Cultural Change MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Cultural Change - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - 1914

Key Points

• All-India Muslim Ladies Conference (Anjuman-e-Khawatin-e-Islam)
  • Founded in 1914, this organization was one of the earliest efforts to promote women's rights within the Muslim community.
  • It aimed to educate Muslim women and advocate for their social and political empowerment.
• Objective of the Organization
  • Focused on educational reforms for Muslim women.
  • Encouraged women to participate in social reforms while respecting Islamic traditions.
• Role in Women’s Empowerment
  • One of the first organizations to advocate for women’s rights in Muslim society.
  • Worked towards improving access to education for Muslim girls.

Additional Information

• Women’s Movements in Colonial India
  • Parallel to the All-India Muslim Ladies Conference, Hindu and nationalist women’s organizations like the Bharat Stree Mahamandal (1910) and the All-India Women's Conference (1927) also worked for women's rights.
• Education Reforms and Muslim Women
  • Organizations like Aligarh Women's College (established later) played a key role in advancing women's education.
  • Reformers such as Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain promoted modern education for Muslim women.
• Significance of 1914
  • The early 20th century saw an increase in women’s participation in social and nationalist movements.
  • Muslim women started engaging in political discussions, laying the foundation for their later involvement in India's independence movement.

The correct answer is - Only I, II, and III are correct.

Key Points

• Establishment of modern social organizations
  • Organizations like the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, and Aligarh Movement promoted new ideas related to religion, education, and social reforms.
  • Political groups such as the Indian National Congress played a major role in the spread of nationalist and reformist ideas.
• Rapid communication technologies like the telegraph
  • The introduction of the printing press and telegraph enabled the faster spread of political and social ideas.
  • Nationalist leaders used newspapers and pamphlets to reach a broader audience.
• Translation of writings into different Indian languages
  • Reformist and nationalist literature was translated into multiple Indian languages to make new ideas accessible.
  • Examples include Raja Rammohan Roy’s translations of religious texts and Jyotirao Phule’s writings.
• Oral traditions and folk songs (Incorrect)
  • While folk traditions existed, they were not the primary means of spreading modern ideas.
  • New ideas were mostly spread through print media, organizations, and education.

Additional Information

• Role of Newspapers and Print Culture
  • Newspapers like The Hindu, Kesari, and Amrit Bazar Patrika were crucial in spreading nationalist and social reform ideas.
  • The growth of print culture allowed a larger number of people to engage in political and intellectual debates.
• Western Education and Colonial Schools
  • British-established schools and universities introduced modern scientific and rationalist thinking.
  • Many social reformers, including Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, were products of such education.
• Emergence of Political Consciousness
  • The spread of new ideas led to the formation of early political movements such as the Swadeshi Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement.
  • These movements were instrumental in shaping India's freedom struggle.

The correct answer is - Only II and IV are correct

Key Points

• Modernity
  • Modernity refers to the shift from traditional societies to rational, industrial, and bureaucratic societies.
  • II. Decisions based on choice rather than birth:
    • In modern societies, individuals are valued for their achievements rather than ascribed status like caste or birth.
    • Education, skills, and rational decision-making are prioritized.
  • IV. Separation of work from family and community in bureaucratic organizations:
    • Workplaces in modern societies are impersonal, specialized, and structured, unlike traditional societies where work was embedded in kinship and community.
    • Max Weber described this as the rise of bureaucracy, where roles are assigned based on merit rather than familial ties.

Additional Information

• Why I and III are incorrect:
  • I. Primacy of group identity over the individual:
    • Modernity emphasizes individualism rather than collective identity.
    • Traditional societies focus on group-based affiliations like caste, religion, or kinship.
  • III. Acceptance of fatalism towards the environment:
    • Modernity is characterized by belief in human agency, science, and technology to control and modify the environment.
    • Traditional societies tend to accept fate as a key factor in human and environmental conditions.

The correct answer is - Raja Ravi Varma

Key Points

• Raja Ravi Varma
  • He was influenced by both Western artistic techniques and traditional Indian themes.
  • His paintings blended European realism with Indian mythology and culture.
  • He mastered the use of oil painting, a Western technique, while depicting Hindu deities and historical figures.
  • His works played a key role in shaping modern Indian art by making traditional themes more accessible to the public.
  • He was commissioned to create portraits of Indian nobility, showcasing a European-style realism in composition and technique.

Additional Information

• Abanindranath Tagore
  • He rejected Western artistic influences and promoted the Bengal School of Art, which focused on traditional Indian styles.
  • His paintings, like Bharat Mata, symbolized Indian nationalism.
• Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay
  • He was a novelist and not a visual artist.
  • His famous work Anandamath (1882) introduced the patriotic song Vande Mataram.
• Chandu Menon
  • He was a writer, best known for his novel Indulekha, which depicted social issues in Kerala.
  • He was not an artist and did not contribute to visual arts.

The correct answer is - A matrilineal society is represented using patrilocal, bourgeois family aesthetics

Key Points

• Ravi Varma’s 1870 portrait
  • Painted for Kizhakke Palat Krishna Menon’s family, belonging to the Nayar caste in Kerala.
  • Depicts a family in a spatial arrangement influenced by European bourgeois portraiture.
  • This includes hierarchical positioning and techniques like perspective and illusionism.
• Matrilineal contradiction
  • The Nayar community traditionally follows a matrilineal system with joint matrilineal households.
  • However, the portrait organizes family members in a patrilocal, nuclear, hierarchical style.
  • This creates a contradiction between the social reality of the community and the Western-style representation in art.

Additional Information

• Matrilineality in Kerala
  • Practiced by communities like the Nayars, where inheritance and lineage pass through the mother’s line.
  • Houses are often taravads (ancestral matrilineal homes) with uncles playing a key paternal role.
  • Patrilocal nuclear families were rare and largely influenced by colonial modernity and legal reforms.
• Colonial modernity in portraiture
  • Introduced oil painting, realistic depth, and individualized likenesses influenced by European standards.
  • Artists like Ravi Varma were at the forefront of blending Indian subjects with European visual techniques.
  • This shift marked the beginning of new cultural imaginaries shaped by colonial ideals of family and identity.

The correct answer is - Yogendra Singh 

Key Points

• Yogendra Singh
  • Yogendra Singh is a notable Indian sociologist known for his work on Indian society and culture.
  • His statement emphasizes the dynamic and evolving nature of cultural identities, influenced by historical events and societal changes.
  • He explored the intersection of tradition and modernity in Indian society, analyzing how cultural practices evolve over time.

Additional Information

• T. K. Oommen
  • T. K. Oommen is another prominent Indian sociologist known for his studies on social movements, and development.
  • He has not specifically focused on the evolution of cultural identities in the same comprehensive manner as Yogendra Singh.
• E. B. Tylor
  • E. B. Tylor is often called the father of anthropology and is known for his definition of culture as a complex whole.
  • He did discuss the evolution of culture but his works were more foundational, focusing on the basic components of culture rather than how cultural practices and beliefs evolve over historical experiences.

The correct answer is Sayyed Ahmed Khan.Key Points

• The Aligarh Movement was the push to establish a modern system of Western-style scientific education for the Muslim population of British India, during the later decades of the 19th century.
•  The movement's name derives from the fact that its core and origins lay in the city of Aligarh in Northern India and, in particular, with the foundation of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.
• The founder of the oriental college, and the other educational institutions that developed from it, was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
• He became the leading light of the wider Aligarh Movement.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was an Indian Muslim reformer, philosopher, and educationist in nineteenth-century British India.
• Though initially espousing Hindu-Muslim unity, he became the pioneer of Muslim nationalism in India and is widely credited as the father of the two-nation theory, which formed the basis of the Pakistan movement.
• Born into a family with strong debts to the Mughal court, Ahmad studied the Quran and Sciences within the court. He was awarded an honorary LLD from the University of Edinburgh in 1889.

Additional Information Moulana Hussain

• Hussain Ahmad Madani was an Indian Islamic scholar, who served as the principal of Darul Uloom Deoband.
• He was among the first recipients of the civilian honor of Padma Bhushan in 1954.
• Madani played a key role in cementing the Congress-Khilafat Pact in the 1920s and "Through a series of lectures and pamphlets during the 1920s and 1930s, Madani prepared the ground for the cooperation of the Indian Ulama with the Indian National Congress."
• His work Muttahida Qaumiyat Aur Islam was published in 1938 and advocated for a united country, in opposition to the partition of India.

Mohammed Ali Jauhar

• Muhammad Ali Jauhar, was an Indian Muslim activist, prominent member of the All-India Muslim League, journalist and poet, a leading figure of the Khilafat Movement, and one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia.
• Jauhar was a product of the Aligarh Movement.
• He was elected to become the President of the Indian National Congress party in 1923 and it lasted only for a few months.
• He was also one of the founders and 14th president of the All-India Muslim League.

Hakim Ajmal Khan

• Mohammad Ajmal Khan, better known as Hakim Ajmal Khan, was a physician in Delhi, India, and one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia University.
• He also founded another institution, Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, better known as Tibbia College, situated in Karol Bagh, Delhi.
• He was the only Muslim to chair a session of the Hindu Mahasabha.
• He became the university's first chancellor in 1920 and remained in office until his death in 1927.

The correct answer is Spengler.Key Points

• Cyclical change is a variation on unilinear theory which was developed by Oswald Spengler and Arnold J.
• They argued that societies and civilizations change according to cycles of rise, decline and fall just as individual persons are born, mature, grow old, and die.
• Oswald Spengler believed that every society is born, matures, decays and eventually dies.
• For example, The Roman empire rose to power and then gradually collapsed.

The correct answer is Comte's theory of law of three stages

Key Points

• Pareto's theory of circulation of elites:
  • ​The theory of cyclic social change as propounded by Pareto, is an important contribution to the field of sociology.
  • According to Pareto, three factors are responsible for social change - political, economical and ideological.
  • Pareto cyclic theory of social change is linked with his 'theory of circulation of elites'.
  • These theories work in almost all the types of political system, in all fields say political, economical and intellectual.
• ​Sorokin's theory of cultural change:
  • ​The Russian-American sociologist Pitirim A Sorokin, in his book "Social and Culture Dynamics" - 1938, has offered another explanation of social change.
  • Instead of viewing civilisations in terms of development and decline he proposed that they alternate or fluctuate between two cultural extremes ie the 'sensate' and the 'ideational'.
  • According to Sorokin, the social change takes place as a result of change in culture.
  • From ideational stage, culture moves to idealistic stage and then to sensate stage and vice-versa.
• Toynbee's theory of social change:
  • ​Arnold Toynbee, a British historian with enough sociological insight has offered a somewhat more promising theory of social change.
  • The key concepts in Toynbee’s theory are those of “challenge and response”.
  • He has pointed that history is a series of cycles of decay and growth.
  • It is possible for each new cycle to offer higher levels of achievement.

Mistake Points

• Comte explained the system of social change in confirmed steps, from simplification to complexity and in a straight line.
• Comte interpreted social transformation according to the intellectual development of humanity. 
• According to Comte, social change occurs according to the intellectual development of humans in the three given below steps:
  • Religious/Theological State
  • Metaphysical State

  • Scientific State

Based on the above explanation, we can conclude that Comte's theory of law of three stages is not an example of cyclical pattern of social change.

The correct answer is Cultural-traits.

Key Points

• A cultural trait is a socially learned quality of human behavior that is passed down through various channels of communication.
• The word 'cultural attribute' can also be used to describe a thing that is the result of human conduct.
• Similar traits can be grouped together as components, or subsystems of culture.
• Biologist Julian Huxley coined the terms sociofact and mentifact (or psychofact) as two of three subsystems of culture—the third being artifacts—to describe how cultural traits take on a life of their own, spanning generations.
• Artifacts are the objects, materials, and technology that culture creates, or simply the things that humans produce.
  • They supply essential necessities, pleasure, and entertainment, as well as the majority of the items that make people's lives easier.
  • Clothing, food, and shelter are only a few examples.
• Sociofacts — interpersonal interactions and social structures.
  • i.e., the structures and organizations of a culture that influence social behaviour.
  • This includes families, governments, education systems, religious groups, etc.
• Mentifact - Abstract conceptions, or "things in the head," i.e., a culture's common ideas, values, and beliefs (mentifact or psychofact).
  • Religion, language, and ideas are all examples of this.

Important Points

• A cultural universal (also called an anthropological universal or human universal) is an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is common to all known human cultures worldwide.
  • Taken together, the whole body of cultural universals is known as the human condition.
  • Evolutionary psychologists hold that behaviors or traits that occur universally in all cultures are good candidates for evolutionary adaptations.
• Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs and practices should be understood based on that person's own culture.
  • Proponents of cultural relativism also tend to argue that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another.
• Cultural complex- A distinct system of actions, beliefs, ceremonies, and customs related with one key characteristic of a culture's life. The buffalo hunting and use by Native Americans, for example, is related with a slew of activities, ceremonies, folklore, songs, and myths.

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.
Key Points

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a social reformer who founded a reform association known as the Brahma Sabha (Brahma Samaj) in Calcutta in 1828.
• In 1814, he formed Atmiya Sabha and the Calcutta Unitarian Association in 1821.
• He campaigned for rights for women, including the right for widows to remarry, and the right for women to hold property. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• He attacked child marriage, polygamy, the illiteracy of women, and the degraded state of widows.
• His efforts led to the abolition of Sati in 1829.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy campaigned against the caste system, untouchability, superstitions, and use of intoxicants. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• He supported the idea of western education in the country and bring about greater freedom and equality for women.
• He wrote about how women were confined to domestic work and not allowed to move outside.

The correct answer is - Yogendra Singh 

Key Points

• Yogendra Singh
  • Yogendra Singh is a notable Indian sociologist known for his work on Indian society and culture.
  • His statement emphasizes the dynamic and evolving nature of cultural identities, influenced by historical events and societal changes.
  • He explored the intersection of tradition and modernity in Indian society, analyzing how cultural practices evolve over time.

Additional Information

• T. K. Oommen
  • T. K. Oommen is another prominent Indian sociologist known for his studies on social movements, and development.
  • He has not specifically focused on the evolution of cultural identities in the same comprehensive manner as Yogendra Singh.
• E. B. Tylor
  • E. B. Tylor is often called the father of anthropology and is known for his definition of culture as a complex whole.
  • He did discuss the evolution of culture but his works were more foundational, focusing on the basic components of culture rather than how cultural practices and beliefs evolve over historical experiences.

The correct answer is - R. M. Maclver

Key Points

• R. M. Maclver
  • R. M. Maclver was a sociologist and political scientist, not specifically known for his work in cultural determinism.
  • He is renowned for his contributions to sociology and political theory, particularly his ideas on social institutions and the nature of society.
  • Maclver's work focused more on the interplay between society and individuals rather than cultural determinism.

Additional Information

• E. B. Tylor
  • Edward Burnett Tylor is considered a founding figure in cultural anthropology.
  • He introduced the concept of cultural evolution and argued that societies progress through stages of development.
  • His work emphasized the role of culture in shaping human behavior.
• A. L. Kroeber
  • Alfred Louis Kroeber was an influential American cultural anthropologist.
  • He played a significant role in developing the theory of cultural determinism, which emphasizes the influence of culture on human behavior and thought.
  • Kroeber's work included extensive field research and theoretical contributions to anthropology.
• Leslie Whyte
  • Leslie White was a prominent anthropologist known for his advocacy of cultural evolution and determinism.
  • He argued that technology and culture are primary drivers of societal development.
  • White's theories emphasized the importance of cultural factors in shaping human societies.

The correct answer is - R.H. Lowie

Key Points

• R.H. Lowie
  • R.H. Lowie was a prominent American anthropologist known for his work on primitive societies.
  • He extensively studied various indigenous cultures, including African Negro societies, providing detailed examples of their developed systems of administration of justice.
  • His work emphasized the complexity and sophistication of legal systems in these societies, challenging the notion that such systems were rudimentary or nonexistent.

Additional Information

• Max Gluckman
  • Max Gluckman was a South African-born British social anthropologist who focused on the study of African societies.
  • He is well known for his work on the social structure and legal systems of the Zulu and other African groups.
  • Gluckman’s work contributed significantly to the understanding of conflict and dispute resolution in African communities.
• B. Malinowski
  • Bronisław Malinowski was a Polish-British anthropologist, often considered one of the most important anthropologists of the 20th century.
  • Malinowski is best known for his fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands and his methodological innovations in ethnography.
  • His work did not primarily focus on African Negro societies, but he contributed to the field of anthropology with his studies on kinship and social structure.
• Max Weber
  • Max Weber was a German sociologist, philosopher, and political economist.
  • He is known for his theories on the sociology of religion, economics, and the development of Western capitalism.
  • Weber's work did not specifically address the administration of justice among African Negroes, but he made significant contributions to the u

The correct answer is "all the above."

Key PointsTheory "Me" of G.H. Mead

• The ‘Me’ part according to him was learned behaviour, a ‘social self’ developed by absorbing the attitudes of ‘the generalized other.
• The ‘me’ consists of the attitudes of others that the child adopts and makes his own.
• Thus, when a parent says things like ‘good child’ or ‘good behavior’ and ‘bad child’ or ‘bad behavior’, such communications from ‘significant others (parents, siblings, playmates, teachers, relatives) become increasingly patterned or organized into that part of the self that Mead calls the ‘me’. 
• In other words, the ‘me’ is the adoption of the ‘generalized other’, which according to Mead is the ‘social self.  
• Individuals develop self-consciousness by coming to see themselves as others see them. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It is the passive and conforming part of the individual. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• For Freud, this is the outcome of Oedipal phase, while for ‘me’, it is the result of a developed capacity for self-awareness. 
• The ‘me’ involves conscious responsibility. 
• It brings coherence to the social order. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• It is through the ‘me’ that society dominates the individual in the form of social control—the domination of the expression of the ‘me’ over the expression ‘I’.