Note – This has to be done before entering into the examination hall

Write at least 2 answers everyday.

1. Usage of maximum Sociological terms

2. Drawing relevant diagrams or simply reproducing diagrams from the standard
books in your paper
3. Underlining important sentences
4. Boxing Sociological Thinkers names so that on every page, 3-4 thinkers names
comes out which examiner can not ignore

Answer Writing Practice

Context

1. KEYWORD
- Comment -> Critically evaluate or Evaluate
- Discuss -> Compare and contrast
- Explain -> Critically examine or Examine
- Elaborate -> Critically analyze or Analyze
- Define -> How far or to what extent

2. Application or theoretical
3. Subparts
4. Essence of the question – Seriousness of the problem (magnitude)- use statistics/ facts from
newspaper.

Content

There are two parts of your answer writing – Argument and Substantiation

If you are making an argument without substantiating it, there is no credibility of it.

Similarly,

If you are doing substantiation without giving argument, it is of no use.

Both have to go hand in hand.

First, make an argument and then substantiate it.

 1. Argument -
2. Substantiation -
- Quote a thinker or
- give example of current development or
- give a case study if you have prepared any or
- give any statistical data

Presentation of your answer –

- lucid – Write a concise and to the point answer

- balanced – Give a balanced view to the answer, both positive and negative (negative view if
required)

- coherent – Anything you write should be in coherence with the demand of the question, whether
you write it in paragraphs, tabular format, bullet points or flow charts. It doesn’t mean to write the
answer in paragraphs and there should be coherence in them.

- sign posted – Give sub headings to your answers – this should also be followed while note making,
it will help in answering during exam. There are points on which the answers/notes should be built
–

1. Perception of the concept

2. Emergence of the concept
3. Consequences of the concept
4. Functional or desirable

- expression should be clearly visible – When you are asked to comment or critically evaluate on
certain topic then, give your opinion along with the discussion of the concept and current situation.

Few basic nuances of writing an answer-

- Introduction and conclusion are mandatory as it gives structure to your answer

- Trick for introduction – Define the keyword asked in your question
- Conclusion – Write a balanced conclusion prepared before-hand about a THINKER or SOCIAL ISSUE
etc., like- irrespective of the above mentioned criticism the following thinker has made a heuristic
impact on the study of sociology or has contributed significantly in broadening the horizon of
sociological discipline or has made a significant contribution to sociology in the formative years/ in
the later years.
Marks obtained will be independent whether you have written in paragraphs or in bullet points (do not
write shorthand notes)-

- Length of paragraphs should be of balanced length

Intro

Subheading

Subheading

Conclusion

OR

Intro

Subheading – paragraph and underline the keywords

Subheading - paragraph and underline the keywords

Conclusion

Thought framework

Basis

Structure
Consequences

Functional for the society or not

Criticism or alternative perspective

Deal with the questions with differentiation between two aspects -

1. Definition – definition of sociology and antropology

2. Subject matter – modern men for sociology and primitive men for anthro
3. Methodology - make use of both quantitative and qualitative whereas anthro – subjective
methods

4. Scope of the discipline – Sociology – modern, industrial, urban societies while anthro –
primitive, tribal, preliterate societies.
5. Reciprocal influence – the distinction between the two optional is not very rigid, especially in
the context of India

DO NOT INCORPORATE FLOWCHART WHEN YOU ARE NOT THOROUGH WITH IT-

1. USE FLOWCHART WHEN YOU ARE DIFFERENTIATING, TYPES, FORMS, COMPARE AND
CONTRAST
2. WHEN YOU HAVE LOT OF POINTS BUT PAUCITY OF SPACE
3. ABOVE EXAMPLE COULD BE EXPLAINED USING FLOWCHART

WHEN QUESTIONS LIKE A AND B COMES FOR SHORT NOTES –

Try to create a vicious cycle in which A leads to B and B leads to A.

WHEN A QUESTION LIKE SOMETHING – WRITE SOMETHING FROM SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

ABOUT X

SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL INSTITUTION, SOCIAL PROCESS – DEVELOPE THAT X ON THESE PILLARS OF
SOCIOLOGY PERSPECTIVE.

Question can be answered using perspectives also

PERSPECTIVE – 1. Functional

2. Marxist

3. Feminist

Don’ts of the answer writing.

 Do not write what you know but write what is asked

 Do not miss out on sociological terminologies
 Do not overload your answer with the views of the THINKERS
 For paper 2, refrain quoting THINKER as he has done his study depending upon a context or a
study that has been contemporary to him/her. Rather give STATISTICAL REPORTS, CENSUS
REPORTS, NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY REPORT, UN’s REPORT, HD indicators
 Do not write long sentences or long paragraphs
 Write simple sentences
 When question is asked on thinkers – Give the perspective of THINKER only and if we have
criticize him, we will criticize him with the view point of some other contemporary THINKER.
Refrain giving your own perspective when asked about THINKERS.

KEYWORD

- Comment -> From very beginning, give your positive opinion. Because…….however……..

- Critically evaluate or Evaluate -> Prepare your case, FOR and AGAINST and give a mandatory
JUDGEMENT/CONCLUSION/OPINION

- Discuss -> It is nothing but a written debate. Try to come to a conclusion but not necessary. We have
a case – Understand the essence, write FOR and AGAINST and then CONCLUDE (Conclusion, though
not necessary).

- Explain -> Critically examine or Examine -> The reference in which the question is asked will be the
introduction. Anomy is rooted in social structure. Explain this with RK Merton’s anomy of social
 structure. So, here RK Merton’s anomy of social structure will be the introduction. So, first define
anomy – coined by Durkheim -> How it was modified by Merton -> How he linked with the theory of
deviance -> What is deviance -> Then he discusses about how anomy is rooted in the social structure.
Then move ahead with how anomy is rooted in social structure. Here, the structure of the American
society matters in which the study was conducted. Here, more emphasis was on the goal rather than
the means to achieve it.
- Elaborate -> Critically analyze or Analyze

- Define -> How far or to what extent -> Define your understanding -> Ambiguity related to that
definition -> Over the period of time, how it has been molded

- Compare and contrast -> In equal weightage write similarities as well as differentiation too.

But, when only contrast is asked. Then, the answer should be mainly composed of differences and
the scope of similarity should be minuscule, written in the penultimate paragraph.

- Critically analyze and Critically examine -> Critically means in detail not necessarily the CRITICISM.
Analyze –
 Breakdown an issue into components or constituent parts.
 Through each part develop a case – ADVANTAGES - DISADVANTAGES, FOR - AGAINST.
 Then give a balanced conclusion.

Examine – Examine the issue w.r.t facts and figures. But never give your opinion on that.

Elaborate – Never mention about the criticism.

Just write the theory which you have studied about it. Just elaborate the perspective, study,
discoveries, POV etc. But no criticism.

How far or To what extent – You have to establish up to what extent it can explain or support the
certain viewpoint and till where it fails to do so or does not have any role to play and then mention
the solution for it sociological/others perspective. Remain sign – posted. According to this, It has a
role to play, ethanomethodology says- it has a role to play. Postivist says -, Interpretative says -,
Feminological says -, Andre Beteille says-.

Key features on which you prepare your answers –

1. What is the perspective, definition?

2. Assumptions
3. Methodology
4. Features
5. Scholars criticism/ perspectives or future perspectives
6. Conclusion – Always prepare a conclusion for every perspective, for every thinker, for every
Broad topic- for example- mode of production, historical materialism, alienation, class struggle,
suicide, social fact, division of labor, mechanical solidarity.
Social consequences –

- Impact on the social structure

- Impact on the social institutions
- Impact on the social relationships
- Impact on sections (Labor, women, etc. for PAPER 2)