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Recent Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2016 Dec Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Recent Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology 2016 Dec Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2016 Dec examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2016 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.
Q1Explain the nature of Sociological Theories. Distinguish between social theories and sociological theories.[16]
Answer
For full marks, cover: a working definition; the nature of sociological theory under four heads: what it is built from, what it does, how it is judged and how it lives and changes, each with examples; the three traditions of theorising; levels and scope; then the meaning of social theory and how the two terms grew apart; the differences in a table; a continuum of thinkers; one Indian subject treated both ways; how they depend on each other; why the distinction matters for law; a conclusion.
A working definition
A sociological theory is a set of connected ideas that explains why social life takes the form it does. Its claims can be checked against what actually happens. Jonathan H. Turner described theory as an attempt to explain particular events by showing that they are instances of more general processes.
Part 1. The nature of sociological theory
The nature of sociological theory is best seen under four heads.
A. What it is built from
- Concepts. Terms such as role, norm, class, anomie or network pick out what the theorist wants to study. They must be defined clearly enough for others to use them in the same sense.
- Propositions. Concepts are joined in statements of relation, such as "the more a group is cut off from others, the stronger its internal solidarity".
- Scope conditions. A good theory says where it applies: to all societies, to industrial ones, or only to small groups.
- Assumptions. Every theory rests on starting beliefs about human nature and society, such as the view that people seek gain, or that they follow shared values.
B. What it does
- It explains. It answers "why?" and not only "what?".
- It predicts. It says what should follow under stated conditions. A theory of relative deprivation predicts unrest when expectations rise faster than conditions improve.
- It interprets. Some theories try to understand the meanings people give to their actions, as Weber's method of Verstehen did.
- It criticises. Some theories also expose hidden domination, as Marxist and feminist theories do.
C. How it is judged
- Testability. Its claims must face evidence from surveys, records, fieldwork or comparison.
- Generality. It must reach beyond a single case.
- Logical consistency. Its parts must not contradict one another.
- Fruitfulness. It should open new questions for research. Merton's idea of latent functions is valued because it led to so many studies.
D. How it lives and changes
- It is plural. George Ritzer called sociology a "multiple paradigm science". Functionalism, conflict theory, interactionism, exchange theory, feminism and post modernism exist side by side.
- It is historical. Each theory answers the problems of its age. Durkheim wrote about the solidarity of industrial France, and Beck about the risks of a nuclear and chemical age.
- It is provisional. New evidence revises old theories. Coser reworked Simmel, and Merton refined Durkheim.
- It is reflexive. People who learn a theory may change their conduct, so the theory can alter what it studies.
The four heads applied to one theory: relative deprivation
The wartime study The American Soldier (1949), led by Samuel Stouffer, found a puzzle. Military police, who were rarely promoted, were more satisfied with promotion than airmen, who were promoted often. Merton and Alice Kitt explained this with the idea of reference groups. People judge their lot by comparing themselves with those around them, not by an absolute standard.
- Built from: the concepts of reference group and relative deprivation, joined in a clear proposition.
- What it does: it explains the puzzle and predicts discontent where comparison groups are doing better.
- How it is judged: it has been tested in workplaces, schools and politics.
- How it lives: later writers carried it into the study of social justice and protest.
Three traditions of theorising
Sociologists do not agree on what a theory should be.
| Tradition | Aim of theory | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positivist | Find general laws that explain and predict | Durkheim's rules of method; Turner's formal propositions |
| Interpretive | Understand the meanings actors give to action | Weber's Verstehen; symbolic interactionism |
| Critical | Expose domination and point to freedom | Marx; the Frankfurt School; feminist theory |
All three count as sociological theory when they stay tied to the study of real social life.
Levels and scope
Theories also differ in level and scope. Micro theories study interaction between persons, meso theories study organisations and groups, and macro theories study whole societies. In scope, grand theories such as Parsons's general theory of action try to explain everything. Middle range theories, which Merton favoured, explain a limited field such as reference groups or role conflict.
Part 2. Social theory and sociological theory
Social theory is the broad tradition of reflection on society, history, human nature, power and the good life. It is much older than sociology. It includes political philosophy, moral argument, history and critique. It asks large questions about society as a whole, and it is free to judge as well as to explain.
How the two terms grew apart. In the nineteenth century the line was blurred. Comte, Marx and Spencer mixed science, history and philosophy freely. In the twentieth century sociology became a university discipline with its own methods. "Sociological theory" came to mean the explanatory theory of that discipline. From the 1970s writers such as Habermas, Foucault, Giddens and many feminists revived the wider label "social theory". Their work crossed sociology, philosophy, history and politics.
The differences
| Point | Social theory | Sociological theory |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Society, history and human life as a whole | Patterns of social life that can be studied |
| Home | Many disciplines | Sociology |
| Point | Social theory | Sociological theory |
|---|---|---|
| Central question | What is society, and how should it be? | Why does social life take this form? |
| Values | Openly judges and recommends | Tries to separate explanation from judgment |
| Method | Argument, interpretation, history | Concepts and propositions tested on evidence |
| Proof | Persuasion and insight | Evidence and prediction |
| Result | A diagnosis of the age or a vision of change | An explanation that can be checked and revised |
| Typical figures | Plato, Kautilya, Rousseau, Gandhi, Habermas | Durkheim on suicide, Merton on anomie, Homans on exchange |
A continuum, not a wall
It is more accurate to picture a line than a wall. At one end stand moral and political philosophers such as Plato and Rousseau. Next come thinkers like Marx, whose theory of history is also a call to action. In the middle stands Weber, who joined careful historical comparison with deep reflection on the fate of meaning. Towards the other end come Merton's middle range theories and formal models of exchange and networks. Most great sociologists sit somewhere in between.
One Indian subject, treated both ways: modernisation
Gandhi's Hind Swaraj (1909) is social theory. It judges modern civilisation, with its railways, lawyers and machines, and calls for self-rule grounded in moral discipline. It argues and persuades. It does not test hypotheses.
Yogendra Singh's Modernization of Indian Tradition (1973) is sociological theory. It asks how far Indian traditions were actually changing, at which levels and through which processes. It classifies sources of change and tests its claims against studies of Indian society.
Both deal with modernity in India. One says what modernity does to the soul and what we should do about it. The other explains how modernity and tradition actually interact.
How they depend on each other
Social theory feeds sociological theory with questions and concepts. Alienation, power, the public sphere and patriarchy all began as broad ideas before researchers made them precise. In turn, sociological theory disciplines social theory with evidence. It shows which large claims hold up and which do not. Without social theory, sociology risks becoming narrow technique. Without sociological theory, social thought risks becoming opinion.
Why the distinction matters for law
Law students meet both kinds of claim. A claim that criminal law protects property more than persons is social theory, and it must be weighed as an argument. A claim that undertrial prisoners from poorer groups wait longer in jail is sociological. It can be checked against prison statistics. Knowing which kind of claim is being made tells a student what kind of proof to ask for.
Conclusion. Sociological theory is built from concepts, propositions, scope conditions and assumptions. It explains, predicts, interprets and sometimes criticises. It is judged by testability, generality, consistency and fruitfulness, and it is plural, historical, provisional and reflexive. Social theory is the older and wider tradition of reflection that judges as well as explains. The two lie along one continuum and depend on each other.
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