Ncert Solutions for Class 12 Sociology Chapter 4: Change and Development in Rural Society questions and answers
| Textbook | Ncert |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | Sociology |
| Chapter | Chapter 4 |
| Chapter Name | Change and Development in Rural Society ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
Are you looking for Sociology Class 12 chapter 4 questions and answers? Now you can download Change and Development in Rural Society questions and answers pdf from here.
Question 1: Read the passage given and answer the questions:
The harsh working conditions suffered by labourers in Aghanbigha were an outcome of the combined effect of the economic power of the maliks as a class and their overwhelming power as members of a dominant caste. A significant aspect of the social power of the maliks was their ability to secure the intervention of various arms of the state to advance their interests. Thus, political factors decisively contributed to widening the gulf between the dominant class and the underclass.
i. Why do you think the maliks were able to use the power of the state to advance their own interests?
ii. Why did labourers have harsh working conditions?
Answer 1: (i)
- (a) The maliks being dominant caste were very powerful politically, economically and socially.
- (b)Because of power they were able to use the power of state for their vested interests.
- (c)They were successfully able to secure the intervention of various arms of the state for their own benefit.
(ii)The labour have been working under harsh conditions because being dalits, they were not allowed to own land and compelled to work in the lands of dominant caste people as a labourer.
Question 2: What measures do you think the government has taken, or should take, to protect the rights of landless agricultural labourers and migrant workers?
Answer 2: Thе govеrnmеnt has takеn various mеasurеs and should continuе to takе morе to protеct thе rights of landlеss agricultural labourеrs and migrant workеrs. Somе of thеsе mеasurеs includе:
- Enacting and еnforcing labor laws that safеguard thе rights of workеrs, including minimum wagе laws and rеgulations rеlatеd to working hours and conditions.
- Providing social sеcurity bеnеfits, such as hеalth insurancе and pеnsion schеmеs, for laborеrs in thе unorganizеd sеctor.
- Implеmеnting land rеforms to distributе land to landlеss laborеrs.
- Offеring skill dеvеlopmеnt programs to еmpowеr laborеrs to sееk altеrnativе еmploymеnt options.
- Ensuring accеss to affordablе housing and basic amеnitiеs for migrant workеrs in urban arеas.
- Crеating awarеnеss among laborеrs about thеir rights and avеnuеs for sееking rеdrеssal of griеvancеs.
Question 3: There are direct linkages between the situation of agricultural workers and their lack of upward socio-economic mobility. Name some of them.
Answer 3: Indian rural society is totally dependent on agriculture. It is the only source of their livelihood. Unfortunately it is unevenly distributed, not organised and many people of rural Society are landless.
Indian rural society has patrilineal kinship system. According to legal system women are supposed to have an equal right of family property but actually it is simply on papers. Because of male dominance, they are deprived of their rights.
Most of the people in villages are landless and for their livelihood they become agriculture workers. They are paid below the statutory minimum wages. Their job is not regular and employment is insecure. Mostly these agriculture workers work on daily wages. The tenants also have lower income because they have to pay a large amount of production to the landowner.
The ownership of land or its total area determines the position of the farmers upward or downward mobility in his socio-economic system. Therefore the agrarian society can be understood in terms of its class structure which is structured through Caste system.
Although this is not always true. In rural society Brahmins are the dominant caste but they are not main landowners so they are part of rural society but fall outside the agrarian structure. These questions are based on Self-Study. Students should do them solves.
Question 4: What are the different factors that have enabled certain groups to transform themselves into new wealthy, entrepreneurial, dominant classes? Can you think of an example of this transformation in your state?
Answer 4: Several factors can enable groups to transform into wealthy, entrepreneurial, and dominant classes, including access to education and skills.
They are:
(i) Land ownership: Owning land has allowed some groups to become wealthy. The cast and classes who became rich purchased big pieces of land and used all the modern means of agriculture so as to increase the agricultural production and became wealthy and thus hold dominant position in the society.
(ii) Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship can be a way for groups to create value and change. Entrepreneurship is the ability and readiness to develop, organise and run a business enterprise, along with any of its uncertainties in order to make a profit.
(iii) Adaptability: The ability to adapt to changing circumstances can help people weather storms and emerge stronger. Adaptability, a coveted soft skill in the job market, encompasses the ability to respond flexibly to evolving factors, conditions, or environments by acquiring new skills.
(iv) Demographic changes: Changes in demographics can create opportunities. Demographic change describes the changes in population size and structure caused by changes in birth rates, death rates, and by migration.
(v) Changes in perception: Shifts in perception can create new opportunities. Changing perceptions can involve changing how you perceive yourself or others.
(vi) New knowledge: Access to new knowledge can create opportunities. New knowledge means information that is added to or modified from existing scientific theory or facts that is accepted among a group of researchers.
Question 5: Hindi and regional language films were often set in rural areas. Think of a film set in rural India and describe the agrarian society and culture that is shown in it. How realistic do you think the portrayal is? Have you seen any recent film set in rural areas? If not how would you explain it?
Answer 5: Onе of thе iconic Hindi films sеt in rural India is “Lagaan. ” In this film, thе agrarian sociеty and culturе of a fictional villagе during thе British colonial pеriod arе vividly portrayеd. Thе film showcasеs sеvеral еlеmеnts of rural lifе:
- Agriculturе as a Way of Lifе: “Lagaan” highlights thе cеntrality of agriculturе in rural India. Thе villagеrs’ livеs rеvolvе around farming, and thеy facе thе challеngеs of monsoons, droughts, and crop failurеs.
- Traditional Practicеs: Thе film dеpicts various traditional customs, rituals, and fеstivals, showcasing thе cultural richnеss of rural India. For еxamplе, thе gamе of crickеt is introducеd as a mеans to allеviatе thе burdеn of taxation, rеflеcting thе intеgration of tradition into thе storylinе.
- Social Hiеrarchy: Thе film portrays thе social hiеrarchy within thе villagе, with distinct rolеs for diffеrеnt castе groups. It also rеflеcts thе еxploitation of thе villagеrs by thе colonial rulеrs, mirroring historical rеalitiеs.
- Community Bond: “Lagaan” undеrscorеs thе strong sеnsе of community and solidarity among thе villagеrs as thеy comе togеthеr to facе еxtеrnal challеngеs. This aspеct of rural lifе is rеalistically dеpictеd.
As for thе rеalism of thе portrayal, “Lagaan” is a cinеmatic rеprеsеntation that combinеs еlеmеnts of rеality with artistic crеativity. Whilе it capturеs many facеts of rural lifе authеntically, somе dramatization and storytеlling еlеmеnts arе dеsignеd for еntеrtainmеnt. Ovеrall, it offеrs a compеlling glimpsе into rural India, although artistic libеrtiеs arе takеn for narrativе purposеs.
Rеgarding rеcеnt films sеt in rural arеas, thе shift away from such sеttings might bе attributеd to changing audiеncе prеfеrеncеs for morе urban-cеntric storiеs, modеrn thеmеs, and globalizеd narrativеs. Additionally, thе urbanization trеnd in India has lеd to a rеducеd focus on rural backdrops in contеmporary cinеma.
Question 6: Visit a construction site in your neighbourhood, a brickyard, or other such place where you are likely to find migrant workers. Find out where the workers come from. How are they recruited from their home villages, who is the ‘mukadam’? If they are from rural areas, find out about their lives in their villages and why they have to migrate to find work.
Answer 6: I am living in Delhi, NCR where due to rapid infrastructure development the construction work is on full swing. The builders have appointed labours from various parts of country like Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, U.P, etc who are working under manager and engineers. The labour is engaged at low wages because of poor bargaining power and they are often exploited by the clever contactors and managers.
The place is full of migrant workers. The labour from different state move to these areas where construction work is regularly carried on so that they could on a regular living. The whole family is engaged by the contractor and the small kids generally suffer the lack of parent attention, schooling, proper food habit, proper nutrients, etc.
Question 7: Visit your local fruit-seller, and ask her/him about the fruits she/he sells, where they come from, and their prices. Find out what has happened to the prices of local products after fruits began to be imported from outside of India (such as apples from Australia). Are there any imported fruits cheaper than Indian fruits?
Answer 7: Near my house in the Dhemaji fruit and vegetable market. Usually the fruits from various States of India are sold in this market, like we get apples from Kashmir, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Oranges from Arunachal and so on.
Due to liberalisation and globalisation the door of the world market has been opened for Indian producers and it is often observed that the fruits of good quality are generally exported and we are offered low quality fruit at higher rate.
Various fruits from foreign markets are also available in India which has lowered the price of Indian fruits. Imported fruits are not cheaper than Indian fruits but they have increased the competition in the Indian market which has brought down the rate of Indian fruit in the local market.
Question 8: Collect information and write a report on the environmental situation in rural India. Examples of topics: pesticides; declining water table; impact of prawn farming in coastal areas; salination of soil and waterlogging in canal irrigated areas; loss of biodiversity. Possible source: State of India’s Environment Reports, Reports from Centre for Science and Development and the magazine Down to Earth.
Answer 8: The environmental situation of rural India is not very good. The negative impacts of various means of agriculture are :-
1. Use of Pesticides :- Pesticides are the chemical preparations used to protect agricultural produce from fungal and animal pests. They have negative impact on environment. The pesticides sprayed on the agricultural fields pollute the air not only of that area but they are carried away to other areas also. The pesticides pollute the water when they when they move from field to the water off nearby dreams and Ponds and rivers with rain water. The use of pesticides also adversely affect soil conservation.
2. Soil salinity :- Salinization is the process of increasing salt content in the soil which is the result of irrigation. The negative impacts of salinity are :-
- It adversely affects the plant growth and yield
- In damages the infrastructure like roads, bricks, cables, pipes, etc
- It reduces the water quality and results in soil erosion
3. Waterlogging :- It means saturation of soil with water. Waterlogging results in soil salinity.
4. The Other negative environmental impacts of modern agriculture are listed below :-
- Land conversion and Habitat loss
- Wasteful water consumption
- Soil erosion and degradation
- Pollution and climate change