SOLVED PYQs UGC NET (SOCIOLOGY)
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
UGC NET SOCIOLOGY
Research Methodology and Methods (UNIT 2)
Ethnography
1. Assertion-Reason Question (JUNE 2015)
Assertion (A): N.K. Bose emphasised the need to bring ethnology and indology together in the study of Indian society.
Reason (R): It is possible to reconstruct the structure of Indian constitution through these two approaches.
In the context of the above statements, which one of the following is correct?
(A) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) are correct, 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
2. Concept Identification Question (JUNE 2020)
The study of people using participant observation and face-to-face interviewing is called:
(A) Phenomenology
(B) Social mapping
(C) Ethnography
(D) Epidemiology
Ethnography
| Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 2 | C | 3 | C | 4 | A |
Survey Method
| Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | 2 | D | 3 | C | 4 | B | 5 | D |
| 6 | A | 7 | C |
Historical Method
| Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | 2 | B |
Comparative Method
| Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 2 | D | 3 | C |
Ethnography
1. Assertion-Reason Question (JUNE 2015)
Assertion (A): N.K. Bose emphasised the need to bring ethnology and indology together in the study of Indian society.
Reason (R): It is possible to reconstruct the structure of Indian constitution through these two approaches.
In the context of the above statements, which one of the following is correct?
(A) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) are correct, 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
Correct Answer: (C) (A) is true, but (R) is false
The prominent Indian anthropologist Nirmal Kumar Bose advocated for an integrated approach to understanding the complexities of Indian civilization. He believed that a complete picture of Indian society could not be achieved by looking at field studies or historical texts in isolation. By combining ethnology, which involves the empirical, comparative study of contemporary cultures and societies, with indology, the academic study of classical Indian texts, history, and languages, Bose sought to bridge the gap between text and context. This dual methodology allowed researchers to examine how ancient textual ideals and scripts manifested in the actual, everyday social structures and cultural practices of diverse communities.
The assertion accurately reflects this methodological stance, which became a hallmark of the civilizational approach in Indian sociology and anthropology. However, the reason provided is factually incorrect because these anthropological and sociological methods are utilized to reconstruct the cultural and social structure of Indian civilization and its traditional social institutions, rather than the modern Indian constitution. The Indian constitution is a legal and political document drafted by the Constituent Assembly, drawing heavily from global constitutional frameworks, democratic principles, and contemporary socio-political needs, rather than being a reconstruction derived from traditional ethnology or classical indological texts. Bose applied his combined approach to explore themes like the caste system, cultural zones, tribal absorption, and national integration, aiming to map the underlying unity and continuity of Indian civilization across centuries.
2. Concept Identification Question (JUNE 2020)
The study of people using participant observation and face-to-face interviewing is called:
(A) Phenomenology
(B) Social mapping
(C) Ethnography
(D) Epidemiology
Correct Answer: (C) Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative research method that involves the detailed study of people, groups, communities, or cultures through direct interaction and prolonged engagement in their natural settings. The method relies heavily on participant observation and face-to-face interviewing, making it one of the most important approaches in anthropology and sociology for understanding social life from the perspective of the people being studied.
In participant observation, the researcher becomes involved in the daily activities of the group while simultaneously observing their behavior, interactions, values, beliefs, and social practices. Through face-to-face interviews, researchers gather detailed information about participants’ experiences, meanings, and interpretations of their social world. The combination of these techniques allows ethnographers to obtain rich and in-depth data that cannot easily be captured through surveys or statistical methods.
The origins of ethnography are closely associated with anthropologists such as Bronislaw Malinowski, who emphasized long-term fieldwork and direct observation of communities. Later, ethnographic methods were widely adopted by sociologists, particularly members of the Chicago School, who used them to study urban communities, social groups, and everyday social interactions. Ethnography aims to produce a holistic understanding of social life by examining behavior within its cultural and social context.
Option (A) Phenomenology is a theoretical and methodological approach concerned with understanding individuals’ subjective experiences and meanings, but it is not specifically defined by participant observation and face-to-face interviewing. Option (B) Social mapping refers to a technique used to identify and represent social or spatial relationships within a community. Option (D) Epidemiology is the scientific study of the distribution and determinants of diseases and health conditions within populations.
Ethnography remains a central method in qualitative research because it enables researchers to gain deep insights into social processes, cultural practices, group dynamics, and everyday experiences through direct engagement with the people and communities under study.
3. Approach Identification Question (JUNE 2022)
_____ is an approach originally developed by Dorothy Smith (1978) to better understand women’s everyday experiences by discovering the power relations that shape those experiences.
(A) Case study
(B) Content analysis
(C) Institutional ethnography
(D) Participatory Action Research
Correct Answer: (C) Institutional ethnography
Institutional ethnography is a distinctive sociological approach developed by Dorothy E. Smith in the late 1970s as part of her broader contribution to feminist sociology. Smith was concerned with the ways in which women’s everyday experiences were often overlooked or misrepresented in traditional social science research. She sought to create a method that would begin from the standpoint of people’s lived experiences, especially those of women, and then examine how larger institutional structures organize and shape those experiences.
The central aim of institutional ethnography is to investigate the relationship between everyday activities and the broader systems of administration, governance, bureaucracy, and power that influence them. Rather than treating institutions as abstract entities, this approach examines how institutional processes operate through documents, rules, policies, professional practices, and social relations. Smith argued that people’s daily lives are coordinated by what she called ruling relations, which are complex networks of power and authority embedded in institutions.
Institutional ethnography starts with the actual experiences of individuals and traces how those experiences are connected to larger social and organizational structures. This approach is particularly useful for studying issues related to gender, education, healthcare, social welfare, work, and public administration. By focusing on everyday life, researchers can uncover the often hidden mechanisms through which institutions shape social realities and maintain relations of power.
Option (A) Case study refers to an in-depth investigation of a particular individual, group, event, or organization but is not specifically associated with Dorothy Smith’s feminist methodology. Option (B) Content analysis is a research technique used to examine documents, texts, media content, or communications systematically. Option (D) Participatory Action Research is a collaborative research approach that actively involves participants in the research process to promote social change, but it is distinct from institutional ethnography.
Institutional ethnography has become an influential research methodology within feminist research, critical sociology, and qualitative social inquiry. Its emphasis on linking personal experiences with institutional power structures has provided researchers with a valuable framework for understanding how social organization shapes everyday life and how inequalities are reproduced through institutional practices and ruling relations.
4. Assertion-Reason Question (MARCH 2023)
Assertion (A): One of the most significant approaches to conducting ethnographic research on online communities is netnography which has been developed by Kozinets.
Reason (R): Netnography is a form of ethnography because it entails the researcher’s immersion in the online worlds under investigation.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.
(D) (A) is not correct but (R) is correct.
Correct Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Netnography is a qualitative research methodology developed by Robert V. Kozinets for the study of online communities, digital cultures, and internet-based social interactions. As the internet became an important space for communication, identity formation, consumption, and community building, traditional ethnographic methods required adaptation to study social life in virtual environments. Kozinets introduced netnography as a systematic approach for observing and analyzing online interactions in forums, social media platforms, discussion groups, blogs, and other digital spaces.
The Assertion is correct because netnography is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential methods for conducting ethnographic research in online settings. It has been extensively used in sociology, anthropology, media studies, marketing, consumer research, and digital culture studies to understand the behavior, meanings, values, and interactions of online communities.
The Reason is also correct and directly explains the assertion. Netnography is considered a form of ethnography because it retains the fundamental principle of ethnographic research: researcher immersion in the social world being studied. In traditional ethnography, researchers spend extended periods within physical communities, observing and participating in everyday activities. In netnography, researchers immerse themselves in online environments, observing interactions, participating in discussions when appropriate, and interpreting the meanings attached to digital practices and communications.
Like conventional ethnography, netnography seeks to understand social life from the perspective of participants. It emphasizes context, cultural meanings, participant interactions, and the interpretation of social practices. The key difference lies in the setting of the research, which is digital rather than face-to-face. By adapting ethnographic principles to virtual environments, Kozinets provided researchers with a powerful methodological tool for examining the growing significance of online communities and digital social relations in contemporary society.