Social Change and Social Order in Rural and Urban Society Short and Long Important Question Class 11 Sociology Chapter-1 Book-Understanding Society
0Team Eklavyaजून 10, 2025
1. What is social change?
Answer:
Social change refers to changes that occur over time in a society's structure, institutions, values and beliefs and that have a profound impact on society.
2. What are the main types of social change?
Answer:
1. Evolutionary Changes: Changes that occur slowly and over long periods of time (e.g. natural selection).
2. Revolutionary changes: Changes that are rapid, sudden and affect the entire society (e.g. French Revolution).
3. Structural changes: Changes in the institutions and rules of society (e.g. changes in the monetary system).
4. Changes in values and beliefs: Development of new ideas and perceptions in society (e.g. abolition of child labour and compulsory education).
3. What are the main causes of social change?
Answer:
Environmental causes (eg. natural disasters)
Technological and economic reasons (eg. industrialization)
Political reasons (eg. freedom movement)
Cultural factors (e.g., religion, ideology, social movements)
4. How does environment affect social change?
Answer:
Environmental changes affect the structure of society and livelihood. Example:
Devastating impact: The 2004 tsunami caused lasting changes in society.
Creative impact: The discovery of oil transformed Middle Eastern society.
5. What impact do technological and economic changes have on society?
Answer:
Changes such as the Industrial Revolution, railways, and cash crops transformed society. Technological innovations modernised the means of production and livelihood.
6. How does political change affect social change?
Answer:
Wars, revolutions and freedom movements establish new orders in the society, like the Indian freedom struggle changed the Indian society.
7. How does cultural change affect social change?
Answer:
Changes in ideas, beliefs and values lead to social change. Example: Buddhism and the Bhakti movement challenged the caste system.
8. What is social system and what is its importance in society?
Answer:
The social system is the structure that maintains stability in society and it regulates society through rules, institutions, and norms.
9. What are the means of maintaining the social system?
Answer:
1. Socialization - People adopt social rules.
2. Coercion and Power - Rules are enforced through government and law and order.
3. Dominance and Authority – Different forms of power maintain order in society.
10. What is the difference between power and authority?
Answer:
Power: The ability to make someone do what you want.
Authority: Legitimate power recognized by society.
11. What is law and how does it maintain social order?
Answer:
Law is a set of rules accepted by the society, which maintains discipline in the society and makes the justice system function smoothly.
12. What are the main causes of social conflict?
Answer:
Ethnic conflict, class conflict, political disagreement, dispute over rights to resources.
13. What is a crime?
Answer:
Crime is an act which violates the prevailing laws of the society, like theft, murder, fraud.
14. What is the role of dissent and rebellion in social change?
Answer:
Dissent and rebellion help in social reform and spread of new ideas, like India's freedom struggle.
15. What are the characteristics of social change in rural society?
Answer:
The pace of change is slow.
Traditional values and the caste system remain dominant.
There is greater dependence on agriculture.
16. What are the characteristics of social change in urban society?
Answer:
The pace of change is accelerating.
There is greater personal freedom.
Industrialization and commercialization take effect.
17. What is the trend of urbanization in India?
Answer:
The urbanization rate in 1901 was 11%.
It increased to 17% in 1951, 28% in 2001, and 37.7% in 2011.
It is expected to reach 66% by 2050.
18. What is the relationship between social order and social change?
Answer:
Social system tries to maintain stability, while social change transforms society by bringing in new structures.
19. What is the role of technological innovations in social change?
Answer:
Technological innovations (e.g. – electricity, internet, industrialization) have changed the structure of society, work culture and economic system.
20. What impact does economic inequality have on society?
Answer:
Economic inequality leads to class conflict, increased crime rates and social instability in society.
21. What is the relationship between religion and society?
Answer:
Religion determines social values, traditions and moral norms, thereby influencing the social structure.
22. What is the role of education in social change?
Answer:
Education promotes new ideas and innovations, which leads to scientific thinking, equality and progress in the society.
23. How does social inequality affect social change?
Answer:
Social inequality increases the possibility of rebellion and movements in the society, which lead to social reforms.
24. What are the main causes of violence in society?
Answer:
ethnic conflict
Political disagreements
economic inequality
Communal tension
25. What are people’s reactions to social change?
Answer:
Support: Some people accept and support the change.
Opposition: The powerful class opposes change to protect their interests.
