UGC NET/JRF EXAM, September-2024 WOMEN’S STUDIES

Total Questions: 100

91. Read the following passage and answer the questions.

Media studies is concerned with the relationship between people, media, life and society, by examining these relationships through various lenses. Quantitative and Environmental questions explore who is using which media, while qualitative questions delve into how people interpret media and its role in their lives.

Change is a constant factor in this inquiry. Issues of access, power and democracy also come into play scrutinizing who owns and controls media and the power dynamics stemming from by concentrating ownership and corporate agendas.

The 2011 news of the world phone-hacking scandal in the UK highlighted the significant influence of media, bringing these issues to the forefront of public discussion. Media studies also examines the nature of media texts, using various approaches to deconstruct how meaning is made within and between texts.

This involves studying media audiences with attention to demographics such as culture, gender, age, sexuality, social class and ability/disability. These topics are often interconnected, requiring students to develop skills in making connections, synthesizing ideas and engaging in dialogue between concepts.

Although human communication history dates back much further, and some media histories began as early as 776 BC with carrier pigeons, the advent of the printing press in 1455 by Gutenberg is often cited as a milestone in communication technology. The ability to produce in mass scale, the printed world led to mass literacy and significantly transformed people's communication.

What do qualitative questions explore in media students?

Correct Answer: 2. How people interpret media and its function in their lives?
Solution:

• The passage clearly states that qualitative questions in media studies explore how people interpret media and the role it plays in their lives.

• Unlike quantitative research which focuses on "who is using what media", qualitative research examines subjective meaning, perception, and experiences related to media consumption.

• It focuses on the emotional, cultural, and interpretative engagement individuals have with various media forms.

• This approach helps understand why media content resonates differently with different people.

92. Why are audiences important in media studies?

Correct Answer: 3. It provides insight into how different demographics interpret media texts
Solution:

• According to the passage, media studies includes examining media audiences with respect to demographics like culture, gender, age, sexuality, social class, and ability/ disability.

• This shows that audiences are studied not just to improve content, but to understand how various groups interpret and interact with media texts.

• It emphasizes representation, identity, and social influence, helping researchers identify patterns, biases, and cultural impact within media narratives.

93. What is the primary focus of media studies?

Correct Answer: 2. The relationship between people, media, life and society
Solution:

• The primary focus of media studies, as stated in the first line of the passage, is to examine the relationship between people, media, life, and society.

• Media studies uses various lenses to understand how media influences societal norms, personal behaviour, and cultural structures.

• This field incorporates both quantitative and qualitative research to analyze content, ownership, audience behaviour, and power dynamics.

• It is interdisciplinary, intersecting with sociology, psychology, politics, and cultural studies.

94. Which event highlighted the influence of media and brought issues of media power to public discussion?

Correct Answer: 3. The 2011 news of the world phonehacking scandal
Solution:

The passage specifically references the 2011 News of the World phone-hacking scandal in the UK as a case that exposed the power and influence of media.

• This scandal involved illegal voicemail access by journalists and led to public outrage, raising questions about ethics, privacy, and media ownership.

• It brought the issues of media control, corporate agendas, and power dynamics into the mainstream public discourse.

• The scandal even resulted in the closure of the News of the World newspaper and legal reforms in media practices.

95. What significant technological advancement in 1455 is mentioned in the passage?

Correct Answer: 3. The development of the printing press by Gutenberg
Solution:

• The passage mentions that although communication dates back to 776 BC with carrier pigeons, a significant milestone was the invention of the printing press in 1455 by Johannes Gutenberg.

• This technological innovation allowed for mass production of printed material, leading to mass literacy and a transformation in how people communicated and accessed information.

• It is often cited as one of the most transformative developments in the history of communication, ushering in the modern era of knowledge dissemination.

96. Read the following passage and answer the questions.

Radical feminism emerged as a powerful oppositional discourse during the late 1960s. It flourished during a period of marked upsurge in radical political agitation, such as the student and civil rights movements, and challenged the epistemological basis of both Marxisms and Liberalism.

Radical Feminists, possessing no single core doctrine which informed their theories, were fragmented from the start, a process exacerbated by their preference for small group formation, where each individual women could find a voice and where all tasks could be shared out equally.

The groups devised their own consciousness raising strategies and produced manifestos independently of one another operating as distinct political 'cells' that might or might not forge coalitions in cases of distinct action.

One result of such discrete and free floating political activity was that it provoked a degreè of criticism from more centrally organized feminists, such as the liberal tendency that comprised the membership of 'NOW' in the States and also a large amount of parody from the mass media.

Radical feminisms 'invisibility' as an 'organisation' with no identifiable leaders and centres was perceived to be a major strength by its adherents; they did not subscribe to any one tradition in political thought and were therefore at liberty to constantly re-invent themselves.

Although it would be fair to assert that radical feminist politics has been most broadly influenced in its work upon issues which closely affect women's personal, physical and mental wellbeing. It is difficult to isolate a central governing principle presenting radical feminist work with other waves of feminism.

Perhaps anthologies such as Robin Morgan's sisterhood is powerful (1970) and Koedt, Levine and Rapone's Radical feminism (1973) most effectively do justice to the sheer range and heterogeneity of radical feminist perspectives.

Who proposed the concept of 'Sisterhood'?

Correct Answer: 1. Robin Morgan
Solution:

• The concept of 'Sisterhood' in radical feminism was powerfully articulated in Robin Morgan's anthology "Sisterhood is Powerful" (1970).

• The term "Sisterhood" symbolized solidarity among women across lines of class, race, and background, united against patriarchy.

• The anthology is considered a foundational feminist text, bringing together various essays and writings that emphasized shared female experience and collective resistance.

• Morgan's work reflected the radical feminist perspective, advocating for grassroots activism and challenging male-dominated structures.

97. During which period did radical feminism emerge as a powerful discourse?

Correct Answer: 2. Late 1960s
Solution:

• As stated in the passage, Radical feminism emerged as a powerful oppositional discourse during the late 1960s.

• This period saw significant social and political movements like the student movement, anti-war protests, and civil rights activism, creating a fertile ground for radical feminist thought.

• Radical feminists sought to break from both liberal and Marxist frameworks, focusing on personal, bodily, and psychological autonomy.

• Their activism emphasized direct action, consciousness-raising, and challenging traditional systems of power.

98. Which of the following is true about the radical feminist groups strategies?

Correct Answer: 1. They devised consciousness raising strategies independently
Solution:

• According to the passage, radical feminist groups devised their own consciousnessraising strategies and produced manifestos independently.

• These groups operated in small, decentralized cells and avoided any form of centralized leadership or singular ideology.

• The independence of strategy and thought was considered a strength, allowing women to explore personal and political issues autonomously.

• Their practices were rooted in grassroots mobilization and egalitarian group dynamics rather than traditional organizational hierarchies.

99. What did radicals feminists challenge as mentioned in the passage?

Correct Answer: 3. Marxism and Liberalisation
Solution:

The passage clearly states that Radical feminists challenged the epistemological basis of both Marxisms and Liberalism.

This implies a critique of both:

• Marxism, for focusing on class struggle and often neglecting gender oppression,
• Liberalism, for promoting individual rights and legal reform but failing to address systemic patriarchy and deeper structural issues.

Radical feminism sought a more holistic critique of power, especially around sexuality, the body, and personal autonomy, which they felt were inadequately addressed by both ideologies.

100. What was one organizational characteristic of radical feminist groups mentioned in the passage?

Correct Answer: 3. They preferred small group formations
Solution:

• The passage mentions that radical feminists had a preference for small group formation, where each woman could find her voice, and responsibilities could be shared equally.

• This non-hierarchical, decentralized mode of organizing allowed for flexibility, inclusivity, and grassroots empowerment.

• Unlike large-scale movements with identifiable leaders (e.g., NOW - National Organization for Women), radical feminists operated as autonomous political "cells".

• This structure contributed to radical feminism's diversity but also led to criticism and parody due to the lack of a unified agenda.