SUBJECTIVEOUESTIONS
Q.1
What is the meaning of Social Structure? Ranade's writings entitled. The Texts of the
Ans. Sociologist defines social structure as a Hindu Law of the Lawfulness of the
continuing arrangement of persons in Remarriage of Widows and Vedic
relationships defined or controlled by Authorities for Widow Marriage elaborated
institutions. the shastric sanction for remarriage of
0.2 Define culture. widows.
Ans. Culture is defined as socially established The content of new education was
norms or patterns of behaviour. modernising and liberal. The literary content
social
0.3 Two major developments wer e the of the courses in the humanities and
complex product of the impact of Colonial sciences was drawn from the literature of the
Rule.What were these developments? European Renaissance, Reformation and
Ans. The First deals with the deliberate and Enlightenment. Its themes were humanistic,
conscious efforts made by the 19th century secular and liberal.
social reformers and early 20h century Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan's interpretation of
nationalists to bring in changes in social Islam emphasised the validity of free enquiry
practices that discriminated against women (ijtihad) and the alleged similarities between
and Lower' castes. Koranic revelations and the laws of nature
The Second with the less deliberate yet discovered by modern science.
decisive changes in cultural practices that can KandukiriViresalingam's The Sources of
broadly be understood as the Four processes Knowledge reflected his famniliarity with
of Sanskritisation, Modernisation, navya-nyaya logic. At the same time he
Secularisation and Westernisation. translated Julius Huxley.
Q.4 What were the various social issues taken Q.6 Explain the three aspects responsible for
up by the social r eformers in the 19th the modern framework of change in
century. colonial India given by Sociologist Satish
Ans. The well known issues are that of sati pratha, Saberwal.
child marriage, widow remarriage and caste 0r
discrimination. "Three major kinds of changes br ought
Q.5 *What marked these 19 h century social about in colonial Indiawere new forms of
reform attempts were the modern context communication, new kinds of organisation
and mix of ideas". Interpr et the given and new ideas". Explain.
statement.
Ans. Sociologist Satish Saberwal elaborates
Ans, It was a creative conmbination of modern
upon the modern context by sketching three
1deas of western liberalism and traditional aspects of the modern framework of change
literature. in colonial India.
Ram Mohan Roy attacked the practice of 1. Modes of communication
sati on the basis of both appeals to
a. New technologies speeded up various
humanitarian and natural rights doctrines as forms of communication
well as Hindu shastras.
The idea of female education was
The printing press, telegraph, and later the intensely. Significantly, it was the deebat
microphone, movement of people and goods socited
reformer Jotiba Phule who opened the
through steamship and railways helped quick school for women in Pune. Reformers first
movement of new ideas. argued
that for a society to progresS Women have
Within India, social reformers from Punjab to
be educated.
and Bengal exchanged ideas with reformers Some of them believed that in
from Madras and Maharastra. Keshav
India, women were educated.
pre-modern
Chandra Sen of Bengal visited Madras in contested this on the grounds that Others
1864. this was
so only ofa privileged few.
Pandita Ramabai travelled to different
Thus attempts to justify female education
corners of the country. Some of them went were made by recourse to both modern
to other countries. traditional ideas.
and
Christian missionaries reached remote
Inother words 19th century reform initiated
corners of present day Nagaland, Mizoram aperiod of questioning, reinterpretations and
and Meghalaya. both intellectual and social growth.
2. Forms of organisation 0.7 The varied social reform movements did
b. Modern Social organisations havecommon themes. Yet there were alsO
Like the Brahmo Samaj in Bengal and Arya significant differences. Justify.
Samaj in Punjab were set up. Or
The AllIndia Muslim Ladies Conference Why was DharnmaSabha' formed?
(Anjuman-E-Khawatn-E-Islam) was Ans. For some the concerns were confined to the
founded in 1914.
problems that the upper caste, middle class
Indian reformers debated not just in public women and men faced.
meetings but through public media like For others the injustices suffered by the
newspapers and journals. discriminated castes were central questions.
Translations of writings of social reformers For somne social evils had emerged because
from one Indian language to another took
of a decline of the true spirit of Hinduism.
place. For instance, Vishnu Shastri published
a Marathi translation of Vidyasagar's book For others caste and gender oppression was
in Indu Prakash in 1868. intrinsic to the religion.
3. The Nature of ideas Likewise Muslim social reformers actively
C. New ideas of liberalism and feedom, new debated the meaning of polygamy nd
ideas of homemaking and marriage, new purdah. For example, a resolution against
roles for mothers and daughters, new the evils of polygamy was proposed by
ideas of self- consciouspride in cultur e Jahanara Shah Nawas at the All India
and tradition emerged. Muslim Ladies Conference.
The value of education becamne very The resolution condemning polygamy
caused considerable debate in the Muslim
important. It was seen as very crucial for a
nation to become modern but also retain its press, Tahsib-e-Niwan, the leading journal
for women in the Punjab, came out in favour
ancient heritage.
of the resolve, but others disapproved.
within communities were Common
Debates
period. For instance, sati
Ans. In Hinduism, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and
this was
during
Brahmo Samaj. Orthodox Vaishyas are known as the twice-born caste
by the
opposed
membersofthe Hindu community in Bengal or Dwija because they have undergone the
formed an organization called Dharma sacred thread ceremony (upanayana).
Sabha and petitioned the British arguingthat This sacred thread ceremony is considered
reformers had no right to interpret sacred to be a type of second birth.
Q.13 What do you know about De
texts.
English education change the
did
sanskritisation?
How
0.8 mindset of the educated Indian middle Ans. In regions where the non-Sanskritic castes
class?
were dominant, it was their influence that
Colonialism led to the growth of an English was stronger. This can be termed theprocess
Ans. of 'de-sanskritisation'.
educated Indian middle class.
They read the thinkers of western Q.14 In a highly unequal society such as India
enlightenment, philosophers of liberal there were and still ar e obstacles to any
democracy and dreamt of ushering in a easy taking over of the customs of the
liberal and progressive India. higher castes by the lower. Explainwith
And yet, humiliated by colonial rule they the help of an example.
asserted their pride in traditional learning and Ans. Traditionally, the dominant caste punished
scholarship. those low castes, which were audacious
09 Mention the differ ent kinds of social enough to attempt it.
changes Kumud Pawade in her autobiography
Ans. Sanskritisation recounts how a Dalit woman became a
Westernisation Sanskrit teacher. As a student she is drawn
Modernisation towards the study of Sanskrit. perhaps
because it is the means through which she
Secularisation
can break into a field that was not possible
Q.10 What do you know about Sanskritisation? for her to enter on grounds of gender and
Ans. The term sanskritisation was coined by M.N. caste.
Srinivas.
Perhaps she was drawn towards it because it
It may be briefly defined as the process by would enable her to read in the original what
which a 'low' caste or tribe or other group the texts have to say about women and the
takes over the customs, ritual, beliefs, Dalits.
Ideology and style of life of a high and in As she proceeds with her studies, she meets
particular, a 'twice born (dwija) caste'. with varied reactions ranging fromn surprise
Q.11 "The impact of Sanskritisation is to hostility, from guarded acceptance to
many
sided. How? brutal rejection.
Ans. Its
influence can be seen in language, Q.15 Sanskritisation as a concept has been
literature, ideology, music, dance, drama,
style
criticised at different levels. Conmment.
of life and ritual. or
Q.12 What do
you know about the twice-born Sanskritis ation is agender ed process.
caste or Dwija. Justify.
or
Ans. With the growth of the anti
Process of Sanskritisation encourages movement and the development of-Brahminica
inequalities and discrimination. Explain. self consciousness in the twentieth regional
Ans. One it has been criticised for exaggerating there was an attempt in several century
social mobility or the scope oflower castes'
to move up the social ladde.
languages to drop Sanskrit
phrases.
wordsIndian and
For it leads to no structural change but only A crucial result of
the Backward
positional change of some individuals. Movement was to emphasise the Clas es
Two, it has been pointed out that the ideology secular factors in the upward role of
of sanskritisation accepts the ways of the caste groups and individuals. mobility of
upper caste' as superior and that of the In the case of the dominant caste,
lower caste` as inferior. Therefore, the desire no longer any desire to pass for the
there was
to imitate the 'upper caste' is seen as natural Kshatriyas and Brahmins. Vaisyas,
and desirable.
On the other hand, it was prestigious
a member of the dominant caste. to be
Third, Sanskritisation' seems to justify a
years have seen likewise assertions Recent
model that rests on inequality and exclusion.
of
It appears to suggest that to believe in who now pride their identity as Dalits. Dalits
pollution and purity of groups of people is
justifiable or all rights. Therefore, to be able Howeve, sometimes as among the poOrest
to look down on some groups just as the and the most marginalised of the dalit
caste
Upper Class looked down on the Lower groups, caste identity seems to compensate
Castes, is a mark of privilege. In society theirmarginality in other domains.
where such a world-view exists, imagining In other words they have gained some pride
an equal society becomes difficult. This and self-confidence but otherwise remain
reflects an essentially undemocratic vision. excluded and discriminated.
Fourth, since Sanskritisation results in the O.17
What do you understand about
adoption of upper caste rites, and rituals it
leads to practices of secluding girls and Westernisation?
women, adopting dowry practices instead of Ans. M.N. Srinivas defines westernization as he
bride price and practicing caste changes brought about in Indian society and
discrimination against other groups, etc. culture as a result of over 150 years of British
Fifth, the effect of such a trend is that the rule, the term subsuming changes occurring
key characteristics of dalit culture and society at different levels......
technology,
are eroded. For example the very worth of institutions, ideology and values".
labour which 'lower castes' do is degraded Q18 Mention the dif ferent kinds of
and rendered shameful'. westernisation.
Q.16 Explain the influence of
anti-Brahamincal
and backwardclasses movement
Or
on the Westernisation is often just about
process of Sanskritisation.
adoption of western attir e and lifestyle.
Or
Are there other aspects to being
Marginalized Caste groups may have westernised? Discuss.
gained some pride and self-confidence but or
otherwise remain excluded Explain westernisation as a pr ocess 0
anddiscriminated. Elaborate.
cultural change in India.
different kinds of
were
Ans. Srinivas
T h e r
westernisa tion
e
Suggested that while Lower Castes
ADS.
reefers to tthe
Sought to be Sanskritised Upper Cates'
kind
emergence of a sought to be Westernised.
westernised sub cultural pattern through
One
of Indians who first came
section
In a diverse country such as India this
a
minority
with Western culture. generalisation is difficult to maintain.
contact
in c the sub culture of Indian For instance, studies of Thiyyas (by no
included
means
This
who not only adopted many considered 'upper caste') in Kerala show
conscious efforts to westernise.
i n t e l l e c t u a l s
cognitive patterns, of ways of thinking, and
life, but supported its expansion. Elite Thiyyas appropriated British culture as
stvles of
were, therefore, small sections of a move towards a more cosmopolitan life that
There
who adopted western life styles or critiqued caste.
people
were
ways of thinking.
affected by western Likewise, Western education often implied
Apart
from this there has been also the opening up to new opportunities for different
general spread
of Western cultural traits, such groupsof people in the North-East.
use e of newtechnology, dress, food and Q.20 VWhat do you understand about
asthe
changes in the habits and styles of people in Modernisation?
general. Ans. In the early years, modernisation referred to
Across the country a very wide section of improvement in technology and production
middle class homes have a television set. a processes.
fridge, some kind of sofa set, a dining table Increasingly, however, the term had a wider
andchair in the living room. usage. It referred to the path of development
Westernisation does involve the imitation of that much of west Europe or North America
external forms of culture. It does not has taken.
necessarily mean that people adopt nmodern And suggested that other societies both have
values of democracy and equality. to and ought to follow the same path of
Apart from ways of life and thinking the development.
west influenced Indian art and literature.
Q.21 What are some of the basic assumptions
Artists like Ravi Varma, Abanindranath of modernity?
Tagore, Chandu Menon and Bankim 0r
Chandra Chattopadhya were all grappling What does the term modernity assume?
with the colonial encounter.
Ans. Modernity' assumes that local ties and
Q.19 Srinivas suggested that while lower parochial perspectives give way to universal
castes' sought to be Sanskritised, 'upper commitments and cosmopolitan attitudes.
caste' sought to be Westernised. In a
That the truths of utility, calculation, and
dIverse country such as India this science take precedence over those of the
generalisation is difficult to maintain. emotions, the sacred, and the non rational;
Justify with an example.
or
That the individual rather than the group be
politics.
the primary unit of society and
Keepingiin context studies ofThiyas, state That the associations in which
men live and
Srinivas'st position on Westernisation and birth.
work be based on choice not
Sanskritisation.
That mastery rather than fatalism orient their Recent years have, however, seeen an
growth of
attitude toward the material and human
environment;
unprecedented
consciousness and religious
conflict world over.
That identity be chosen and achieved, not 0.25 What is the r elationship hetween
modernisation and secularisation
ascribed and affirmed;
That work be separated from family, Ans. Relationship between modernisatiom and
secularisation
residence, and community in bureaucratic
organisation. Both concepts are interlinked with
other.
each
Q.22 Sociologists have triedto define what
constitutes modernisation. Elaborate. They are both part of a set of modern ideas,
Ans. From the 19th and more so that 20 century Change in attitude towards religion
the term began to be associated with positive Change in ceremonies, rituals, taboos,
and desirable values. festivals, sacrifices, social networking etc.
Inthe early years, modernisation referred to 0.26 Rituals also have secular dimensionsas
improvement in technology and production distinct from secular goals. Explain,
processes. Ans. Secular dimensions of a rituals distinct
It referred to the path of development that from secular goals
much of West Europe to North America has
taken.
Provide men and women with occasions for
Modernisation assumes that local ties and socialising with their peers and superiors and
parochial perspectives give way to universal for showing off the family's wealth, clothing
commitments and cosmopolitan attitudes. and jewellery.
People are influenced not just by local but During the last few decades in particular, the
universal contexts. economic, politicaland status dimensions of
Work is based on choice, not birth. ritual have become increasingly conspicuous.
A
Scientific attitude and a rational approach The number of cars lined up outside a
matters. wedding house and the VIPsattending the
Q.23 What do you understand about wedding.
secularisation? Provide the index to the household's standing
Ans. In the modern west, secularisation has in the local community.
usually meant a process of decline in the 0.27 Write a short note on secularisation of
influence of religion. caste.
It has been an assumption of all theorists of or
modernisation that modern societies become
Write about the secularisation of castes.
increasingly secular.
Substantiate it with the help of examples
Q.24 What is the indicators of secularisation?
Ans. In traditional India caste system operateu
Indicators of secularisation have referred to
levels of involvement with religious within a religious framework.
organisations (such as rates of church Belief systems of purity and pollution were
attendance), the socialand material influence central to its practice.
of religious organisations, and the degree to Today it often functions as political pressue
which people hold religious beliefs. groups.
Contemporary
has seen such
Indiahas formation
and
associations and caste based political They seek to press upon the state their
ofcaste
demands. Such a changed role of caste has
parties. been described as secularisation of caste.
