Sociology 4 Marks Question

The special or different kind of objectivity needed in social science is ‘value neutrality’. According Max Weber, it was important for sociologists to understand the subject matter of sociology in an objective manner as social interactions incorporated subjective human meanings, values, feelings, prejudices and ideals. For this, a sociologist had to study and record the views of people and their personal beliefs in a neutral way through empathetic understanding. That is, she/ he had to describe and could not judge or imply her/ his own conceptions to the understanding of others. Social scientists were themselves a part of society.
Therefore, the exercise of such objectivity is deemed to be unique.

Karl Marx was of the view that:

1. Human society passed through different stages of development viz primitive, communal, ancient, feudal and capitalist.
2. Each stage is defined by a mode of production.
3. The factors of production are in the hands of the 'oppressors', they control them; the "oppressed” are deprived of them. Lon.
4. There is a conflict between the "haves" and the "have-nots". Han
5. When the proletariat becomes conscious and acquires revolutionary character, there is an overthrow of those in power or the bourgeoisie.

Max Weber was born on 21st April, 1864 in Erfurt, Germany. He studied and received his degree in law. After the completion of his doctoral and the post-doctoral dissertations in 1897 he joined Heidelberg University as a Professor of Economics. He started his works in sociology in 1916 and was appointed Professor of Sociology at Munich. He died on July 14,1920.His main works include:

1. The Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism.
2. The Religion of India.
3. Economy and Society.
4. Essays in Sociology.

According to Karl Marx, the groups with similar interests and common objectives form same classes. This formation of classes is based on a historical process, which means that in every society class, identity among the people was present. With the change in modes of production, technology and social relations, these classes became antagonist to each other, thus resulting in class conflict. For instance, in a capitalist society, there is a conflict between the capitalists and the working class. In such a society, both of them are in a direct opposition to each other and hence the class conflict arises between classes.

According to Durkheim, moral codes are indicators of social solidarity because society existed as a moral community above the individuals. Moral codes were codes of conduct that were collectively agreed upon. They reflected the prevailing social conditions and were manifested in the practices in everyday life. The ties that the individuals were bounded with, were important for the society, and these exerted a pressure on people to confirm that the norms and values of the society are not violated by any means.
Therefore, the individual’s behaviour was limited and predictable which made it easy to understand the social solidarity which governed them. For example, caste system in India is a moral code that is reflective of social solidarity among various groups belonging to same caste.

Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany on May 5, 1818. Marx was educated at the Treves school. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Jena in June, 1841. Marx's personal life was a difficult struggle. Marx died on 14th March, 1883.Karl Marx says that each society has two opposite classes:

1. The exploiters (means capitalists),
2. The exploited (means workers).

The term 'surplus value' refers to the quantity of value produced by the worker beyond the necessary labour time i.e., the working time required to produce a value equal to the one he has received in the form of wages. The term 'alienation' refers to the work alien, which means foreigner, and therefore alienation would mean becoming stranger to one's own people and the product etc. In a capitalist society, alienation dominates every institutional sphere such as religion, economy and polity.

According to Durkheim, all deaths which are the direct or indirect results of any Se function of dead person about which he himself knows that thin act will cause death to him.
Durkheim suggested four forms of Suicide:

1. Egoistic Suicide: Characterised by excessive reflection on personal matters.
2. Altruistic Suicide: When the individual is over integrated with society. For example, Jauhar Pratha in Rajputs.
3. Anomic Suicide: The state, which results from the weakening of powers in society that regulate social equilibrium. Individual meets frustration, which they are not able to cope with.
4. Fatalistic Suicide: Due to excessive degree of regulation e.g. suicide of enslavement under the master.

Karl Marx’s philosophy of capitalism was based on the notion of modes of production which was associated with the historical period.
The various modes of production at a general level are:

1. Primitive communism.
2. Slavery.
3. Feudalism.
4. Capitalism.

At a specific level, the base of production is economic and includes productive forces and production relations. The productive forces include land, labour, technology and sources of energy. Production relations refer to economic relationships and forms of labour organisation that are involved in production. Property relations are based on the ownership of means of production.

According to Emile Durkheim, sociology is the study of social facts. Social facts are things that are external to an individual and constrain their behaviour. They are general in nature, which means that they are collective representations of social behaviour of a group of people. Social institutions like law, education and religion also constitute social facts along with beliefs, feelings and collective practices. In order to prove that sociology is based on social facts, Durkheim carried out the study of ‘suicide’. According to it, suicide is a personal choice that an individual commits, but the average rate of suicide in society reflects social behaviour and is a social fact.
Hence social facts can be recognised through social behaviour, and the aggregate patterns of social behaviour.

The Industrial Revolution brought many changes in the society. The invention of new machines led to evolution in the organisation of labour and markets. The factory system and manufacturing on mass scale led to changes in modes of production and acquisition of raw materials from around the world. The growth of industries, urban space, slums and modern form of government was a social consequence of these developments. As a result, the industrial revolution caused significant changed in society, and thus the need to understand it also grew and led to the emergence of sociology. The scientific analysis of developments and study of social behaviour in industrialised societies were the main subjects of sociology. This was made possible by empirical observation and study of the information about social indicators generated by the state.

The basic features of bureaucracy are:

1. Functioning of Officials: It means that the officials have fixed areas of jurisdiction and are governed by rules and laws. The responsibilities of the officials are defined by the authority available to them and they have to function under the command of higher authorities. The officials are appointed on the basis of their qualifications.
2. Hierarchical Ordering of Positions: The authority of the officers is placed in a top down hierarchy.
3. Reliance on Written Document: The management of the organisation is carried out on the basis of written documents. Records are preserved for reference and decision making is cumulative.
4. Office Management: Office management is a specialised activity which requires trained and skilled officers.
5. Conduct in Office: The conduct of the officers is maintained by strict rules and regulations. The public behaviour is separated from behaviour in private domain. Officials are also held accountable for their conduct.