NTA UGC NET/JRF Exam, Dec.- 2023 Sociology (Paper-II)

The following concepts are related to Max Weber:-
– Verstehen
– Power/Authority
– Ideal Type

Anthony Giddens' concept of "radical modernity" has the following characteristics:-
(1) Radical modernity identifies institutional developments that create separation and displacement.
(2) It defines postmodernity as potential changes that move away from the institutions of modernity.
(3) It sees modernity as an active set of responses to the concrete arrangements of day-to-day life, involving displacement and loss.

According to Parsons, the following points are the functional prerequisites of a social system
– The social system must be structured.
– The social system must fulfill the needs of its actors in a good proportion.
– The social system must have the required support from other systems.
– The system must have adequate participation from its members.
– Language is required to maintain a social system.

A measure of central tendency is a single value that attempts to describe a set of data by identifying the central position within that set of data.

Thus measures of central tendency are sometimes also called measures of central location. The mean, median, and mode are all valid measures of central tendency.

A good questionnaire has the following characteristics:–
– It should be comparatively short and simple.
– The number of questions should be as few as possible.
– The questions should be easy to understand.
– The questions should be simple and clear.
– The questions should not be those that seek useless information.
– It should be in accordance with the purpose of the study.
– Open-ended questions should be avoided as much as possible.
– The questions should be such that they can be answered in time.

The selection of the appropriate method of data collection depends on the following factors: –
– The objective of the study,
– The availability of funds,
– The time and factors,

Non-probability sampling is a method of selecting units from a population using an individual method. Since non-probability sampling does not require a complete survey frame, it is a quicker, easier and cheaper way to obtain data.
Non-probability methods include the following:-
– Convenience or random sampling
– Volunteer sampling
– Judgment sampling
– Quota sampling
– Snowball or network sampling
– Crowdsourcing
– Web panels

The historical method, as the name suggests, is a method that uses history to understand societies. The historical method began when we first began to study societies systematically.

It deals with the problems of the emergence of social institutions, the development of a particular institution as a whole, the description of social events at a particular point in time.

Scientific research is a systematic and purposeful process of acquiring knowledge based on specific methods and techniques. It is an activity aimed at discovery, understanding and explanation of natural and social phenomena through observation, experimentation and analysis of data.
Theory has the following roles in scientific research:-
– In conceptualization and classification,
– In making concise summary of what is already known,
– Theory predicts facts and points out the gaps in our knowledge.

Primary groups are groups of individuals who interact with each other on a regular basis due to common goals and interests.
The conditions underlying primary groups are as follows:
– Physical proximity of members
– Small size of the group
– Permanence of the relationship.