Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)
Competitive Examination for Recruitment to BPS-17 Posts under the Federal Government
Time Allowed: 3 Hours
Paper: Sociology
PART-I (Objective) : 20 Marks
Attempt ONLY FOUR Questions from PART-II. (20×4)
PART-II
Q.1. (i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet.
(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
1. Which concept is directly related to the critique of ethnocentrism?
(A) Cultural Relativism (B) Ethical Universalism (C) Cultural Assimilation (D) None of these
2. _______________ emphasizes the idea that cultural differences should be maintained and celebrated within a society:
(A) Assimilation (B) Acculturation (C) Multiculturalism (D) None of these
3. ____________ is a theoretical phenomenon that transpires when changes or advancements in material culture take place before (or at a faster rate of progression than) changes in non-material culture:
(A) Cultural Relativism (B) Cultural Lag (C) Cultural Transmission (D) None of these
4. In Max Weber’s work, _________________ is the term used to describe the connection between Protestantism and the rise of capitalism:
(A) Religious Pluralism (B) Rationalization (C) Predestination (D) None of these
5. Which essential social function does the family primarily contribute to by fostering intergenerational continuity and resource allocation?
(A) Economic Sustainability (B) Political Stability (C) Cultural Preservation (D) None of these
6. In the context of deviance theories, which theoretical perspective posits that individuals engage in deviant behavior when their social bonds are weakened, leading to a breakdown of social control mechanisms?
(A) Symbolic Interactionism (B) Strain Theory (C) Control Theory (D) None of these
7. Drawing on the concept of anomie, which sociologist introduced the idea that deviance can result from a disjunction between cultural goals and the legitimate means available to achieve those goals within a society?
(A) Émile Durkheim (B) Robert K. Merton (C) Howard Becker (D) None of these
8. _______________ is commonly used to describe the traditional socio-economic structure in rural Pakistan, characterized by large landholdings, hereditary landownership, and a power hierarchy that influences local politics and agricultural practices:
(A) Tribal System (B) Nomadic System (C) Feudal System (D) None of these
9. In the context of domestic violence, _______________ involves a pattern of coercive control, intimidation, isolation, and physical or sexual violence, aiming to establish power and control within an intimate relationship:
(A) Emotional Violence (B) Psychological Abuse (C) Physical Assault (D) None of these
10. _______________ is commonly used to describe a form of forced labor where individuals are compelled to work in servitude to repay a debt, often under exploitative conditions and with little or no control over their working and living conditions:
(A) Indentured Labor (B) Serfdom (C) Bonded Labor (D) None of these
11. _______________ describes the process by which individuals and groups construct meanings through their interaction with symbols and each other, as emphasized by symbolic interactionism:
(A) Ethnography (B) Social Constructionism (C) Phenomenology (D) None of these
12. Which sociological perspective, rooted in postmodern thought, challenges the notion of fixed truths and argues that reality is socially constructed and subjective?
(A) Postmodernism (B) Critical Theory (C) Postcolonialism (D) None of these
13. ________________ asserts that society is characterized by power struggles and social inequalities, viewing institutions as tools for maintaining the status quo and protecting the interests of the powerful:
(A) Structural Functionalism (B) Postmodernism (C) Critical Theory (D) None of these
14. In the context of Ibn Khaldun’s thought, _____________ refers to the cyclical pattern of the rise and fall of civilizations, influenced by the dynamics of Asabiyyah, Umran, and the stages of social development:
(A) Muqaddimah (B) Ilm al-Umran (C) Tarikh (D) None of these
15. Herbert Spencer, a proponent of Social Darwinism, coined the term “survival of the fittest” to describe his sociological theory. In this context, what concept did Spencer emphasize as a mechanism for societal progress and development?
(A) Social Solidarity (B) Social Equilibrium (C) Social Evolution (D) None of these
16. _______________ is a sociological research approach that seeks an in-depth understanding of a social phenomenon through the immersion of the researcher in the natural setting, often using qualitative methods:
(A) Ethnography (B) Phenomenology (C) Positivism (D) None of these
17. In the context of social research ethics, _______________ describes the principle that participants have the right to be fully informed about the research before agreeing to participate:
(A) Privacy (B) Informed Consent (C) Confidentiality (D) None of these
18. Which type of research design involves the repeated observation and examination of the same individuals or groups over an extended period, allowing the researchers to analyze changes and developments over time?
(A) Cross-Sectional Design (B) Experimental Design (C) Longitudinal Design (D) None of these
19. _______________ describes the philosophical position that knowledge is primarily derived from sensory experiences and empirical evidence, emphasizing observations and experimentation:
(A) Positivism (B) Constructivism (C) Realism (D) None of these
20. __________________________ in survey research involves dividing the population into subgroups based on specific characteristics and then randomly selecting participants from each subgroup to ensure proportional representation:
(A) Stratified Random Sampling (B) Convenience Sampling (C) Snowball Sampling (D) None of these
PART-II (Subjective) : 80 Marks
Attempt ONLY FOUR Questions from PART-II. (20×4)
PART-II
Q. No. 2. Discuss the intricate relationship between culture and socialization, highlighting key mechanisms through which cultural elements are internalized by individuals in a society. Give examples to illustrate your answer.
Q. No. 3. “The individuals are the limbs of the society and behave as the cells of the body.” Discuss this statement with the help of organismic theory in sociology. Explain how this theory helps in addressing the profound question of the relationship between individual and society.
Q. No. 4. Applying the functionalist perspective, discuss the interdependence of social institutions and their role in maintaining social equilibrium in society. Give examples from Pakistani society to elaborate your answer.
Q. No. 5. What is social control? How do social control mechanisms help to maintain social order and create a harmonized society? What are the consequences of labeling an individual as deviant through social control mechanisms?
Q. No. 6. Discuss ‘verstehen’ in the context of the interpretive approach in social sciences. How did the concept of verstehen shape Max Weber’s understanding to gain knowledge about society and social actors?
Q. No. 7. Discuss the key components of research design in quantitative research, including research questions and hypotheses, variables, theoretical framework, sampling, data collection methods and tools, and data analysis techniques. How do these elements contribute towards conducting a well-organized quantitative research study?
Q. No. 8. Write short notes on the following: (10 each)
(i) Survey research
(ii) Postmodern society
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