KSLU Solved Question Papers
Sociology I
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 1
2017 Dec Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 1 Sociology I 2017 Dec Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2017 Dec examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2017 Dec examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2017 Dec examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 100 · 13 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1Define sociology. Explain its nature and advantages.[16]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the word and three definitions; the nature of sociology in eight short points; whether it is a science, in brief; the advantages of studying sociology, at least ten, each explained with an example (for knowledge, for the individual, for society and government, for professions, and for law); its limits; a conclusion.
Definition
The term sociology was coined by Auguste Comte in 1838. It is made from the Latin socius, an associate, and the Greek logos, reasoned study. In plain words, sociology is the systematic study of people living together.
- MacIver and Page described its subject as social relationships, the network of which is society.
- Max Weber called it the science that tries to understand social action by interpreting it, and so to explain its course and effects.
- Emile Durkheim treated it as the study of social facts. These are ways of acting, thinking and feeling that exist outside individuals and press upon them.
The nature of sociology
- Independent: it has its own subject, concepts and methods.
- Social: it studies people in groups, not nature.
- Categorical: it describes what is, without prescribing what ought to be.
- Pure: it aims at knowledge; others apply it.
- Abstract: it studies patterns, not single events.
- Generalising: it seeks conclusions that hold for many cases.
- General: it studies the social side of every activity.
- Rational and empirical: it joins theory with evidence.
Is it a science? It follows the steps of scientific method: hypothesis, observation, classification and generalisation. Its subject, human beings who think and choose, makes exact prediction impossible. It is best called a social science.
How the nature leads to the advantages
The advantages of sociology flow from its nature. Because it is empirical, its findings can be trusted as evidence. Because it is categorical, it describes society honestly, even when the facts are uncomfortable. Because it is general, it shows how different parts of social life fit together. And because it is pure, its knowledge is available to anyone who wishes to apply it, whether a planner, a teacher or a judge.
Advantages of sociology
A. For knowledge
1. It gives a factual picture of society. Without sociology, opinions about caste, family or crime rest on hearsay. Surveys and field studies replace guesses with evidence. For example, research has shown how many Indian families stay closely linked across cities even after they stop living under one roof.
2. It explains how institutions connect. Sociology shows that the family, economy, religion, education and politics affect one another. A change in one, such as women's paid work, ripples through the others.
B. For the individual
3. It widens the mind. Studying other groups and cultures makes a person less narrow and less quick to judge. It weakens ethnocentrism, the belief that one's own group is superior.
4. It helps a person understand his own life. A student learns how family, caste, class and gender have shaped his chances and choices. This self-knowledge helps in making better decisions.
C. For society and government
5. It aids planning. Schemes for housing, health, education or rural jobs succeed only if planners understand the people they serve. Sociological surveys tell them who needs what and why earlier schemes failed.
6. It helps solve social problems. Problems such as alcoholism, child labour, farmer distress, communal tension and slums have social roots. Sociology traces these roots so that solutions address causes rather than symptoms.
7. It supports democracy. Citizens who understand social diversity are more tolerant and better able to take part in public debate.
8. It helps national integration. In a country of many religions, languages and castes, sociology explains differences and points to shared interests.
D. For professions
9. It is useful in many careers. Administrators, police officers, journalists, managers, doctors, social workers and teachers all deal with people in groups. Sociology gives them insight into human behaviour in organisations and communities.
E. For law
10. It is indispensable to a lawyer. Law is applied to people living in society, and its success depends on social facts. Sociology explains why some laws, such as the ban on dowry, are widely evaded. It also explains why others, such as reservation of panchayat seats for women, change behaviour. It helps judges understand terms such as "cruelty" or "public order" in their social setting. It also helps lawmakers predict how a new law will be received.
11. It helps in understanding crime and punishment. Criminology, a branch of sociology, studies why crime occurs and how offenders can be reformed. This knowledge shapes policing, sentencing and prison reform.
F. For understanding change
12. It helps us understand social change. Indian society is changing rapidly: households are shrinking, villages are linked to cities, and new technologies alter work and family life. Sociology explains the causes and consequences of such change. It helps people and governments adjust instead of being taken by surprise.
13. It supports evidence-based policy. Large surveys such as the Census and the National Family Health Survey use sociological methods. Their findings on literacy, age at marriage, health and household structure guide budgets and laws.
An example: sociology and a law that worked
The reservation of one-third of panchayat seats for women by the Seventy-third Amendment, in force from 24 April 1993, shows sociology's practical value. Critics feared that women would be mere proxies for their husbands. Field studies by sociologists showed a more mixed picture. In many villages, women members gained confidence over time and raised issues such as drinking water, schooling and health. Such research helps lawmakers judge what a law actually achieves and how it can be improved.
An example: sociology and common sense
Common sense often says that crime is the work of strangers and that the poor are poor because they are lazy. Sociological research tests such beliefs. It shows that much violence against women happens within families. It shows that poverty is shaped by landholding, caste, education and access to work, not just by individual effort. By correcting such errors, sociology prevents bad policies built on prejudice.
Limits
Sociology cannot settle questions of right and wrong. It can show the likely effects of a law, but the choice of values belongs to citizens, lawmakers and judges. Its findings are also probable rather than certain, because human behaviour varies.
Conclusion. Sociology, named by Comte in 1838, is the systematic study of social relationships and social facts. In nature it is an independent, social, categorical, pure, abstract, generalising and general science, both rational and empirical. Its advantages are many. It gives knowledge, broadens individuals and aids planning and problem-solving. It also supports democracy and integration, serves many professions and is essential to the making and working of law.
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