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
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. What is the process by which individuals learn and adopt the values, norms, and behaviors of their culture?
(A) Assimilation (B) Amalgamation (C) Socialization (D) Institutionalization
2. What type of norm has great moral significance and is often codified in law?
(A) Folkways (B) Mores (C) Taboos (D) Customs
3. The concept of “cultural lag” was introduced by:
(A) C. Wright Mills (B) William F. Ogburn (C) Robert K. Merton (D) Herbert Blumer
4. In “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,” Weber argues that modern capitalism arose because of:
(A) Rationalization (B) Ascetic Protestantism (C) Materialism (D) Industrial Revolution
5. “Base and Superstructure” is a key idea in:
(A) Functionalism (B) Symbolic interactionism (C) Marxism (D) Rational choice theory
6. Which concept by Durkheim refers to a state where social norms are unclear or breakdown?
(A) Anomie (B) Mechanical solidarity (C) Organic solidarity (D) Social fact
7. Herbert Spencer’s theory of “Social Darwinism” is based on:
(A) Survival of the fittest (B) Class struggle (C) Social solidarity (D) Rationalization
8. Robert K. Merton introduced the concept of:
(A) Social fact (B) Manifest and latent functions (C) Rationalization (D) Social stratification
9. Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of “habitus” refers to:
(A) Cultural capital (B) Social capital (C) Dispositions shaped by social structures (D) Class conflict
10. Which sociologist introduced the concept of “Power Elite”?
(A) Max Weber (B) Robert K. Merton (C) C. Wright Mills (D) Pierre Bourdieu
11. According to Durkheim, which type of suicide occurs when social regulation is excessive?
(A) Altruistic (B) Egoistic (C) Fatalistic (D) Anomic
12. The concept of “hegemonic masculinity” was developed to:
(A) Explain the dominance of capitalist ideology (B) Examine gender inequality in patriarchal systems
(C) Study power relations among different masculinities (D) Critique functionalist views of gender roles
13. According to Parsons, the “pattern variables” represent choices individuals make between conflicting sets of values. Which of the following is NOT a pattern variable?
(A) Universalism vs. Particularism (B) Achievement vs. Ascription
(C) Rationalism vs. Emotionalism (D) Specificity vs. Diffuseness
14. Which of the following best describes Michel Foucault’s concept of “biopower”?
(A) The control of populations through discipline and surveillance (B) The influence of culture on biological traits
(C) The democratization of knowledge and power (D) The biological basis of human behavior
15. Immanuel Wallerstein’s “World-Systems Theory” divides the world into:
(A) Classes, states, and empires (B) Core, semi-periphery, and periphery
(C) Developed, underdeveloped, and developing nations (D) Capitalist, feudal, and socialist systems
16. The Frankfurt School’s concept of the “culture industry” critiques:
(A) The commodification of culture under capitalism (B) The production of elite art forms
(C) The democratization of culture (D) The decentralization of power in media
17. Which sociologist used the term “middle-range theories” to describe theories that bridge empirical research and grand theories?
(A) Talcott Parsons (B) Max Weber (C) Robert K. Merton (D) C. Wright Mills
18. Who introduced the concept of “double hermeneutics” in sociology?
(A) Anthony Giddens (B) Jürgen Habermas (C) Peter Berger (D) Alfred Schutz
19. Postmodernism in sociology primarily critiques:
(A) Traditional grand narratives and universal truths (B) Traditional functionalist frameworks
(C) The application of quantitative methods in social research (D) The overemphasis on individual agency
20. According to Louis Althusser, “ideological state apparatuses” include:
(A) The military and the police (B) Religion, education, and media
(C) The judicial system (D) Bureaucracies and political institutions
PART-II (Subjective) : 80 Marks
Attempt ONLY FOUR Questions from PART-II. (20×4)
PART-II
Q. No. 2. Define social control and explain the most significant steps to attain social control in society. Elaborate on the most functional agencies to maintain social control in post-industrial societies.
Q. No. 3. Define and differentiate social and cultural change. Discuss the impediments to change with reference to resistance to change in Pakistani society and culture.
Q. No. 4. Discuss migration as a social phenomenon. Explain the push and pull factors of migration. Highlight the impact of brain drain on the economy of Pakistan in the last five years.
Q. No. 5. Explain the structure and functions of the Pakistani family with practical examples and research-based arguments. What do you see as the future of the Pakistani family system while keeping in view the social changes occurring in the last decade?
Q. No. 6. Explain the concept of urbanization, which is rapidly increasing day by day in Pakistan. How can we analyze the two most significant problems associated with this issue?
Q. No. 7. Explain the sociological model developed by Talcott Parsons to analyze the functional requirements of a social system. How can it fit into our current society?
Q. No. 8. Write short notes on the following: (10 each)
(i) Qualitative research in sociology
(ii) Deviance and white-collar crime in Pakistan
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