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UPSC CSE Mains 2023 — Sociology Questions with Answers
All 56 Sociology previous-year questions from UPSC CSE Mains 2023, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice Sociology as a timed test →- Q1.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Highlight the significant features of A.R. Desai's 'Dialectical Perspective' to study Indian Society.
- Q2.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: "The decade of 1950s was the golden period of village studies in Indian Sociology." Explain the statement.
- Q3.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Analyse the differences between the attributional and interactional approach in studying the caste system.
- Q4.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Are Tradition and Modernity antithetical to each other? Comment.
- Q5.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Discuss the main features of Land Reforms in post-independence India.
- Q6.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Do you agree with the view of Andre Beteille that India's villages are representative of Indian society's basic civilizational values? Present a sociological overview.
- Q7.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Elaborate the salient features and the role of the middle class in India's democracy and development.
- Q8.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Analyse the role of market and modern forces in understanding the changing trends in marriage systems in India.
- Q9.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Contextualize Louis Dumont's concept of 'binary opposition' with reference to caste system in India.
- Q10.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Define the concepts of 'Descent' and 'Alliance'. Differentiate between North Indian and South Indian Kinship systems with examples.
- Q11.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Critically examine the concept of Sanskritization with suitable illustrations.
- Q12.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Analyse the perspectives of Isolation, Assimilation and Integration in understanding the trajectories of Indian Tribal Development.
- Q13.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Explain the implications and the impact of globalization in situating the changing agrarian class structure in India.
- Q14.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Critique the victory narratives of Green Revolution in the context of Indian society.
- Q15.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Citing some case studies, expand the concept of 'Development-induced Displacement'.
- Q16.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Examine the concept of 'Cultural Pluralism' in the context of India's Unity in Diversity.
- Q17.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Highlight the salient features of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- Q18.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Analyse the sociological interconnections between Social Media and Mass Mobilization in India.
- Q19.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Write short answers, with a sociological perspective, on the following questions in about 150 words each: Discuss the nature of regional variations in sex ratio in India, stating reasons thereof.
- Q20.Sociology Optional — Paper II
How do you account for the increasing significance of religion in public and personal spheres in the context of secularization thesis in India? Explain.
- Q21.Sociology Optional — Paper II
In the face of rising global climatic concerns, how do you contextualize the relevance of Chipko Movement and its Gandhian tone? Answer analytically.
- Q22.Sociology Optional — Paper II
What actionable measures would you suggest to curb the recurrent child labour menace in India?
- Q23.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Do you think that the decades of Dalit political mobilizations and movements have helped in strengthening India's democracy? Substantiate your arguments with facts.
- Q24.Sociology Optional — Paper II
What is 'reverse migration'? Discuss its features, causes and consequences in India.
- Q25.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Discuss the phenomenon of rural-urban continuum with suitable examples.
- Q26.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Explain the thematic linkages between 'Patriarchy' and 'Honour killing' in India, citing some recent cases.
- Q27.Sociology Optional — Paper II
Discuss the challenges faced by the cooperative movements in India. Suggest measures to strengthen the movement at the grass-roots level.
- Q28.Sociology Optional — Paper II
What is 'Ageing'? Discuss the major problems of aged people in India.
- Q29.Research Methods & Methodology
What is the distinctiveness of the feminist method of social research? Comment.
- Q30.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
Discuss the relationship between sociology and political science.
- Q31.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
How does the dramaturgical perspective enable our understanding of everyday life?
- Q32.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
Is reference group theory a universally applicable model? Elucidate.
- Q33.Social Stratification & Mobility
Do you think that the boundary line between ethnicity and race is blurred? Justify your answer.
- Q34.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
What, according to Robert Michels, is the iron law of oligarchy? Do lions and foxes in Vilfredo Pareto’s theory, essentially differ from each other? Substantiate.
- Q35.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
What is historical materialism? Examine its relevance in understanding contemporary societies.
- Q36.Research Methods & Methodology
What are variables? How do they facilitate research?
- Q37.Research Methods & Methodology
What are the characteristics of scientific method? Do you think that scientific method in conducting sociological research is foolproof? Elaborate.
- Q38.Kinship, Marriage & Family
How do you assess the changing patterns in kinship relations in societies today?
- Q39.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
Is Weber’s idea of bureaucracy a product of the historical experiences of Europe? Comment.
- Q40.Research Methods & Methodology
Do you think that common sense is the starting point of social research? What are its advantages and limitations? Explain.
- Q41.Social Stratification & Mobility
How is poverty a form of social exclusion? Illustrate in this connection the different dimensions of poverty and social exclusion.
- Q42.Religion & Society
Highlight the differences and similarities between totemism and animism.
- Q43.Social Change & Movements
Examine the relevance of corporate social responsibility in a world marked by increasing environmental crises.
- Q44.Politics, Movements & Democracy
How is civil society useful in deepening the roots of democracy?
- Q45.Religion & Society
What functions does religion perform in a pluralistic society?
- Q46.Kinship, Marriage & Family
Analyze critically David Morgan’s views on family practices.
- Q47.Kinship, Marriage & Family
Does women’s education help to eradicate patriarchal discriminations? Reflect with illustrations.
- Q48.Research Methods & Methodology
What are the different dimensions of qualitative method? Do you think that qualitative method helps to gain a deeper sociological insight? Give reasons for your answer.
- Q49.Sociological Theory & Thinkers
Explain Max Weber’s theory of social stratification. How does Weber’s idea of class differ from that of Marx?
- Q50.Research Methods & Methodology
What are the ethical issues that a researcher faces in making use of participant observation as a method of collecting data? Explain.
- Q51.Work & Economic Life
Explain how economic globalization has brought changes in the patterns of employment in the 21st century.
- Q52.Social Change & Movements
Do you think that the social media has brought significant changes in the forms of protest? Argue your case.
- Q53.Social Change & Movements
Assess critically A. G. Frank’s ‘theory of development of underdevelopment’.
- Q54.Work & Economic Life
What is Taylorism? Analyze its merits and demerits.
- Q55.Religion & Society
What are new religious movements? Elaborate emphasizing their forms and orientations.
- Q56.Science Technology & Society
Examine the role of science and technology in addressing age-old taboos and superstitions.
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Sociology — other years
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