Social Institutions
Short Questions
1. What is a social institution?
Answer: A social institution is an organized system of relationships meeting societal needs through rules and procedures.
2. Name two sociological perspectives on social institutions.
Answer: Functionalist and conflict (Marxist) perspectives.
3. What is the primary role of the family in society?
Answer: Family is the cornerstone, providing socialization and emotional support.
4. Define family according to Mac Iver.
Answer: Family is a group defined by a sex relationship for children’s protection and upbringing.
5. What is the kibbutz in Israel?
Answer: A communal living system with shared property and collective child-rearing.
6. Name one function of the family.
Answer: Socialization of children according to societal norms.
7. What is a joint family?
Answer: A family with two or more generations living together, sharing a kitchen.
8. Define marriage as per Horton and Hunt.
Answer: Marriage is the approved pattern for two or more persons to establish a family.
9. What is monogamy?
Answer: Marriage to one spouse at a time.
10. What is endogamy?
Answer: Marriage within a culturally defined group, like caste or tribe.
11. What does the economy as an institution do?
Answer: It organizes production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
12. Name one change brought by the Industrial Revolution.
Answer: Introduction of factories as centralized workplaces.
13. What is the Information Revolution?
Answer: A shift to service industries driven by computer and information technology.
14. What is formal education?
Answer: Planned, structured learning with a specific curriculum, like schooling.
15. How does education contribute to social division?
Answer: It can reproduce inequalities by favoring higher classes.
Long Questions
1. How do social institutions facilitate societal functioning?
Answer: Social institutions coordinate individual behavior through stable patterns and norms to meet societal needs. They provide structure for roles like socialization in families or production in economies. By regulating interactions, they ensure social order and well-being.
2. Explain the functionalist perspective on social institutions.
Answer: The functionalist perspective views social institutions as performing specific roles to support social life. They fulfill needs like education for skills or family for socialization, adapting to changes. Institutions are interdependent, working together to maintain societal stability.
3. What makes family a universal yet evolving institution?
Answer: Family is considered universal as it exists in most societies, providing essential functions like socialization. However, forms like single-parent or cohabiting families show it evolves with modern changes. Its adaptability reflects societal shifts, like women’s employment.
4. How does the family regulate sexual activity?
Answer: Family provides a socially approved space for sexual expression and gratification between spouses. It enforces norms like the incest taboo to maintain kinship structures. This regulation stabilizes society by controlling reproductive behavior.
5. Describe the characteristics of a joint family in India.
Answer: A joint family includes multiple generations living under one roof, sharing resources and a kitchen. Common in rural India, it fosters collective support and economic stability. It contrasts with nuclear families prevalent in urban areas.
6. What are the modern trends in marriage forms?
Answer: Marriage now includes diverse forms like homosexual unions and cohabitation, reflecting changing norms. Rising divorce rates and delayed marriages indicate shifting priorities. These trends, more visible in urban areas, challenge traditional heterosexual monogamy.
7. How did the Industrial Revolution transform work?
Answer: The Industrial Revolution introduced steam-powered machinery, enabling mass production in factories. It centralized work, reducing reliance on human skills through division of labor. This shift raised living standards but created economic inequalities.
8. What role does the Information Revolution play in changing economies?
Answer: The Information Revolution shifted economies toward services, emphasizing ideas over tangible goods. It demands literacy and tech skills, enabling decentralized work via computers. This globalizes economies, connecting workers across nations.
9. Why is education important for social integration?
Answer: Education teaches common values, uniting individuals from diverse backgrounds. It instills discipline through social rules, fostering societal harmony. Schools prepare individuals for roles, ensuring smooth societal functioning.
10. How does education reproduce social inequalities?
Answer: Education often mirrors workplace hierarchies, favoring higher classes with better opportunities. Curricula and tasks vary by social background, limiting upward mobility for lower classes. Scholars like Bourdieu argue it perpetuates economic domination.
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