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Chapter-8 Cultural Change — Online MCQ Test

SOCIOLOGY · Grade 12 · CBSE(NCERT)
Practice Chapter-8 Cultural Change with a free chapter-wise online MCQ test. This chapter covers: Sanskritization - Westernization - modernization - secularization - cultural change. AI-generated questions from basic to board-exam level, with instant results and explanations.

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Chapter-8 Cultural Change — Important Questions & Answers

Which term describes the process by which lower castes adopt the customs, rituals, and lifestyle of upper castes?
  • A. Sanskritization
  • B. Westernization
  • C. Modernization
  • D. Secularization
Answer: A. Sanskritization
Sanskritization, coined by M.N. Srinivas, refers to the process where lower castes imitate the cultural practices of upper castes to improve their social status.
Who coined the term 'Sanskritization'?
  • A. Rajesh Misra
  • B. M.N. Srinivas
  • C. D.P. Mukerji
  • D. Yogendra Singh
Answer: B. M.N. Srinivas
M.N. Srinivas, a renowned sociologist, introduced the concept of Sanskritization to explain social mobility in Indian society.
How does Sanskritization relate to social mobility in India?
  • A. It prevents any change in social status
  • B. It allows lower castes to improve their social position by adopting upper caste practices
  • C. It strengthens the rigid caste system
  • D. It only applies to Brahmin communities
Answer: B. It allows lower castes to improve their social position by adopting upper caste practices
Sanskritization is a mechanism of social mobility where lower castes can elevate their status by conforming to upper caste cultural norms and practices.
How does Sanskritization differ from caste mobility in pre-modern India?
  • A. Sanskritization is slower and more formal than pre-modern caste mobility
  • B. Sanskritization requires adoption of cultural practices, whereas pre-modern mobility was based only on economic power
  • C. They are identical processes with different names
  • D. Sanskritization only occurs in South India
Answer: B. Sanskritization requires adoption of cultural practices, whereas pre-modern mobility was based only on economic power
Sanskritization specifically emphasizes cultural emulation and ritual purification as mechanisms for status improvement, distinct from purely economic-based mobility.
What is the paradox of cultural change in India according to sociological analysis?
  • A. There is no cultural change occurring in India
  • B. While cultural practices change, underlying social hierarchies often remain intact; people adopt new forms while maintaining old structures
  • C. All cultural change leads to complete equality
  • D. Change only occurs in religious practices
Answer: B. While cultural practices change, underlying social hierarchies often remain intact; people adopt new forms while maintaining old structures
Indian cultural change often exemplifies a paradox: external forms transform (Westernization, modernization) while fundamental hierarchies (caste, patriarchy) persist in modified forms.