ISC Class 12 Sociology Sample Paper 2024 with Solutions

SECTION A - 14 MARKS

Question 1

(i) The agrarian economic structure consists of: [1]
(a) Village Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad.
(b) Weekly Haats and Floating Markets.
(c) The Jajman and the Kamin.
(d) Owner, Tenant and Sharecropper.

Answer: (d) Owner, Tenant and Sharecropper.

The agrarian economic structure fundamentally revolves around land ownership and the different categories of people involved in agricultural production, namely owners, tenants, and sharecroppers.

Teacher's Note:
a) The agrarian economy is studied through the lens of land relations and agrarian hierarchy.
b) Students often confuse local administrative bodies or markets with economic production structures.

(ii) Barter exchange involves an exchange of goods between individuals or groups. Which one of the following is an example of Barter Exchange? [1]
(a) A sharecropper giving a part of his produce to a landowner.
(b) A farmer cultivating on zamindar's land and repaying him in cash.
(c) A farmer exchanging a sack of wheat for a pair of shoes from a shoemaker.
(d) A farmer buying cattle in a weekly market.

Answer: (c) A farmer exchanging a sack of wheat for a pair of shoes from a shoemaker.

Barter exchange refers to the direct trading of goods and services for other goods and services without the use of money.

Teacher's Note:
a) Barter system is a hallmark of traditional or pre-industrial economies where a double coincidence of wants is required.
b) Ensure students look for the absence of monetary medium in such transactions.

(iii) Assertion: In the kinship usage of teknonymy, a kin member is not addressed by his own name. [1]
Reason: The name of the kin member is not known to the other members.
Which one of the following is correct?
(a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion.
(b) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation for Assertion.
(c) Assertion is true and Reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false and Reason is true.

Answer: (c) Assertion is true and Reason is false.

In teknonymy, a person is referred to by the name of their child or relative, not because their name is unknown, but as a mark of respect or due to taboo customs.

Teacher's Note:
a) Teknonymy is an important kinship usage reflecting social distance and respect.
b) Reason is incorrect because the names are well known; the avoidance is cultural.

(iv) Ravi lost his wife Seema after two years of marriage. He married Seema's younger sister Suman. What is this rule of marriage known as? [1]
(a) Levirate
(b) Hypogamy
(c) Hypergamy
(d) Sororate

Answer: (d) Sororate

Sororate is a marriage custom where a widower marries the sister of his deceased wife.

Teacher's Note:
a) Sororate helps maintain ties between the two families and ensures maternal care for children.
b) Levirate, by contrast, is when a widow marries her deceased husband's brother.

(v) In this social system, occupations were determined by birth. While those at the top of the hierarchy performed priestly functions, the ones immediately below them were the rulers and warriors. Below the warriors, the landowners and merchants were placed. Those who performed the unclean tasks were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Identify this system of stratification. [1]
(a) Caste system
(b) Types of Races.
(c) Kinship usages.
(d) Tribal economies.

Answer: (a) Caste system

The description outlines the traditional Hindu Varna and caste hierarchy based on hereditary occupations and ritual purity.

Teacher's Note:
a) Caste is an ascribed system of social stratification unique to traditional Indian society.
b) Key markers include hereditary occupation, endogamy, and pollution-purity concepts.

(vi) Rani lives in the residence of her maternal uncle along with her brothers, sisters, maternal grandmother, mother, and maternal aunts. The type of residence referred to here is ____________. [1]

Answer: Matrilocal residence (or Avunculocal residence based on uncle's household, but matrilocal/matri-centered is standard).

Residing with or near the mother's family or maternal uncle defines matrilocal or avunculocal residence patterns.

Teacher's Note:
a) Residence rules dictate where a newly married couple or family resides after marriage.
b) Focus on keywords like maternal uncle to classify residence types correctly.

(vii) Caste symbolises the ascribed social status while __________ indicates the achieved social status. [1]

Answer: Class

Class is based on achieved criteria such as wealth, education, and occupation, unlike caste which is determined by birth.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ascribed status is assigned at birth, whereas achieved status is earned through individual effort.
b) Class represents open stratification systems compared to closed caste systems.

(viii) The communal residence in tribal society created a sense of community among the tribal youth and helped in continuity of tribal culture. Name the institution referred to here. [1]

Answer: Youth dormitory

Tribal youth dormitories (such as the Ghotul among the Muria) serve as social and cultural training centers for young people.

Teacher's Note:
a) Youth dormitories play a vital role in socialization, imparting tribal traditions, folk arts, and community discipline.
b) Note that these institutions are distinct socio-cultural spaces within indigenous societies.

(ix) In a village, an organisation led by children sensitises the villagers on the significance of education and sanitation. Which organisation is being referred to? [1]

Answer: Children's club (or Bal Panchayat / Bal Sabha)

Bal Panchayats or children's organizations empower rural children to engage in community development and awareness drives.

Teacher's Note:
a) Such grassroots bodies promote participatory rural development and child leadership.
b) Examiners accept terms like Bal Panchayat, children's club, or similar local administrative names.

(x) What is meant by free goods? [1]

Answer: Free goods are goods provided by nature in abundance, such as air and sunlight, which have no economic cost or exchange value.

They are freely available to everyone without requiring any human effort or economic payment.

Teacher's Note:
a) Distinguish clearly between free goods and economic goods.
b) Free goods do not command a price because their supply far exceeds demand.

(xi) The five principles of the policy introduced by the Indian government for the tribal communities aimed at promoting self-governance and development. Which policy is being referred to? [1]

Answer: Panchsheel for tribals (or Tribal Panchsheel)

Formulated by Jawaharlal Nehru and Verrier Elwin, Tribal Panchsheel laid down five fundamental principles for tribal development.

Teacher's Note:
a) Panchsheel respects tribal rights in land, forest, and cultural autonomy.
b) It seeks to avoid heavy administrative imposition on tribal ways of life.

(xii) Sumit and Ratan are two friends. After marriage, Sumit stayed with his parents, married brothers, and their families. Ratan, on the other hand, shifted to the residence of his wife and stayed along with his mother-in-law and his wife's married sisters and their families. Identify the types of residence that Sumit and Ratan inhabit. [1]

Answer: Patrilocal residence (for Sumit) and matrilocal residence (for Ratan).

Sumit's household represents patrilocality, while Ratan's household represents matrilocality.

Teacher's Note:
a) Residence rules define the post-marital living arrangements.
b) Ensure both friends' residence types are explicitly named in correct order.

(xiii) Monogamous marriage is the most common and preferred marriage form across societies. State any one reason for the preference given to monogamy. [1]

Answer: Monogamy ensures economic stability, reduces domestic conflict, and provides clear inheritance lines for children.

It fosters strong emotional bonds and is legally and socially recognized universally.

Teacher's Note:
a) Monogamy prevents the complexities associated with polygamy regarding property and child care.
b) Any valid sociological reason concerning stability or legal equality is accepted.

(xiv) Give any one negative aspect of Mass Media. [1]

Answer: Mass media can propagate cultural homogenization, spread misinformation, or promote consumerism and violence.

Unfiltered exposure can negatively influence impressionable minds and societal values.

Teacher's Note:
a) Mass media has both functional and dysfunctional roles in society.
b) Keep the answer focused on sociological impacts like alienation or cultural erosion.

SECTION B - 28 MARKS

Question 2 [4]

Mohan uses a specific term to address his father's younger brother and elder brother. Briefly explain the type of kinship term that Mohan uses. Discuss any three features of this kinship term.

Answer:
Mohan uses classificatory kinship terms. Classificatory terms are those terms of address or reference that are applied to a whole group of kinsmen under a single term.
Three features of classificatory kinship terms are:
1. Grouping of Relatives: A single term is used for multiple relatives of different degrees or lines (e.g., calling both father's elder brother and father's younger brother by the same term like 'uncle' or 'tau/chacha').
2. Broad Scope: It emphasizes the social solidarity of the kin group by ignoring distinctions between direct and collateral lines in certain generations.
3. Universality: It is widely found in societies where kinship ties and extended family structures play a dominant role in social organization.

Teacher's Note:
a) Classificatory terms contrast with denotative terms which refer to only one specific relative (e.g., father, mother).
b) Students must explain the term clearly before listing its sociological features.

Question 3 [4]

Briefly discuss any four ways in which RTE has brought social change in India.

Answer:
The Right to Education (RTE) Act has brought social change in India in the following ways:
1. Universalization of Elementary Education: It has made elementary education a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14 years, increasing enrollment rates.
2. Inclusion of Marginalized Groups: The mandate for 25 percent reservation in private schools for children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups has bridged social divides.
3. Reduction of Child Labour: By ensuring children are in schools, it actively combats child labour and keeps youth engaged in developmental activities.
4. Gender Empowerment: It promotes equal access to education for girls, contributing to gender equality and women's empowerment in rural and urban settings.

Teacher's Note:
a) RTE acts as an institutional instrument for reducing social inequality.
b) Mention specific provisions like the 25% quota to score full marks.

Question 4 [4]

The distinct vertical layers found in rocks are called stratification, and help one understand the divisions and layers. Discuss how this concept can be applied to a study of society.

Answer:
Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power.
Application of the concept to society:
1. Hierarchical Ranking: Just as geological layers are stacked one above the other, society is divided into strata where some groups hold higher status, power, and privilege than others.
2. Unequal Distribution of Resources: It explains how societal resources (wealth, prestige) are distributed unevenly among different layers.
3. Persistence Across Generations: Stratification tends to be stable across generations, resembling rock strata formed over long periods.
4. Basis of Conflict and Mobility: Studying these social layers helps sociologists analyze class conflict, social mobility, and systemic inequalities.

Teacher's Note:
a) The geological metaphor highlights permanence, layered structure, and hierarchy in social systems.
b) Link geological strata directly to social classes or castes in sociological analysis.

Question 5 [4]

Discuss in detail the programme for rural employment which served as Indian Labour Law and as a social security measure.

Answer:
The programme referred to is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Key aspects of MGNREGA as labour law and social security:
1. Guaranteed Employment: It legally guarantees at least 100 days of manual work in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
2. Social Security and Livelihood Security: It acts as a safety net against rural poverty, drought, and seasonal unemployment, ensuring basic economic security.
3. Women Empowerment: A statutory requirement ensures that at least one-third of the beneficiaries registered under the scheme are women.
4. Decentralized Planning: Village panchayats play a central role in planning and implementing works, promoting local self-governance and accountability.

Teacher's Note:
a) MGNREGA is a landmark legislation combining legal rights with social welfare.
b) Mention the 100-day guarantee and women's reservation for complete evaluation.

Question 6 [4]

What is meant by degree of kinship? Discuss the three degrees of kinship.

Answer:
Degree of kinship refers to the closeness or distance of the relationship between two kinsmen, based on how closely they are genealogically connected.
The three degrees of kinship are:
1. Primary Kin: These are direct and immediate relatives who are in a close relationship. Examples include parents and children, or brother and sister (siblings). There are eight primary kin in any family.
2. Secondary Kin: These are primary kin of our primary kin. They are related through one connecting link. Examples include father's brother (uncle), mother's sister, brother-in-law, or grandparent.
3. Tertiary Kin: These are secondary kin of our primary kin, or primary kin of our secondary kin. They are related through two connecting links. Examples include wife's brother's wife or father's brother's son (cousin).

Teacher's Note:
a) Kinship degrees determine inheritance rights, marriage prohibitions, and social obligations.
b) Give clear examples for each degree to demonstrate conceptual clarity.

Question 7

(i) Briefly discuss any four social problems of tribes in India. [4]

Answer:
Four social problems faced by tribes in India are:
1. Displacement and Rehabilitation: Large-scale developmental projects, dams, and mining have displaced tribals from their traditional homelands, destroying their social fabric.
2. Cultural Assimilation and Identity Crisis: Contact with mainstream society often results in the loss of indigenous dialects, customs, and traditional identity.
3. Exploitation and Marginalization: Tribals often face social discrimination, isolation, and lack of access to quality healthcare and education.
4. Health and Nutritional Issues: Due to poverty and geographic isolation, many tribal communities suffer from malnutrition, sickle cell anemia, and inadequate healthcare facilities.

Teacher's Note:
a) Tribal issues stem from historical isolation followed by abrupt integration.
b) Focus on sociological dimensions like displacement, identity loss, and marginalization.

OR

(ii) Briefly discuss any four economic problems of tribes in India. [4]

Answer:
Four economic problems faced by tribes in India are:
1. Land Alienation: Despite protective laws, tribal lands are frequently usurped by non-tribal moneylenders, landlords, and industrialists.
2. Indebtedness: Due to chronic poverty and lack of formal banking access, tribals fall into vicious debt traps set by local moneylenders.
3. Forest Dependency and Restrictions: Strict forest conservation laws have curtailed traditional forest-based livelihoods like shifting cultivation, hunting, and collection of minor forest produce.
4. Unemployment and Poverty: Lack of industrial skills and modern education leaves tribals vulnerable to low-wage labor and extreme poverty.

Teacher's Note:
a) Economic vulnerability in tribal areas is deeply tied to land and forest rights.
b) Mention land alienation and indebtedness as primary structural issues.

Question 8

(i) Religion performs both positive and negative functions in a society. With respect to the given statement, explain any four dysfunctions of religion. [4]

Answer:
Four dysfunctions of religion in society are:
1. Fostering Communalism and Conflict: Rigid religious dogmas can lead to intolerance, fanaticism, and violent communal clashes between different religious groups.
2. Impediment to Social Change: Religion often upholds blind faith, orthodoxy, and conservative traditions, resisting progressive social reforms.
3. Promotion of Social Division: It can legitimize social inequalities, such as the caste system or gender discrimination, by attributing them to divine order.
4. Alienation and Exploitation: Religious institutions have historically been used by ruling elites to exploit the masses by promoting fatalism and discouraging worldly questioning.

Teacher's Note:
a) While religion provides social cohesion, its dysfunctional aspects can cause societal friction.
b) Use sociological terminology like dogmatism, fatalism, and communal conflict.

OR

(ii) An attitude of awe and respect towards non-material, spiritual beings are the core of primitive religion. With respect to the given statement, discuss the theory of Animism in religion. [4]

Answer:
Animism is the earliest form of religion, propounded by anthropologist E.B. Tylor.
Key points of the theory of Animism:
1. Belief in Souls: Tylor argued that primitive man observed phenomena like death, dreams, and trances, and concluded that a spiritual entity (soul or 'anima') separates the body during these states.
2. Universal Spirit Presence: According to animism, all natural objects - trees, rivers, rocks, mountains, and animals - possess a living soul or spirit.
3. Attitude of Awe and Fear: Since these spiritual beings are believed to influence human welfare, primitive humans developed an attitude of reverence, awe, and fear towards them, leading to worship and appeasement.
4. Evolutionary Origin: Tylor viewed animism as the foundational stage in the evolutionary development of religion, which later progressed to polytheism and monotheism.

Teacher's Note:
a) E.B. Tylor's theory places dreams and death at the origin of the concept of the soul.
b) Emphasize that animism attributes spiritual life to inanimate objects in nature.

SECTION C - 28 MARKS

Question 9

(i) Discuss the gradual shift from joint family system to small family norm in India. [7]

Answer:
The transition from a traditional joint family system to a nuclear or small family norm in India is a significant sociological shift driven by multiple factors:
1. Industrialization and Urbanization: Growth of industries and urban centers has created job opportunities away from ancestral villages, compelling nuclear families to migrate for employment.
2. Change in Economic Base: Shift from agrarian subsistence economies, where large family labor was an asset, to service and industrial sectors where children are viewed as economic responsibilities rather than assets.
3. Individualism and Privacy: Modern education has instilled values of individualism, personal autonomy, and privacy, leading younger generations to prefer independent living arrangements.
4. Changing Status of Women: Increased participation of women in higher education and the workforce has redefined household roles, making large joint families difficult to manage.
5. Housing Constraints: Urban housing shortages and high living costs make large joint family accommodations financially and spatially unviable.
6. Legal and Legislative Reforms: Property laws and Hindu succession acts have empowered individual ownership and nuclear property division.
7. Family Planning Policies: Government health and family welfare initiatives have promoted the small family norm as ideal for better living standards.

Teacher's Note:
a) This question requires a comprehensive essay-style discussion covering economic, social, and demographic drivers.
b) Ensure points highlight both the decline of joint families and the rise of the nuclear/small family norm.

OR

(ii) MacIver defined Family as "A group defined by sex relationship, sufficiently precise and enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of children." In the light of the definition of Family given by MacIver, discuss any seven features of Family. [7]

Answer:
Based on MacIver's definition, the key features of a family are:
1. Universality: The family is a universal social institution found in all human societies, primitive and modern alike.
2. Emotional Basis: It is founded on emotional bonds of love, affection, sympathy, and cooperation among members.
3. Limited Size: Compared to other associations, the family has a restricted size, consisting of parents, children, and close kin.
4. Formative Influence: It serves as the primary agent of socialization, shaping the personality, morals, and social behavior of children.
5. Nuclear Position: It acts as the nucleus or foundational core of all other social structures and community organizations.
6. Responsibility for Procreation: It provides a socially approved framework for sexual relations and the legitimate procreation and upbringing of children.
7. Economic Provision: Historically and functionally, the family ensures the provision of food, shelter, and economic security for its dependent members.

Teacher's Note:
a) MacIver and Page's sociological definitions emphasize structural and functional attributes.
b) List and explain all seven distinct features clearly with proper sociological headings.

Question 10 [7]

What does the term caste mean? Explain the Divine Origin theory of Caste.

Answer:
Meaning of Caste:
The term caste is derived from the Portuguese word 'casta', meaning breed, race, or lineage. Sociologically, caste is an endogamous, hereditary, and hierarchical system of social stratification based on ritual purity and pollution, predominantly found in traditional Hindu society.
Explanation of the Divine Origin Theory:
1. Mythological Foundation: The Divine Origin theory posits that the caste system was created by divine will rather than human agency, giving it sacred sanction and unquestionable authority.
2. Purusha Sukta Reference: This theory finds its primary classical reference in the Rigveda's Purusha Sukta, which describes the cosmic sacrifice of the primeval creator Purusha.
3. Creation of the Four Varnas:
- Brahmins (priests and scholars) emerged from the mouth of Purusha.
- Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors) emerged from the arms.
- Vaishyas (merchants and agriculturists) emerged from the thighs.
- Shudras (laborers and service providers) emerged from the feet.
4. Justification of Hierarchy: By attributing the social hierarchy to divine creation, the theory justified existing inequalities, differential rights, and hereditary occupations as a moral and religious duty (dharma).

Teacher's Note:
a) Explain both the etymological definition of caste and the mythological framework of the Divine Origin theory.
b) Mention the Purusha Sukta clearly as it is the core textual basis for this theory.

Question 11

(i) Define panchayati raj. [2]

Answer:
Panchayati Raj is a system of rural local self-government in India, established by constitutional amendment, aiming to decentralize power to grassroots levels and involve rural communities in local development.

Teacher's Note:
a) Emphasize decentralization and local self-government in the definition.
b) Mentioning the three-tier structure adds value.

(ii) The 73rd Constitution Amendment Act was instrumental in empowering women. Discuss this statement with reference to empowerment of women in rural India. [5]

Answer:
The 73rd Constitution Amendment Act (1992) was a watershed moment for rural women's empowerment in India:
1. Mandatory Reservation of Seats: It mandated that not less than one-third (33 percent) of the total seats in panchayats at all levels must be reserved for women, bringing them directly into governance.
2. Reservation of Chairperson Posts: One-third of the offices of chairpersons (sarpanches) in panchayats are also reserved for women, ensuring leadership roles.
3. Political Socialization and Leadership: It has brought millions of rural women into public life, breaking traditional patriarchal boundaries and training them in administrative decision-making.
4. Focus on Welfare Issues: Women representatives actively prioritize issues directly affecting households, such as drinking water, sanitation, health, education, and domestic violence.
5. Challenging Power Dynamics: Despite initial hurdles like 'proxy women' (Pradhan Patis), the Act has created a permanent institutional space for women, fostering greater self-esteem and social respect in rural society.

Teacher's Note:
a) Highlight the 33% reservation quota as the core mechanism of the 73rd Amendment.
b) Discuss both political representation and socio-cultural impact on rural patriarchy.

Question 12

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
The city of Mumbai is built on seven islands. There was a time when streams flowed across different parts of the city, separating one island from another. There was an abundance of green fields and marshlands. The beaches were clean and beautiful. Over the years, due to an increase in population and scarcity of land these areas have been used for constructing roads and buildings. This has affected the city's ecology and biodiversity and has led to many environmental problems.

(i) "Over the years, due to an increase in population and scarcity of land these areas have been used for constructing roads and buildings." Which aspect of development does this refer to? [1]

Answer: Urbanization and industrial development (or concrete infrastructure development / urban sprawl).

The rapid conversion of natural ecosystems into concrete urban infrastructure exemplifies unsustainable urban expansion.

Teacher's Note:
a) Connect the text directly to urban growth and land-use changes.
b) Keep the answer concise as it carries 1 mark.

(ii) Discuss any four sources of Social Change. [4]

Answer:
Four major sources of social change are:
1. Demographic Factors: Changes in birth rates, mortality rates, and migration alter population composition and drive structural social change.
2. Technological Innovations: New inventions and technologies (e.g., IT, industrial machinery) transform modes of production, lifestyles, and social relations.
3. Cultural Factors: New ideas, values, ideologies (like democracy and secularism), and scientific discoveries reshape societal norms.
4. Environmental and Ecological Factors: Natural disasters, climate change, or resource depletion force societies to adapt their living patterns and economic structures.

Teacher's Note:
a) Social change is multidimensional and stems from both internal and external sources.
b) List distinct sociological sources with brief explanations.

(iii) With reference to the image given below, suggest how a city's ecological balance can be maintained. [2]

[Figure: A circular eco-friendly urban illustration with the text 'SAVE THE PLANET', featuring renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels, a lightbulb representing energy conservation, water droplets for water conservation, a recycling symbol, green leaves, and sustainable transport.]

Answer:
1. Adopting Renewable Energy: Utilizing clean energy sources such as solar and wind power instead of fossil fuels.
2. Promoting Conservation and Recycling: Conserving water, planting trees, and implementing efficient waste recycling systems to protect urban biodiversity.

Teacher's Note:
a) Interpret the visual elements (windmills, solar energy, recycling, trees) correctly in relation to urban ecology.
b) Provide two clear, actionable suggestions based on the illustration.