Q.1 Which of the following best describes 'tradition' in sociology?
A fixed pattern of behavior passed down generations
A completely new idea
A temporary cultural trend
An individual innovation
Explanation - Tradition refers to practices, beliefs, and customs handed down from one generation to the next, often seen as stable and enduring.
Correct answer is: A fixed pattern of behavior passed down generations
Q.2 Modernity is most commonly associated with which historical period?
Stone Age
Industrial Revolution
Medieval Era
Bronze Age
Explanation - Modernity is often linked to the Industrial Revolution, which brought rapid social, economic, and technological changes.
Correct answer is: Industrial Revolution
Q.3 Which thinker is closely associated with the concept of 'modernity' in sociology?
Karl Marx
Émile Durkheim
Max Weber
All of the above
Explanation - All three—Marx, Durkheim, and Weber—offered critical perspectives on modern society and its transformations.
Correct answer is: All of the above
Q.4 In sociology, 'traditional societies' are often characterized by:
Industrial economies
Kinship-based structures
Globalized trade
Scientific rationality
Explanation - Traditional societies are organized around family, kinship, and communal ties rather than impersonal institutions.
Correct answer is: Kinship-based structures
Q.5 Which of the following is a key feature of modern societies?
Agricultural economy
Rural lifestyles
Bureaucratic institutions
Extended families
Explanation - Modern societies rely on bureaucracy and rational-legal authority instead of kinship-based authority.
Correct answer is: Bureaucratic institutions
Q.6 The tension between tradition and modernity is often seen in:
Clothing styles
Religious practices
Family structures
All of the above
Explanation - Tradition and modernity often clash in multiple spheres such as dress, religion, and family patterns.
Correct answer is: All of the above
Q.7 Modernity emphasizes which value?
Collective identity
Rationality
Superstition
Unquestioned customs
Explanation - Modern societies emphasize rational thought, scientific inquiry, and logical reasoning over tradition.
Correct answer is: Rationality
Q.8 Which concept did Ferdinand Tönnies use to describe the shift from traditional to modern societies?
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
Anomie
Class struggle
Organic solidarity
Explanation - Tönnies described traditional communities as 'Gemeinschaft' and modern associations as 'Gesellschaft'.
Correct answer is: Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
Q.9 What role does industrialization play in modernity?
It slows modernization
It accelerates modernization
It prevents modernization
It has no effect
Explanation - Industrialization brings urbanization, economic growth, and social change, which drive modernity.
Correct answer is: It accelerates modernization
Q.10 Tradition is often associated with:
Stability and continuity
Rapid change
Innovation
Individualism
Explanation - Traditions preserve established customs and ensure continuity across generations.
Correct answer is: Stability and continuity
Q.11 Which institution has historically preserved traditions the most?
Religion
Science
Technology
Media
Explanation - Religious institutions play a major role in conserving customs, rituals, and traditions.
Correct answer is: Religion
Q.12 Secularization is typically linked with:
Tradition
Modernity
Tribalism
Rural societies
Explanation - Modernity often reduces the role of religion in public life through secularization.
Correct answer is: Modernity
Q.13 Which sociologist described modernity as a 'disenchantment of the world'?
Durkheim
Marx
Weber
Parsons
Explanation - Max Weber described modernity as bringing rationalization and reducing the mystical view of the world.
Correct answer is: Weber
Q.14 A traditional society usually relies on which type of economy?
Agricultural economy
Industrial economy
Post-industrial economy
Digital economy
Explanation - Traditional societies are predominantly agrarian, relying on farming and manual labor.
Correct answer is: Agricultural economy
Q.15 Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of modernity?
Urbanization
Technological progress
Rigid customs
Individualism
Explanation - Modernity challenges rigid customs, emphasizing flexibility, change, and individual rights.
Correct answer is: Rigid customs
Q.16 Tradition often provides individuals with:
A sense of identity
Scientific knowledge
Economic capital
Political authority
Explanation - Tradition connects individuals with their cultural heritage, offering a sense of belonging and identity.
Correct answer is: A sense of identity
Q.17 Which thinker saw modernity as producing 'anomie' or normlessness?
Durkheim
Marx
Weber
Comte
Explanation - Émile Durkheim argued that modern societies risked normlessness due to rapid change and weak social bonds.
Correct answer is: Durkheim
Q.18 Which of these is an example of a traditional authority system?
Monarchy
Parliamentary democracy
Bureaucracy
Technocracy
Explanation - Monarchies often derive authority from tradition, lineage, and customs.
Correct answer is: Monarchy
Q.19 In modernity, authority is often based on:
Tradition
Charisma
Rational-legal systems
Superstition
Explanation - Modernity replaces traditional authority with rational-legal authority, emphasizing laws and bureaucracy.
Correct answer is: Rational-legal systems
Q.20 Which of the following is a modern value?
Supernaturalism
Rationalism
Ancestor worship
Mythology
Explanation - Rationalism is a hallmark of modernity, favoring logic and evidence over myth.
Correct answer is: Rationalism
Q.21 Tradition often relies on which source of legitimacy?
Historical continuity
Scientific method
Technological innovation
Democratic elections
Explanation - Tradition gains legitimacy from continuity with the past and established customs.
Correct answer is: Historical continuity
Q.22 Which process is central to modernity?
Secularization
Myth-making
Tribalism
Ruralization
Explanation - Secularization is a core feature of modernity, as societies shift focus from religion to rational thought.
Correct answer is: Secularization
Q.23 In traditional societies, social roles are often:
Rigid and inherited
Flexible and chosen
Based on merit
Determined by education
Explanation - Traditional societies emphasize fixed roles determined by family, gender, or caste.
Correct answer is: Rigid and inherited
Q.24 Which of the following is an impact of modernity?
Technological development
Preservation of all traditions
No social mobility
Static societies
Explanation - Modernity brings rapid technological innovation, transforming social and cultural life.
Correct answer is: Technological development
Q.25 Which perspective often criticizes modernity for eroding traditions?
Conservative
Liberal
Feminist
Postmodernist
Explanation - Conservatives often emphasize the importance of tradition and criticize modernity for undermining it.
Correct answer is: Conservative