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Karnataka SSLC Sociology (KSEAB) study materials
Karnataka SSLC Sociology (KSEAB) study resources

Karnataka SSLC Sociology (KSEAB) practice questions

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Question 1Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

The word 'sociology' was coined by combining a Latin word and a Greek word. Which pair of meanings correctly explains this combination?

  1. Companion and science Correct answer.
  2. Individual and culture
  3. Society and study
  4. City and state

Explanation

Auguste Comte coined the term in 1838 by joining the Latin 'socius' (companion or associate) with the Greek 'logos' (study or science). The literal meaning is therefore the study of human companionship or society, which is why it is called the science of society. The other options give meanings that belong to different roots such as 'civitas' or 'polis'.

Question 2Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which statement best describes the nature of sociology as an empirical discipline?

  1. It relies solely on philosophical speculation
  2. It accepts only religious scripture as evidence
  3. It depends mainly on personal intuition
  4. It builds knowledge from observation and verifiable evidence Correct answer.

Explanation

Sociology is empirical because its conclusions rest on observation, data and verifiable evidence rather than on speculation or authority. This is why sociologists conduct surveys, interviews and field studies before making claims. Speculation and intuition may suggest questions, but they cannot by themselves establish sociological facts.

Question 3Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

A student says that sociology and common sense are the same because both deal with everyday social life. Which point most clearly distinguishes sociological knowledge from common sense?

  1. Sociology is taught only in universities
  2. Sociology is based on systematic method and tested evidence Correct answer.
  3. Sociology rejects all everyday experience
  4. Sociology is written in technical language

Explanation

Common sense consists of unexamined beliefs passed on through tradition and personal experience. Sociology examines such beliefs through systematic method and evidence, and it can show that common sense is sometimes mistaken. Teaching location or vocabulary does not make knowledge scientific; method does.

Question 4Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Sociology is often described as a social science rather than a natural science. Which reason best supports this classification?

  1. It does not use any form of measurement
  2. It studies human social behaviour using systematic methods Correct answer.
  3. It refuses to compare groups or societies
  4. It deals only with ancient historical records

Explanation

Social sciences study human behaviour and social relationships, and sociology does so with systematic methods such as surveys and observation. Natural sciences study physical and biological phenomena, but both branches share a commitment to evidence. The absence of measurement or comparison is not what defines a social science.

Question 5Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which of the following falls within the scope of sociology?

  1. The study of human social relationships and institutions Correct answer.
  2. The study of planetary motion
  3. The study of grammatical structures in isolation
  4. The study of chemical reactions in living cells

Explanation

The scope of sociology covers social relationships, groups, institutions such as family and education, and social change. Chemistry, astronomy and pure grammar lie in other disciplines. Sociology may study language use socially, but not grammar in isolation.

Question 6Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

A sociologist studies why a particular village's marriage customs differ from those of a neighbouring town. Which characteristic of sociology does this best illustrate?

  1. Its focus on individual personality alone
  2. Its concern with comparative study of social arrangements Correct answer.
  3. Its rejection of fieldwork
  4. Its dependence on biological inheritance

Explanation

Sociology commonly compares social arrangements across groups and places to understand variation and its causes. Comparing marriage customs in two localities is a comparative study of social institutions. Biological inheritance, individual personality alone and avoidance of fieldwork do not describe this method.

Question 7Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which thinker is associated with the view that sociology should study 'social facts' as external constraints on individuals?

  1. Charles Darwin
  2. Sigmund Freud
  3. Isaac Newton
  4. Emile Durkheim Correct answer.

Explanation

Emile Durkheim argued that social facts are ways of acting and thinking that are external to individuals and exercise constraint over them. He treated such facts as proper objects of sociological study. Darwin, Newton and Freud worked in biology, physics and psychoanalysis respectively.

Question 8Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Sociology is sometimes called the 'youngest of the social sciences'. What does this claim most reasonably mean?

  1. It emerged as a separate discipline later than older social sciences Correct answer.
  2. It studies only young people
  3. It has no established theories of its own
  4. It began before all other sciences

Explanation

Sociology was named and developed as a distinct discipline in the nineteenth century, later than established fields such as history, economics and political philosophy. The claim refers to the timing of its emergence as a separate subject. It does not mean sociology lacks theory or studies only youth.

Question 9Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which statement correctly distinguishes sociology from psychology?

  1. Sociology ignores behaviour; psychology studies behaviour
  2. Sociology is a natural science; psychology is a humanity
  3. Sociology focuses on social groups and institutions; psychology focuses mainly on individual mental processes Correct answer.
  4. Sociology studies only animals; psychology studies only humans

Explanation

Sociology examines social groups, institutions and collective behaviour, while psychology concentrates mainly on individual mental processes and behaviour. The two fields overlap in social psychology but differ in their primary unit of analysis. Neither is defined by studying only animals or by ignoring behaviour.

Question 10Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which of the following best describes the relation of sociology to economics?

  1. Sociology studies social aspects of economic behaviour such as consumption patterns and inequality Correct answer.
  2. Sociology replaces economics entirely
  3. Sociology has no interest in economic activity
  4. Sociology studies only markets and prices

Explanation

Sociology examines the social context of economic activity, including how consumption, work and inequality are shaped by social relationships. Economics focuses on production, distribution and markets. Sociology complements rather than replaces economics, and it does not study only prices.

Question 11Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

A researcher argues that sociology cannot be a science because people can choose how to act, unlike atoms. Which reply best reflects the discipline's position?

  1. Sociology must copy physics exactly to be valid
  2. Sociology should abandon all methods and rely on opinion
  3. Sociology is scientific only when it ignores human choices
  4. Sociology can be scientific by using systematic methods while acknowledging human agency Correct answer.

Explanation

Sociologists hold that the discipline can be scientific because it uses systematic observation, comparison and evidence, even though human beings have agency and meaning. It does not need to copy physics exactly, nor does it ignore choice. This is why sociology is described as an interpretative as well as empirical social science.

Question 12Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which example best shows the application of sociological imagination?

  1. Ignoring unemployment because it is personal
  2. Assuming unemployment is caused by the stars
  3. Blaming a person's unemployment only on laziness
  4. Seeing a person's unemployment as connected to wider economic and social conditions Correct answer.

Explanation

C. Wright Mills described sociological imagination as the ability to connect personal troubles with wider public issues and social structures. Linking one person's unemployment to economic and social conditions is an example of this quality of mind. Personal blame, astrology and indifference do not connect biography with social structure.

Question 13Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which of these is a reason sociology is considered useful for understanding Indian society?

  1. It helps analyse caste, family and social change with evidence Correct answer.
  2. It replaces the legal system
  3. It proves that all societies are identical
  4. It prescribes a single correct religion

Explanation

Sociology in India has produced empirical studies of caste, kinship, family, village life and social change, which help explain how Indian society works. It does not prescribe religion, replace law or claim that all societies are identical. Its usefulness lies in evidence-based understanding.

Question 14Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which pair correctly matches a founder with a contribution to early sociology?

  1. Herbert Spencer with the invention of the printing press
  2. Karl Marx with the discovery of penicillin
  3. Max Weber with the theory of evolution
  4. Auguste Comte with the term sociology and positivism Correct answer.

Explanation

Auguste Comte coined the term sociology and argued for a positive, scientific study of society. Marx analysed class and capitalism, Weber studied social action and rationalisation, and Spencer developed evolutionary social theory. Penicillin and the printing press belong to other fields entirely.

Question 15Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

Which statement about the relationship between sociology and history is most accurate?

  1. Sociology rejects historical evidence entirely
  2. History and sociology have nothing in common
  3. History studies only the present and sociology only the past
  4. Both study society, but history emphasises past events while sociology seeks general patterns Correct answer.

Explanation

History and sociology are close because both study human society, but history concentrates on particular past events and sociology seeks general patterns and explanations of social behaviour. Sociology uses historical evidence, and history may use sociological concepts. They overlap rather than being mutually exclusive.

Question 16Sociology: Meaning, Nature and Scope

A critic claims that because sociology studies people, its findings can never be objective. Which response best evaluates this claim?

  1. Objectivity is guaranteed because sociologists have no values
  2. Objectivity means ignoring the views of the people studied
  3. Sociology reduces bias through transparent methods, reflexivity and replication, though objectivity is an ideal Correct answer.
  4. Subjectivity makes all sociological research worthless

Explanation

Objectivity in sociology is a goal pursued through transparent methods, careful sampling, reflexivity about the researcher's position and replication by others. Researchers may hold values, so objectivity is not automatic. Recognising possible bias does not make research worthless, nor does objectivity require ignoring participants' views.

Question 17Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

In sociology, which term refers to the web of social relationships that binds people together and is organised around shared ways of living?

  1. Herd
  2. Society Correct answer.
  3. Mob
  4. Crowd

Explanation

Society is the comprehensive network of social relationships among people who share a culture, territory and institutions. A herd, crowd or mob is a temporary collection of individuals without enduring relationships or shared norms.

Question 18Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

A group of people living in a definite territory, sharing a common culture and feeling a sense of belonging, is best described as a:

  1. Community Correct answer.
  2. Aggregate
  3. Association
  4. Institution

Explanation

A community is marked by territoriality, shared culture and a sense of we-feeling among its members. An association is a deliberately formed group with a specific purpose, while an aggregate is merely a set of people in the same place without interaction.

Question 19Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which of the following is the clearest example of an association in the sociological sense?

  1. A registered cooperative society formed to market milk Correct answer.
  2. A crowd waiting at a bus stand
  3. A family living in a village
  4. A caste group into which a person is born

Explanation

An association is deliberately created by individuals to pursue a stated interest, and a registered cooperative society fits this exactly. Family and caste membership are largely ascribed and inherited, while a waiting crowd is an unorganised aggregate.

Question 20Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Marriage, family and education are described as social institutions because they:

  1. are buildings constructed by the government for public use
  2. exist only in urban industrial societies
  3. are formed by written contracts between individuals
  4. are established patterns of norms, roles and procedures meeting basic social needs Correct answer.

Explanation

In sociology an institution is a stable cluster of norms, values, roles and procedures organised around a basic need such as reproduction or transmission of culture. It is a pattern of behaviour, not a physical structure or a legal contract.

Question 21Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

A football team, a trade union and a classroom are all examples of:

  1. institutions
  2. cultural traits
  3. social groups Correct answer.
  4. communities

Explanation

A social group consists of interacting individuals who share expectations and recognise themselves as members. Teams, unions and classes all show interaction, membership and shared purpose, which distinguishes them from mere aggregates.

Question 22Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Passengers who happen to be in the same railway compartment but do not interact or share any identity form:

  1. a reference group
  2. a secondary group
  3. a primary group
  4. an aggregate Correct answer.

Explanation

An aggregate is a set of people who are physically together but lack interaction, shared norms and a sense of membership. Once they begin interacting regularly and identify with one another, they may become a social group.

Question 23Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which pair correctly matches a primary group with a secondary group?

  1. Family and neighbourhood
  2. Trade union and political party
  3. Crowd and football team
  4. Family and trade union Correct answer.

Explanation

Primary groups are small, intimate and face-to-face with diffuse relationships, as in the family. Secondary groups are larger, formally organised and purpose-specific, as in a trade union.

Question 24Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

The key feature that distinguishes a primary group from a secondary group is that a primary group:

  1. is always larger in size than a secondary group
  2. is based on a written constitution and formal rules
  3. exists only for a short, fixed period
  4. has intimate, face-to-face relations and diffuse ties among members Correct answer.

Explanation

Primary groups such as family and close friendship are marked by intimacy, face-to-face contact and diffuse, personal relationships. Secondary groups are larger, more formal and oriented to specific goals.

Question 25Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

A student who adopts the dress and study habits of a senior medical student as a model is using that senior as:

  1. a reference group Correct answer.
  2. an in-group
  3. a territorial community
  4. an aggregate

Explanation

A reference group is a group whose standards and behaviour an individual adopts as a yardstick for self-evaluation and conduct. The senior is not necessarily a member of the student's own group but serves as a model.

Question 26Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which statement best captures the sociological meaning of culture?

  1. The biological inheritance transmitted through genes
  2. The economic wealth accumulated by a society
  3. The formal education a person receives in schools and colleges
  4. The total way of life of a people, including knowledge, beliefs, customs, art and morals Correct answer.

Explanation

Culture is the learned, shared and transmitted way of life of a society, covering material objects and non-material elements such as beliefs, norms and values. It is acquired through socialisation rather than biology.

Question 27Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Following the sociological distinction, tractors, tools and pottery belong to:

  1. cultural lag
  2. non-material culture
  3. material culture Correct answer.
  4. cultural relativism

Explanation

Material culture consists of the physical objects and technology a society produces and uses. Non-material culture covers ideas, beliefs, values and norms that guide behaviour.

Question 28Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

A community's norms of hospitality and its beliefs about ritual purity are examples of:

  1. social aggregates
  2. material culture
  3. non-material culture Correct answer.
  4. cultural diffusion

Explanation

Non-material culture comprises the intangible elements of culture such as norms, values, beliefs and customs. Hospitality norms and purity beliefs guide conduct without being physical objects.

Question 29Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

The term 'cultural lag' was used to describe a situation in which:

  1. a society has no material culture at all
  2. material culture changes faster than non-material culture, creating a gap Correct answer.
  3. individuals reject all forms of social norms
  4. one society completely adopts another society's culture

Explanation

Cultural lag refers to the uneven pace of change, where technological and material elements advance more rapidly than beliefs, values and norms, producing a gap. This mismatch can create social problems and readjustment.

Question 30Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Judging another society's practice of eating with hands as inferior because it differs from one's own customs is an example of:

  1. socialisation
  2. ethnocentrism Correct answer.
  3. cultural relativism
  4. cultural diffusion

Explanation

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to evaluate other cultures by the standards of one's own and to regard them as inferior. Cultural relativism, by contrast, requires understanding a practice within its own cultural context.

Question 31Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which of the following best illustrates the sociological idea of a community rather than an association?

  1. A company registered under the Companies Act
  2. A political party with a written manifesto
  3. A cricket club with a formal membership register
  4. A village whose residents share festivals, customs and a sense of belonging Correct answer.

Explanation

A community is characterised by shared territory, common culture and a sense of belonging or we-feeling among members. Associations are deliberately formed for specific purposes and are defined by their rules and objectives.

Question 32Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

In sociological usage, the essential element that makes a collection of people a social group is:

  1. physical proximity of the members at all times
  2. a common income level among the members
  3. interaction among members with shared expectations and sense of membership Correct answer.
  4. a written constitution governing the members

Explanation

A social group requires interaction, shared expectations or norms, and mutual recognition of membership. Physical proximity alone produces an aggregate, and formal rules are needed only for certain organised groups.

Question 33Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which of these is an example of an in-group relationship?

  1. A member of a family feeling loyalty and solidarity towards it Correct answer.
  2. A customer comparing prices in an unfamiliar market
  3. A visitor observing an unfamiliar religious ceremony
  4. A student supporting a rival college team

Explanation

An in-group is one to which an individual belongs and towards which they feel loyalty, solidarity and a sense of 'we'. Out-groups are those to which one does not belong and may view with difference or competition.

Question 34Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Social institutions are best understood as:

  1. physical structures such as schools and hospitals
  2. informal friendships between two individuals
  3. temporary gatherings formed for a single event
  4. enduring patterns of norms, roles and procedures that satisfy basic social needs Correct answer.

Explanation

An institution is an established complex of norms, roles and procedures organised around basic social needs such as education, religion or the family. The buildings that house these activities are not the institution itself.

Question 35Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the relationship between society and culture?

  1. Society and culture are identical and can be used interchangeably
  2. Society refers only to material objects used by people
  3. Society is a group of interacting people, while culture is their shared way of life Correct answer.
  4. Culture exists independently of any human group

Explanation

Society refers to the organised collectivity of interacting people, whereas culture is the shared and learned way of life of that collectivity. The two are interdependent but analytically distinct concepts.

Question 36Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

The process by which a child learns the customs, values and norms of its society is called:

  1. cultural diffusion
  2. social stratification
  3. acculturation of an entire society
  4. socialisation Correct answer.

Explanation

Socialisation is the lifelong process through which individuals acquire the culture of their society and become functioning members. It transmits norms, values and customs from one generation to the next.

Question 37Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

A voluntary organisation formed by people to promote a common interest, with defined membership and rules, is called:

  1. an association Correct answer.
  2. a crowd
  3. an institution
  4. a community

Explanation

An association is a deliberately formed group with defined membership, rules and a specific purpose, such as a cooperative or a club. Communities rest on shared territory and belonging, while institutions are normative patterns.

Question 38Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which statement best distinguishes a community from a social group?

  1. A community involves shared territory and a sense of belonging, while a social group needs interaction and shared expectations Correct answer.
  2. A social group cannot exist within a community
  3. A community has no interaction among its members
  4. A community is always larger than any social group

Explanation

A community is a territorial and cultural grouping marked by a sense of belonging, whereas a social group is defined by interaction, shared expectations and recognition of membership. Social groups of many kinds exist within a community.

Question 39Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Institutions such as religion and education persist across generations mainly because they:

  1. depend on the personal wealth of their leaders
  2. are created afresh by every individual in each generation
  3. transmit shared norms and values through established roles and procedures Correct answer.
  4. are enforced only by police and courts

Explanation

Institutions endure because they are sustained by shared norms, values and established roles that are transmitted through socialisation across generations. Legal enforcement is only one possible support and is not essential to every institution.

Question 40Basic Concepts in Sociology (society, community, association, institution, social group, culture)

Which example best shows the transmission of non-material culture?

  1. A family passing on its language and religious beliefs to children Correct answer.
  2. A factory installing new machinery
  3. A shop selling imported electronic goods
  4. A town building a new road

Explanation

Non-material culture consists of intangible elements such as language, beliefs, values and customs. Their transmission occurs through socialisation, as when a family teaches its language and religious beliefs to children.

Question 41Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

In sociology, the term 'social structure' is best understood as:

  1. the personal opinions that individuals hold about politics and religion
  2. the temporary agreements reached by individuals during a single conversation
  3. the biological inheritance that determines a person's intelligence and temperament
  4. the relatively stable pattern of relationships and institutions through which society organises itself Correct answer.

Explanation

Social structure refers to the enduring arrangement of roles, groups and institutions such as family, caste, class and education that shape how people relate to one another. It persists beyond individual lifetimes and constrains as well as enables action, which is why sociologists treat it as a level of analysis distinct from individual attitudes or biology.

Question 42Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

A Karnataka village has families of landowners, tenant cultivators and landless labourers whose positions are largely fixed by birth. This arrangement is an example of:

  1. social mobility
  2. social interaction
  3. social control
  4. social stratification Correct answer.

Explanation

Social stratification is the ranking of categories of people into hierarchical layers that carry unequal access to resources, prestige and power. Landowners, tenants and landless labourers form such layers, and the fact that membership is largely inherited makes the ranking a stratified structure rather than a matter of individual choice.

Question 43Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Which of the following is an achieved status rather than an ascribed status?

  1. Becoming a qualified schoolteacher after training Correct answer.
  2. Belonging to a particular sex category at birth
  3. Being the daughter of a farmer
  4. Being born into a particular caste group

Explanation

An achieved status is one a person attains through effort, choice or competition, such as completing teacher training and entering the profession. Ascribed statuses are assigned at birth or through inheritance, without the individual's choice, and they typically include caste, family descent and sex category.

Question 44Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

The caste system and the class system are both forms of social stratification. A key difference between them is that:

  1. caste groups are always wealthier than class groups in every Indian state
  2. class systems forbid marriage outside one's own group, while caste systems encourage it
  3. class systems exist only in rural areas, while caste systems exist only in cities
  4. caste membership is usually ascribed by birth, while class position is more open to achievement and mobility Correct answer.

Explanation

Caste is traditionally a closed, birth-based hierarchy with rules of endogamy, whereas class is comparatively open and allows individuals to move up or down through education, occupation and income. Both are systems of unequal ranking, but they differ in how membership is acquired and how easily it can change.

Question 45Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

A daily-wage worker's son completes an engineering degree and joins a private firm as a salaried professional. In sociological terms this is best described as:

  1. a change in caste without any change in class
  2. intergenerational downward mobility
  3. intragenerational horizontal mobility
  4. intergenerational upward mobility Correct answer.

Explanation

Intergenerational mobility compares the position of a child with that of the parent, and movement from manual wage labour to a salaried professional occupation is upward. Intragenerational mobility would instead track change within a single person's own working life.

Question 46Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Which of the following best illustrates intragenerational mobility?

  1. A child of illiterate parents becomes the first graduate in the family
  2. A family migrates from one district to another without any change of occupation
  3. A clerk in a bank is promoted over twenty years to branch manager Correct answer.
  4. A landlord's son inherits the family land and continues farming it

Explanation

Intragenerational mobility is movement within a single individual's lifetime or career, so a clerk rising to branch manager over twenty years is the clearest case. Intergenerational mobility, by contrast, compares the positions of parents and children.

Question 47Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

The term 'social mobility' in sociology refers to:

  1. the process by which a society becomes more industrialised
  2. the movement of individuals or groups between different social positions or strata Correct answer.
  3. the physical movement of people from villages to cities for employment
  4. the transmission of culture from one generation to the next

Explanation

Social mobility concerns change in social position within a stratification system, whether upward, downward or sideways, and whether within a lifetime or across generations. Migration and industrialisation may accompany mobility, but they are separate processes and do not by themselves define it.

Question 48Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

A person who moves from being a clerk in a government office to being a clerk in a private company, with similar pay and prestige, has experienced:

  1. downward mobility
  2. horizontal mobility Correct answer.
  3. structural mobility
  4. vertical mobility

Explanation

Horizontal mobility is a change of position or workplace without a significant change in rank, income or prestige. Because the two clerical posts are described as similar in pay and status, the move is sideways rather than up or down the hierarchy.

Question 49Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Which factor is most directly responsible for creating structural mobility in modern India?

  1. A change in the personal tastes of a single family
  2. A shift in the occupational structure from agriculture towards services and industry Correct answer.
  3. A rise in the number of festivals celebrated in a district
  4. An increase in the number of languages spoken in a state

Explanation

Structural mobility occurs when the overall shape of the occupational system changes, creating new higher-level jobs and drawing people into them regardless of their origins. The expansion of services and industry at the expense of agriculture is the classic example of such a structural shift.

Question 50Social Structure, Social Stratification and Social Mobility

In the functionalist view associated with Davis and Moore, social stratification is seen primarily as:

  1. a temporary feature that disappears once a society becomes literate
  2. a device through which powerful groups exploit the labour of the poor
  3. a mechanism that guarantees equal rewards for all occupations
  4. a system that ensures the most important positions are filled by the most qualified people Correct answer.

Explanation

The functionalist argument holds that some positions are functionally more important and require scarce talent and long training, so unequal rewards are necessary to motivate suitable people to fill them. Critics reply that the theory confuses the importance of a role with the reward attached to it, but that is a critique rather than the theory itself.