Practicing the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Sociology with Solutions Set 4 allows you to get rid of exam fear and be confident to appear for the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Sociology Set 4 with Solutions
Time: 3 Hours.
Max. Marks: 80
General Instructions:
- The question paper is divided into four sections.
- There are 38 questions in all. All questions are compulsory.
- Section A includes questions No. 1-20. These are MCQ-type questions. As per the question, there can be one answer.
- Section B includes questions No. 21-29. These are very short answer-type questions carrying 2 marks each. The answer to each question should not exceed 30 words.
- Section C includes questions No. 30-35. They are short answer type questions carrying 4 marks each. The answer to each question should not exceed 80 words.
- Section D includes questions No. 36-38. They are long answer type questions carrying 6 marks each. The answer to each question should not exceed 200 words. Question no. 36 is to be answered with the help of the passage given.
Section A (20 Marks)
Question 1.
Which among the following political economists wrote the ‘Essay on Population’ in 1798? [1].
(a) Thomas Malthus
(b) Karl Marx
(c) David Ricardo
(d) Emile Durkheim
Answer:
(a) Thomas Malthus.
Question 2.
Assertion (A) While the population rises in geometric progression, agricultural production can only grow in arithmetic progression. Reason (R) Population growth always outstrips growth in the production of subsistence resources; the only way to increase prosperity is by controlling the growth of the population. [1].
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
(a) (a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 3.
A significant theory suggests that population growth is linked to overall levels of economic development and that every society follows a typical pattern of development-related population growth. Which among the following theories is associated with the above-mentioned statement? [1].
(a) Malthusian Theory of Population Growth
(b) Theory of Demographic Transition
(c) Optimum Theory of Population
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(b) Theory of Demographic Transition.
Question 4
______refer to pre-conceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. It is an opinion formed in advance of any familiarity with the subject, before considering any available evidence. [1].
(a) Discrimination.
(b) Stereotypes.
(c) Prejudices.
(d) Social exclusion.
Answer:
(c) Prejudices.
Question 5.
Which of the following statements is/are correct about gender identities? [1].
(a) Transgender refers to the conversion of gender status of the body into the opposite gender by using choice or certain compulsions.
(b) the Third gender refers to the persons having alternates of both genders-male and female.
(c) In India, a third gender person can nominate themselves to contest in elections
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(d) All of the above
Question 6.
Which of the following pairs are examples of countries with contiguous territory, shared language, and culture but separate nation-states? [1].
I. Austria and Germany
II. Ecuador and Colombia
III. Yemen and Saudi Arabia
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) BothII and III
(d) I, II, and III
Answer:
(d) I, II, and III
Question 7.
Assertion (A) Historically, states have tried to establish and enhance their political legitimacy through nation-building strategies. Reason (R) Most states feared that the recognition of such differences would lead to social fragmentation and prevent the creation of a harmonious society. [1].
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question8.
Suppressing cultural diversity can be very costly in terms of the alienation of the minority or subordinated communities whose culture is treated as________.
(a) Non-national
(b) National
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer:
(a) Non-national.
Question 9.
Who did the Marathi translation of Vidyasagar’s book ‘Indu Prakash’? [1].
(a) Vishnu Shastri.
(b) Pandita Ramabai.
(c) Keshav Chandra Sen.
(d) Veeresalingam.
Answer:
(a) Vishnu Shastri.
Question 10.
Assertion (A) Secularisation is not closely associated with modernization and westernization. Reason (R) Religious fanatics are found in western countries. [1].
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false,
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Question 11.
Which of the following reforms was/were initiated during 19th century India? [1].
I. Questioning
II. Reinterpretations
III. Intellectual and social growth
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) BothI and II
(d) I, II, and III
Answer:
(d) I, II, and III
Question 12.
Many workers were tied to landowners in hereditary labor relationships such as the__________ system in Gujarat. [1].
(a) Raiyatwari
(d) Halpati
(c) Contract farming
(b) Zamindari
Answer:
(d) Halpati.
Question 13.
The law that imposed an upper limit on the amount of land that can be owned by a particular family is known as. [1].
(a) Abolition of the Zamindari system.
(b) Tenancy Abolition and Regulation Act.
(c) Land Ceiling Act.
(d) Raiyatwari system.
Answer:
(c) Land Ceiling Act.
Question 14.
Assertion (A) Men migrate out periodically in search of work and better wages. Reason (R) Commercialisation of agriculture has led to the growth of migrant agricultural labor. [1].
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 15.
Which of the following are the consequences of ‘outsourcing’? [1].
(a) Low wages
(b) Poor working conditions
(c) Permanent employees are reduced
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(d) All of the above.
Question 16.
The task of a manager is to________and get________ out of workers [1].
(a) Control workers; more work
(b) Hire more workers; more work
(c) Beat workers; less work
(d) Give food to workers; less work
Answer:
(a) Control workers; more work.
Question 17.
Industrialization involves a detailed division of labor in which people do not see the end result of the production process as they are producing only one small part of a product. Also, their work is repetitive and exhausting. Yet for them, this work is better than being unemployed. One of the following terms called by Karl Marx is about a situation wherein a person is disconnected from the product he/she is producing. [1].
(a) Exploitation.
(b) Alienation.
(c) Surplus Value.
(d) Capital.
Answer:
(b) Alienation.
Question 18.
When did the Naxalite Movement start in the region of Naxalbari? [1].
(a) 1946
(b) 1967
(c) 1929
(d) 1968
Answer:
(b) 1967
Question 19.
The Adi Dharma Movement was visible in the state of [1].
(a) Punjab.
(b) Maharashtra.
(c) Chhattisgarh.
(d) Delhi
Answer:
(a) Punjab.
Question 20.
Assertion (A) Social movements often arise with the aim of bringing about changes on a public issue. Reason (R) Protest is the most visible form of collective action. [1].
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Section B (18 Marks)
Question 21.
What is meant by ‘sex ratio’? What are some of the implications of a declining sex ratio? [2].
Answer:
The sex ratio refers to the number of females per 1000 males in a given area at a specified time period. Some of the implications of a declining sex ratio are as follows:
(i) The phenomenon of prevailing social norms which tend to value males much more than females and leads to boy preference and the relative neglect of girl babies.
(ii) Severe neglect of girls in infancy, sex-specific abortions that prevent girl babies from being born, and female infanticide.
Question 22.
Explain some defining features of the Caste system in India. [2].
Answer:
Some defining features of the caste system in India are as follows:
(i) Caste is determined by birth.
(ii) Caste groups are endogamous, i.e. marriage is restricted to members of the group.
(iii) Caste involves a system consisting of many castes arranged in a hierarchy.
(iv) Castes were traditionally linked to occupations.
Question 23.
Why did White Europeans develop the policy of apartheid in South Africa? [2].
Answer:
White European developed the policy of apartheid in South Africa to ensure racial separation in all aspects of social life and to control the movement and economic activity of black natives of South Africa. Apartheid became law in 1948 and was used to deny the Black majority South African citizenship, ownership of land, and a formal voice in government.
Question 24.
When did the Right to Information (RTI) Act come into force in India? What types of rights does the RTI provide to the citizens? [2].
Answer:
The Right to Information Act came into force on 13th October 2005. It is a law enacted by the parliament of India to give Indian access to Government records. Under this Act, any person may request information from a public authority which is expected to reply within thirty days.
The Act specifies that citizens have a right to:
(i) Request any information (as defined)
(ii) Take copies of documents
(iii) Inspect documents, works, and records
(iv) Take certified samples of materials of work.
(v) Obtain information in the form of printouts or in any other electronic mode.
Question 25.
The process of Sanskritisation encourages inequalities and discrimination. Explain with an example.
OR
Explain the role of social reformers in uplifting the status of women in India. [2].
Answer:
The process of Sanskritisation encourages inequalities and discrimination in society. It has been criticized for exaggerating social mobility or the scope of ‘lower castes’ to move up the social ladder. This has led to no structural change but only positional change in some individuals.
The following are some examples which are:
(i) The ideology of Sanskritisation accepts the ways of the upper caste as superior and that of the lower caste as inferior. Therefore, the desire to initiate the ‘upper caste’ is seen as natural and desirable.
(ii) Sanskritisation seems to justify a model that rests on inequality and exclusion.
(iii) Process that is gendered through progressive for men, upper caste practices like the Purdah system, low age of marriage, and dowry in place of bride-price are regressive as far as women are concerned.
(iv) Sanskritisation results in the adoption of upper caste rites and rituals it leads to practices of secluding girls and women adopting dowry practices instead of bride-price. (any two)
OR
Social reformers played a significant role in the upliftment of women’s issues in Indian history. For example, issues related to the practice of sati system, child marriage, and widow remarriage were taken up by the reformers. Female education was promoted by the social 1 reformers and new ideas of liberalism and freedom also brought new ideas of homemaking and marriage.
Jyotiba Phule the reformer opened the first school for women in Pune. Another reformer, Jahanara Shah at the All India Muslim Ladies Conference proposed a resolution against the evils of polygamy in Islam. Thus, social reformers tried to bring changes in the social practices that discriminated against women.
Question 26.
What do you mean by Land ceiling? What are the different reforms it brought about in India? [2].
Answer:
A land ceiling is a concept where an individual should possess cultivable land according to a prescribed limit. Previously, many people had lots of land in their ownership while there were many who belonged to the landlessness class. This reform was carried out to provide cultivable land to all and the fixing of the land came to be known as the land ceiling.
The different reforms brought in India are as follows:
(i) Redistribution of cultivable land.
(ii) Ceiling of the upper limit of land holdings.
Question 27.
After 1990, the Government of India followed a policy of liberalization. Under this policy, private companies, especially foreign firms, were encouraged to invest in sectors that were earlier reserved only for the government, including telecom, civil aviation, power, etc. With reference to the above-mentioned statements, define the term ’disinvestment’ and ’ globalization.
OR
‘Experience of industrialization in India is in many ways similar to the western mode and in many ways it is different’. Discuss. [2].
Answer:
After 1990, the Government of India followed a policy of liberalization. After this policy, the government tried to sell its share in several public sector companies, a process which is known as called disinvestment. With the implementation of this policy, licenses were no longer required to open industries. As a result, many Indian companies were bought by multinational cooperation and many Indian companies were themselves becoming MNCs.
Globalization is a term used to describe how trade and technology have made the world a more connected and interdependent place. By the mid-1990s, India began to appear as a player of some significance in the global economy. New Economic Policy was the transformation of the Indian economy from a ‘close-door economy’ to an ‘open-up economy’. This was how globalization came to India.
OR
The experience of industrialization in India is in many ways similar to the western mode and in many ways it is different. This statement can be understood by the fact that there is no standard mode of industrial capitalism. Different countries have taken different routes to reach industrialization, which is discussed as follows:
(i) In developed countries, the majority of people work in the service sector, and less than 10% in agriculture or agriculture-related activities. In India (2018-19), nearly 43% of people were employed in agriculture or mining, 17% in the manufacturing, construction, and utility sector, and 32% in the trade, transport, and financial services sectors.
(ii) However, if we look at the contribution of these sectors to economic growth, the share of the agricultural sectors has declined sharply and the share of the services sector has become double.
(iii) This is a cause for concern because it means that the sector where the maximum number of people are employed is not able to generate much income for them.
Question 28.
What are the fundamental differences between the Redemptive and Reformist Social Movements? [2].
Answer:
There are fundamental differences between the Redemptive and Reformist Social Movements which are as follows:
| Redemptive Social Movement | Reformist Social Movements |
| This movement aims to bring about a change actions of its individual members in the personal consciousness and | This movement strives to change the existing social and political arrangements through gradual incremental steps. |
| For example, people in the Ezhava community in Kerala Narayan Guru change their social practice. | For example, the 1960s movement for the reorganization of Indian states on the basis of language and the recent Right to Information campaign. |
Question 29.
Highlight the events of the Worker’s strike during British rule in India. [2].
OR
How did Dalit literature help with the caste-based Dalit movements?
Answer:
There are some popular worker’s strikes during the British rule in India as follows:
(i) Tea plantations in Assam were established as early as 1839. In the early stages of colonialism, labor was very cheap, as the colonial government did not regulate either wages or working conditions. However, later trade unions emerged, and then workers started to protest. Their actions were, more spontaneous than sustained.
(ii) The first world war led to the expansion of industries in the country but it also brought a great deal of misery to the poor. There were food shortages and sharp increases in prices, As a result, a large number of strikes happened in the textile mills in Bombay.
(iii) In September and October 1917 there were around 30 recorded strikes. Jute workers in Calcutta struck work. In Madras, the workers of Buckingham and Carnatic Mills (Binny’s) struck work for increased wages. Textile workers in Ahmedabad struck work for an increase in wages by 50 percent.
OR
The Dalit literature played an essential role in supporting the Dalit movements by providing, them with the necessary support. The following points highlight how relevant Dalit literature was in aiding the caste-based social movements as follows:
(i) Dalit literature is squarely opposed to the Chaturvarna system and caste hierarchy. The Dalit believed the Chaturvarna system and the caste hierarchy were responsible for crushing the creativity and very existence of lower castes. This way, the Dalit literature exposed the shortcomings and discrimination prevalent in the caste system.
(ii) Through the Dalit literature, the perspective of the Dalits or the lower castes was exposed deep-rooted in their own experience and perceptions. This way, the viewpoint of Dalits about the discrimination they experience became public knowledge.
(iii) The Dalit literature also helped to grow the community feeling among the Dalits and they could come together to fight for the same cause.
Section C (24 Marks)
Question 30.
Write a brief note on the Global Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919, also known as the ‘Spanish Flu’.[4].
Answer:
The global Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919, also known as ‘Spanish Flu’, was the most infamous pandemic which affected large parts of the world’s population. It is believed that this pandemic killed at least 40, million people from 1918-1919. The global mortality rate from the 1918/1919 Spanish flu pandemic is not known but is estimated at 2.5 – 5% of the human population, with 20% of the world population suffering from the disease to some extent.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more than 50 million people and caused more than 500 million infections worldwide. In the military camps and trenches during the First World War, the influenza pandemic struck millions of soldiers all over the world.
It became the second-deadliest pandemic in human history after the Black Death bubonic plague Of 1346-1353 AD. By 1920, the virus that caused the pandemic evolved to become much less deadly and subsequently caused only ordinary seasonal flu. By 1921, deaths had returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Question 31.
Who was Ayyankali? Mention his important contributions to Indian society. [4].
OR
Highlight some important social works of E V Ramasamy Naicker, popularly known as Periyarin context of social movements India.
Answer:
Ayyankali was a leader of the lower castes and Dalits. He was a prominent social reformer and a revolutionary leader from Kerala. He worked for the progress and advancement of the oppressed people in the princely state of Travancore. His struggle resulted in many changes that improved the socio-political structure of Kerala. His determined and relentless efforts changed the lives of Dalits.
With his efforts, Dalits got the freedom to walk on public roads and Dalit children were allowed to join schools. He also founded the Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (Association for the Protection of the Poor) which campaigned for access to schools and raised funds to set up Pulayar-operated schools in the countryside of Kerala.
OR
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was a rationalist and the leader of the lower caste movement in South India. He started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the ‘Father of the Dravidian movement’. He rebelled against gender and caste inequality in Tamil Nadu. He promoted the principles of rationalism, self-respect, women’s rights, and the eradication of caste.
He opposed the exploitation and marginalization of the non-Brahmin Dravidian people of South India and the imposition of what he considered Indo-Aryan India. He aroused people to realize that all men are equal and that it is the birthright of every individual to enjoy liberty and equality.
Question 32.
How does the ‘national development’ affect tribal communities in India? Justify your answer by giving examples [4].
Answer:
National Development severely affected the tribal communities in India through several development policies and projects. National development is referred to as the building of large dams, factories, and mines across the country. As the tribal areas were located in mineral-rich and forest-covered parts of the country, tribal communities have paid a disproportionate price for the development of the rest of Indian society.
This kind of development has benefited the mainstream at the expense of the tribes. The process of dispossessing tribals of their land has occurred as a necessary by-product of the exploitation of minerals and the utilization of favorable sites for setting up hydroelectric power plants, many of which were in tribal areas. There are some examples that highlight how national development affected the tribal communities in India, which are as follows:
(i) National development in the Nehruvian era, focused on the building of large dams, factories, mines, etc. As the tribal areas were rich in minerals, they paid a heavy price for the development activities, which benefitted the mainstream at the expense of the tribes.
(ii) The idea of private property on land, also, adversely affected the tribes. Tribes that mostly had collective community-based ownership were at a disadvantage in the new system, for example, a series of dams being built over the Narmada River.
(iii) Many tribal regions have experienced heavy in-migration of non-tribals. This threatens to disrupt their cultures and communities. For example, Jharkhand and Tripura
Question 33.
What was the opinion of Rabindranath Tagore on the evils of exclusive nationalism in the context of Indian society? Explain. [4].
Answer:
The opinion of Rabindranath Tagore on the evils of exclusive nationalism in the context of Indian society was deeply critical to the western notion of nationalism. He holds that a nation is a political and economic union of people who are organized for mechanical purposes. He specifies a nation as an end in itself and not a means to an end.
He wrote his important literary work ‘On Nationalism’ which was first published in 1917. He believed that India does not need to be insecure and that it does not have to protect itself against any force from outside. He was not blind to accepting and believing only in the nation’s heritage and past.
He reciprocated the western culture as he believed that it would also be helpful in India’s growth. In this writing, he aims to convince his audience that India’s many problems are social, rather than political. In fact, he goes one stage further and states that the fundamental problems in all nations are social.
Tagore’s perception of nationalism has mainly relied on ancient Indian philosophy, where the world was accepted as a single nest. In this way, Tagore was striving to dissociate himself from the general belief of nationalism and trying to associate it with ideas such as peace, harmony, and welfare.
Question 34.
Discuss some of the features of the Zamindari system during British rule in India.[4].
OR
What were the major provisions of the Land Ceiling Act? Does the act have any loopholes in its implementation? Mention them.
Answer:
The main features of the Zamindari system are as
follows:
(i) Under the Zamindari system, an agreement was signed between the British Officers and the Zamindars. Under this agreement, the Zamindars were provided with Zamindari rights of the land.
(ii) Rajas and Taluqdars were recognized as zamindars and became responsible for collecting revenue from peasants and paying the company. In addition to it, revenue demand was permanently fixed.
(iii) This system was majorly considered to be exploitative in nature and the farmers, who were landless suffered at the hands of the zamindars that used to extort a lot of money from these farmers.
(iv) Zamindari system was introduced by Cornwallis in 1 793 through the Permanent Settlement Act during the British rule in India. It was introduced in the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Varanasi. It is also known as the ‘Permanent Settlement System’.
OR
The major provisions of the Land Ceiling Act were as follows:
(i) Land Ceiling Act imposed an upper limit on the amount of land that can be owned by a particular family.
(ii) Possession of surplus land (above the ceiling limit) held by each household, and redistribute it to landless families.
There were many loopholes and other strategies through which most landowners were able to escape from having their surplus land taken over by the state. The loopholes found in the implementation of the Land Ceiling Act are as follows:
(i) In most cases landowners managed to divide the land among relatives and others, including servants, in so-called dynamic transfers.
(ii) In some places, some rich farmers actually divorced their wives (but continued to live with them) in order to avoid the provisions of the Land Ceiling Act, which allowed a separate share for unmarried women but not for wives.
Question 35.
Analyze social reform movements initiated toward women’s equality and rights in the 19th century. [4].
Answer:
The women’s movement in the 19th century saw the growth of women’s organizations at a national and local level. The organizations including the Women’s India Association (WIA) started in 1917, the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) in 1926, National Council for Women in India in 1925 started for women.
The AIWC began with the idea that women’s welfare and politics were mutually exclusive. Over the years, there have been numerous campaigns that have been taken up against violence against women. Important legal changes have taken place because of the women’s movement such as issues of land rights, and employment has been fought alongside, rights against sexual harassment and dowry.
The reformers of India used to revere the glorious past of India considering the woman’s presence as significant belonging. They safeguarded the western influence in society. The Purdah system extended the distancing between opposite sexes, social isolation, and mental numbness.
Section D (18 Marks)
Question 36.
“______There were a large number of women’s organizations that arose both at all Indian and local levels in the early twentieth century. And then began the participation of women in the national movement itself. In 1931, the Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress issued a declaration on the Fundamental Rights of Citizenship in India whereby it committed itself to women’s equality.” Highlight the important key features of the Karachi Declaration held in 1931 with regard to fundamental rights in India. [6].
Answer:
The Karachi Congress session which was held from 26th to 31st March 1931 was chaired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It was a very special session of the Indian National Congress in which Mahatma Gandhi was selected to represent the Indian National Congress, in the Second Round Table Conference to be held. There are some important key features of the Karachi Declaration held in 1931 with regard to fundamental rights in India.
These are as follows:
(i) All citizens are equal before the law, irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or sex.
(ii) No disability attaches to any citizen, by reason of his or her religion, caste, creed, or sex, in regard to public employment, office of power or honor, and in the exercise of any trade or calling.
(iii) The franchise shall be on the basis of universal adult suffrage.
(iv) Women shall have the right to vote, to represent, and right to hold public offices.
(v) The Resolution on Fundamental Rights guaranteed several civil rights including free speech and free press, the right to form associations, and a universal adult franchise.
(vi) Karachi Declaration of 1931 also endorsed the matters like the neutrality of the state in religious matters, free and compulsory primary education, and protection of culture, language, and script of minorities, and linguistic groups.
Question 37.
On the basis of the bar graph, answer the following questions. [6].
(a) In absolute terms, what is the difference in the urban Indian population between 1951 and 2011?
(b) Urban areas have seen greater growth in population than rural areas, although the rate of growth in urban areas remains nearly constant. State the main reason.
(c) On the basis of the bar graph, it shows a steady increase in terms of absolute numbers and the percent share of the urban population. State them.
Answer:
(a) In absolute terms the difference in urban Indian population between 1951 and 2011 is between 250-350 million inhabitants. It can be seen from the graph lived in urban areas.
(b) Urban areas have seen greater growth in population than rural areas, although the rate of growth in urban areas remains nearly constant. The absolute increase in population is more in urban areas than in rural areas. This is due to a sharp decline in the growth rate in rural areas, while the growth rate in urban areas remains almost the same.
(c) India’s urban population has been increasing from 1951 to 2011. In 1951, 62.44 million people were living in 2,843 towns. In 2011, 377.10 million people were living in 7,935 towns. This shows a steady increase in terms of absolute numbers and the percent share of the urban population.
Question 38.
Define the term ‘Industrial society’ and highlight the different views of theorists like Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim on it.
OR
What is Taylorism would Gandhiji have supported the idea? What was his viewpoint on the growing relevance of machinery? [6].
Answer:
The term ‘Industrial society’ refers to a society that is driven by the use of technology to enable mass production. It generally supports a large population with a high capacity for the division of labor. Industrialization often leads to greater equality and there are fewer disparities in societies with high levels of industrial development.
The different views of theorists on Industrial Society such as Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim associated a number of features with industrialization such as urbanization, loss of face-to-face relationships in rural areas, and their substitution by anonymous professional relationships in modern workplaces.
According to them, industrialization involves a detailed division of labor and their work is often exhaustive and repetitive, but it was much better than being unemployed. Marx specifically emphasized his concept of alienation of labor, whereby he illustrated how a labor or a worker is disconnected from the product he is producing.
Labor is working only for survival and to meet his needs. There were eventually mixed views of the theorists on the effects of industrialization. But eventually, both Marx and Durkheim agreed upon the positive impact of industrialization on modernization and the benefit that industrialization led to modernization.
OR
Taylorism is a production system that divides the manufacturing process into small steps that reduce the degree of skills required to perform each activity. This system was invented by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the 1890s and was also referred to as scientific management or industrial engineering.
The aim of Taylorism is to increase productivity and reduce training times to increase output levels. It was a system that was broken down into its smallest repetitive elements and divided between workers. Workers were allotted time-based tasks where they had to finish the task within the stipulated time.
No, Gandhiji would not have supported the idea of Taylorism because he opposed time-saving labor, which eventually led to mechanization. Taylorism made the workers sit on the conveyor belt while they assembled the parts of the final product. Gandhiji would have seen this as an exploitative activity.
Gandhiji’s viewpoint on the growing relevance of machinery included the following:
(i) He argued that the growing importance of machinery would lead to mechanization, and mechanization possess a threat to the laborers by substituting them for machines.
(ii) He also pointed out how the craze of mechanization and machinery took exploitative measures to enhance production and reap profit. These exploitative measures impacted the workers directly.
(iii) He argued that in an attempt to save labor people, the machinery threw the workers on the streets by snatching their jobs from them. Instead of ensuring more employment, machinery and mechanization created more unemployment.