KSLU Solved Question Papers
Recent Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2021 Oct Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Recent Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology 2021 Oct 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 2021 Oct examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2021 Oct 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 80 · 20 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.
Q1
(a)Explain sociological theories.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: what sociological theories are; how they can be classified by level and by type; the main theories one by one: evolutionary, functionalist, conflict, symbolic interactionist, social exchange, feminist and post modern, each with its leading names, core idea and main weakness; a summary table; how they complement each other; a conclusion.
What sociological theories are
Sociological theories are organised explanations of how society works and why social life takes the forms it does. Each offers a way of looking at the same social world. One theory sees order and shared values; another sees power and struggle; a third sees people creating meaning in everyday life. Students of sociology learn several, because each lights up a different side of society.
How they can be classified
- By level. Macro theories study whole societies and institutions. Micro theories study face-to-face interaction. Some theories try to join the two.
- By type. Some are grand theories covering everything; others are middle range theories explaining one area, such as deviance or reference groups.
- By image of society. Consensus theories stress agreement and stability. Conflict theories stress inequality and change.
The main theories
1. Evolutionary theory. Its founders were Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer and Lewis Henry Morgan. It holds that societies pass through stages from simple to complex. Comte gave the law of three stages; Spencer described a move from simple sameness to complex, interdependent difference. Weakness: it treats Western society as the goal and assumes one path for all.
2. Functionalist theory. Its main names are Emile Durkheim, Bronislaw Malinowski, A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, Talcott Parsons and Robert K. Merton. Society is a system of interdependent parts, each with a function that helps the whole survive. Order rests on shared values. Parsons's AGIL and Merton's manifest and latent functions are its best known tools. Weakness: it is conservative and explains change poorly.
3. Conflict theory. Its main names are Karl Marx, Max Weber, Ralf Dahrendorf, Lewis Coser and C. Wright Mills. Society is an arena of groups competing for scarce wealth, power and status. Order is kept by power and ideology, and conflict drives change. Weakness: it overstates conflict and struggles to explain cooperation.
4. Symbolic interactionism. Its main names are George Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley, W. I. Thomas, Herbert Blumer and Erving Goffman. People act on the meanings things have for them, and these meanings arise in interaction. Cooley's "looking-glass self" and the Thomas theorem, that situations defined as real are real in their consequences, are key ideas. Weakness: it neglects structure and power.
5. Social exchange theory. Its main names are George Homans, Peter Blau and Richard Emerson. Social interaction is a trade of rewards and costs. Relationships last while both sides find them worthwhile. Emerson showed that the power of one party rests on the other's dependence. Weakness: it assumes a calculating individual and risks explaining nothing.
6. Feminist theories. Their names include Mary Wollstonecraft, Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, bell hooks and Judith Butler. Gender inequality is socially produced and can be changed. Liberal, Marxist, radical, Black, eco and postmodern feminists differ on its root and its remedy. Weakness: critics say early versions spoke mainly for white middle-class women.
7. Post modern theory. Its main names are Jean-Francois Lyotard, Jean Baudrillard, Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. The grand stories of progress have lost credibility; knowledge is plural and tied to power; identity is fragmented. Weakness: it can be obscure, relativist and thin on evidence.
The theories side by side
| Theory | Level | Image of society | Key names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolutionary | Macro | Stages from simple to complex | Comte, Spencer, Morgan |
| Functionalist | Macro | System of parts, consensus | Durkheim, Parsons, Merton |
| Conflict | Macro | Arena of groups, power | Marx, Weber, Dahrendorf |
| Theory | Level | Image of society | Key names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symbolic interactionism | Micro | Meanings made in interaction | Mead, Cooley, Blumer, Goffman |
| Social exchange | Micro | Trade of rewards and costs | Homans, Blau, Emerson |
| Feminist | Macro and micro | Gendered inequality | De Beauvoir, Friedan, hooks |
| Post modern | Both, and sceptical | Fragments, discourse, power | Lyotard, Foucault, Derrida |
One example, many theories
Take a strike in a textile mill. A functionalist asks how it disturbs the system and how order is restored. A conflict theorist sees owners and workers with opposed interests. An interactionist studies how workers define the situation and build solidarity in daily talk. An exchange theorist looks at what each side gains and loses by holding out. A feminist asks why women workers earn less and who looks after their children during the strike. A post modern writer looks at how the media story of the strike is built. Each theory adds a layer.
How they complement each other
No single theory explains everything. Macro theories explain the framework of society; micro theories explain what happens inside it. Consensus and conflict theories describe two faces of the same society. Modern sociologists such as Anthony Giddens have tried to join structure and action into one account.
Conclusion. Sociological theories are different lenses for studying society, classified by level, scope and image of society. The main ones are evolutionary, functionalist, conflict, interactionist, exchange, feminist and post modern theories. Each has strengths and weaknesses, and together they give a fuller picture than any one alone.
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