and how they change.
Ans: We inhabit multiple roles in our lives. We are offspring, siblings, students, mentors, friends, partners, and parents. We are employees, bosses, artists, and dreamers. We are the fun one, the nag, the serious one, the organizer, the planner, the spontaneous one, and the partier. In my family, I am a son/daughter, where my role involves support and care, and my status reflects familial responsibilities. Professionally, if I am working or interning, my role shifts to that of an employee or contributor, with responsibilities tied to the job. In social circles, I am a friend, playing the role of a companion and support system. A status is a linguistically designated kind of “person” (individual or collective). A role is the behavior that is associated with that status. Statuses and roles in crucial senses are defined and understood in relation to each other. These relationships often, if not always, include rights and obligations.
The two types of social control are informal and formal. Formal social control is used by governments, religious bodies, and other institutions. Informal social control is a tool of families, friends, coworkers, and other peers. A social role is a pattern of behavior that is expected of a person in a given setting or group (Hare, 2003). Each one of us has several social roles. You may be, at the same time, a student, a parent, an aspiring teacher, a son or daughter, a spouse, and a lifeguard. Consider this, if a person is at railway station then he/she might be a passenger but once he/she is at home then he/she takes the role of mother/father/son/sister etcetera. Thus, roles and status both are changed simultaneously.
