Social Change and Social Control MCQs 2026

Technological change often affects society first by altering

1. ATools, production and communication✓
2. BBlood relations biologically✓
3. CThe laws of gravity✓
4. DHuman chromosomes✓

Demographic change becomes sociologically important because it changes

1. AOnly rainfall patterns✓
2. BSize, composition and distribution of population✓
3. CAtomic structure✓
4. DThe orbit of planets✓

Evolutionary theories of social change generally emphasize

1. ASudden random disorder only✓
2. BNo sequence in history✓
3. CPermanent stagnation✓
4. DGradual development through stages✓

Cyclical theories of social change usually stress

1. ALinear progress forever✓
2. BNo historical repetition✓
3. CRise, decline and recurrence✓
4. DOnly biological inheritance✓

Functionalist theory tends to view social change as

1. AAdjustment that restores system balance✓
2. BOnly class warfare✓
3. CA purely individual choice✓
4. DA random biological accident✓

Social disorganization refers to

1. APerfect institutional harmony✓
2. BBreakdown or weakening of social controls✓
3. CA rise in rainfall✓
4. DComplete genetic uniformity✓

Relative deprivation in social movement theory means

1. AAbsolute absence of food only✓
2. BLegal ownership of property✓
3. CFeeling disadvantaged compared with others✓
4. DComplete equality of opportunity✓

Which institution is a common agent of deliberate social change

1. ARock erosion✓
2. BGenetic drift✓
3. COcean tides✓
4. DEducation system✓

Conflict theory emphasizes social change produced by

1. APower struggles and inequality✓
2. BPerfect consensus only✓
3. CBiological instincts alone✓
4. DNatural seasons only✓

Education contributes to social control mainly by

1. AEnding all cultural transmission✓
2. BSocializing students into shared norms✓
3. CRemoving every rule✓
4. DStopping role learning✓

A positive sanction is best represented by

1. AA fine for speeding✓
2. BImprisonment✓
3. CPublic praise for honesty✓
4. DSocial boycott✓

A negative sanction is intended to

1. ADiscourage rule-breaking behaviour✓
2. BReward conformity with prizes✓
3. CCreate new technology✓
4. DIncrease birth rate✓

Material culture changes most directly when society adopts new

1. AValues only✓
2. BMyths only✓
3. CKinship terms only✓
4. DTools and physical objects✓

Cultural lag occurs when

1. ATradition changes faster than technology in every case✓
2. BNo culture changes at all✓
3. CNon-material culture adjusts more slowly than material culture✓
4. DAll institutions change at exactly the same speed✓

Secularization means a decline in the social influence of

1. AReligious institutions and beliefs✓
2. BScientific instruments only✓
3. CUrban markets only✓
4. DPolitical parties only✓

Rational-legal authority is central to modern bureaucracy in the work of

1. AIbn Khaldun✓
2. BHerbert Spencer✓
3. CTalcott Parsons✓
4. DMax Weber✓

Social planning is mainly concerned with

1. AUncontrolled accident✓
2. BDeliberate direction of social development✓
3. CPurely private leisure✓
4. DBiological reproduction only✓

Collective behaviour is usually less structured than a social movement because it is often

1. AFully bureaucratic✓
2. BPermanent and formal✓
3. CSpontaneous and weakly organized✓
4. DA written law only✓

Public opinion functions as social control when it

1. AApproves or condemns behaviour informally✓
2. BRepeals all customs✓
3. CEnds every sanction✓
4. DWorks only through genetics✓

Durkheim argued that deviance can be functional because it may

1. ADestroy all norms permanently✓
2. BClarify norms and promote change✓
3. CEnd social solidarity in every case✓
4. DPrevent legal reform always✓

Coercive social control primarily uses

1. APersuasion without pressure✓
2. BFriendly advice only✓
3. CVoluntary imitation✓
4. DForce or threat of punishment✓

An informal negative sanction is best shown by

1. AA salary bonus✓
2. BA medal of honour✓
3. CRidicule for violating a custom✓
4. DA formal court sentence✓

Social change in sociology refers primarily to

1. AChange in an individual mood✓
2. BTransformation in social structure or culture✓
3. CSeasonal change in weather✓
4. DBiological growth of a person✓

The concept of cultural lag is most closely associated with

1. AEmile Durkheim✓
2. BMax Weber✓
3. CKarl Marx✓
4. DWilliam F. Ogburn✓

Formal social control is best illustrated by

1. APolice enforcing a written law✓
2. BFriends teasing a latecomer✓
3. CFamily praise for politeness✓
4. DGossip in a neighbourhood✓

Informal social control usually operates through

1. AConstitutional courts✓
2. BPenal codes✓
3. CCustom, ridicule and approval✓
4. DTax regulations✓

In sociology, sanctions are

1. AOnly severe punishments✓
2. BRewards or penalties for behaviour✓
3. CReligious rituals only✓
4. DEconomic policies only✓

Durkheim used the term anomie to describe

1. AA state of normlessness✓
2. BA stable kinship system✓
3. CA form of bureaucracy✓
4. DA religious ceremony✓

Marxist theory explains major social change mainly through

1. APopulation ageing✓
2. BImitation of elites✓
3. CReligious revival alone✓
4. DClass conflict over production✓

Weber linked modern social change especially with the growth of

1. AMagical thinking✓
2. BTribal isolation✓
3. CRationalization✓
4. DPastoral nomadism✓

Diffusion as a source of social change means

1. ASpread of cultural traits between groups✓
2. BBreakdown of the nervous system✓
3. CIncrease in birth rate✓
4. DLegal punishment for deviance✓

An invention becomes a source of social change when it

1. ARemains unknown to society✓
2. BOnly repeats old customs✓
3. CBlocks all interaction✓
4. DCreates or combines useful new elements✓

Planned social change is best described as change brought about by

1. ARandom accidents only✓
2. BDeliberate policy or organized effort✓
3. CWeather cycles✓
4. DGenetic mutation alone✓

A social movement is a

1. AShort private habit✓
2. BBiological instinct✓
3. COrganized collective effort for change✓
4. DPurely accidental crowd✓

A reform movement usually seeks to

1. AChange parts of a system without replacing it✓
2. BDestroy all social institutions✓
3. CStop every legal process✓
4. DReturn society to prehistory✓

A revolutionary movement differs from a reform movement because it seeks

1. AA minor administrative adjustment✓
2. BFundamental transformation of the order✓
3. COnly ceremonial change✓
4. DNo change in institutions✓

Modernization generally refers to a movement from traditional patterns toward

1. AComplete isolation✓
2. BClan rule only✓
3. CAbolition of technology✓
4. DIndustrial, urban and rational organization✓

Globalization affects social change by increasing

1. AWorldwide interdependence and exchange✓
2. BTotal cultural isolation✓
3. COnly village endogamy✓
4. DAbsence of communication✓

The main purpose of social control is to

1. AEliminate all diversity✓
2. BPrevent every innovation✓
3. CMaintain conformity to norms✓
4. DIncrease biological heredity✓

Folkways are best understood as

1. AFormal written laws✓
2. BEveryday customary ways of acting✓
3. CSacred legal commands✓
4. DScientific formulas✓

Mores differ from folkways because mores are

1. AAlways written by courts✓
2. BOnly about clothing fashion✓
3. CFree of moral judgment✓
4. DMorally significant norms✓

Laws are formal norms because they are

1. ACodified and enforced by authority✓
2. BAlways unwritten✓
3. COnly family customs✓
4. DPrivate habits of individuals✓

Internalization of norms means that people

1. AIgnore society completely✓
2. BObey only under police force✓
3. CAccept norms as part of themselves✓
4. DReject all values equally✓

External social control relies mainly on

1. AInherited reflexes✓
2. BRewards, punishments and pressure✓
3. CPrivate dreams✓
4. DClimate alone✓

Deviance in sociology means behaviour that

1. AViolates accepted social norms✓
2. BAlways improves health✓
3. COccurs only in cities✓
4. DHas no social meaning✓

Labelling theory explains deviance mainly as a result of

1. AWeather patterns✓
2. BBlood group✓
3. CPopulation density alone✓
4. DSocial reaction and labels✓

Merton strain theory links deviance to a gap between

1. AKinship and religion✓
2. BWeather and harvests✓
3. CCultural goals and legitimate means✓
4. DAge and gender only✓

Resistance to social change commonly arises from

1. AAbsence of any interests✓
2. BVested interests and attachment to tradition✓
3. CPerfect agreement among groups✓
4. DInstant acceptance of innovation✓

Parsons viewed social control as maintaining

1. Apermanent revolution only✓
2. Bzero norms in society✓
3. Cpure anarchy✓
4. Dsocial equilibrium through shared values and institutional roles✓

Social change refers to

1. Asignificant alteration in social structure, behaviour or cultural patterns over time✓
2. Bonly individual mood swings✓
3. Conly weather variation✓
4. Donly biological aging of one person✓

Evolutionary theories of social change emphasize

1. Asudden violent overthrow only✓
2. Bunchanging static societies✓
3. Crandom chaos without pattern✓
4. Dgradual, cumulative development from simple to complex forms✓

Diffusion as a mechanism of social change means

1. Ainternal class struggle only✓
2. Bbiological mutation in humans✓
3. Ccomplete isolation of cultures✓
4. Dspread of cultural traits from one society or group to another✓

Social revolution involves

1. Aminor fashion shifts only✓
2. Bslow demographic drift only✓
3. Crapid, fundamental transformation of political and social institutions✓
4. Dunchanged power structures✓

Ogburn distinguished between

1. Aonly kinship and marriage✓
2. Bmaterial culture and non-material culture in the pace of change✓
3. Conly urban and rural✓
4. Donly formal and informal law✓

Social control is defined as

1. Aonly self-help psychology✓
2. Bonly economic profit maximization✓
3. Conly artistic expression✓
4. Dmechanisms by which society regulates individual and group behaviour✓

Informal social control operates through

1. Aeveryday social interaction such as praise, ridicule and ostracism✓
2. Bwritten statutes only✓
3. Ccourt sentences only✓
4. Dconstitutional amendments only✓

Law as an instrument of social control

1. Adefines prohibited conduct and prescribes state-backed sanctions✓
2. Bexists only in pre-industrial tribes✓
3. Cnever changes over time✓
4. Dapplies only to corporations✓

Sanctions in sociology are

1. Aonly monetary wages✓
2. Bonly biological reflexes✓
3. Conly weather events✓
4. Drewards or punishments applied to encourage conformity or deter deviance✓

Positive sanctions include

1. Apraise, awards and promotion for conforming behaviour✓
2. Bimprisonment and fines✓
3. Csocial ostracism only✓
4. Dexile without recognition✓

Negative sanctions include

1. Amedals and certificates✓
2. Bpublic honour only✓
3. Cfines, imprisonment and social stigma for rule-breaking✓
4. Dsalary bonuses only✓

Internalization of norms means

1. Arejecting all social rules always✓
2. Bindividuals accept society's rules as their own guiding principles✓
3. Cobeying only when police are present✓
4. Dignoring cultural values✓

Socialization is a primary means of

1. Ainformal social control through learning norms and values✓
2. Bavoiding all group life✓
3. Cabolishing families✓
4. Deliminating education✓

Durkheim argued that law reflects

1. Aonly individual genius✓
2. Bonly random chance✓
3. Cthe type of solidarity binding a society✓
4. Donly biological instinct✓

Mechanical solidarity is characterized by

1. Acomplex division of labour only✓
2. Bsimilar beliefs and strong collective conscience in homogeneous societies✓
3. Cweak shared morality✓
4. Dhigh individualism in urban life✓

Organic solidarity arises from

1. Atotal cultural uniformity✓
2. Binterdependence produced by the division of labour✓
3. Cisolation of each household✓
4. Dabsence of specialization✓

Conflict theory views social control as

1. Aneutral and equally beneficial to all✓
2. Bunrelated to inequality✓
3. Ca tool dominant groups use to maintain power and privilege✓
4. Dalways informal only✓

Ideological social control works by

1. Ashaping beliefs so people accept existing arrangements as natural✓
2. Busing only physical force✓
3. Cbanning all education✓
4. Dignoring culture entirely✓

Social change through invention means

1. Acopying foreign traits only✓
2. Bcreating new ideas, tools or practices within a society✓
3. Cpopulation decline only✓
4. Dunchanging tradition✓

Acculturation refers to

1. Acomplete isolation of tribes✓
2. Bzero influence between groups✓
3. Conly genetic change✓
4. Dcultural change resulting from sustained contact between societies✓

Modernization theory links social change to

1. Areturn to feudal agriculture only✓
2. Brejection of all technology✓
3. Cindustrialization, urbanization and spread of rational-bureaucratic institutions✓
4. Dpermanent tribal isolation✓

Dependency theory criticizes modernization by arguing

1. Aall nations develop identically✓
2. Bglobal inequality structures limit autonomous development in periphery nations✓
3. Ccolonialism left no legacy✓
4. Dtrade always benefits the poor equally✓

World-systems analysis emphasizes

1. Aeconomic and political domination of core countries over periphery✓
2. Bisolated village studies only✓
3. Cpurely psychological change✓
4. Dunchanging world borders✓

Social movements are agents of

1. Acollective efforts to promote or resist social change✓
2. Bonly individual biography✓
3. Conly biological evolution✓
4. Donly random accidents✓

Reformist social change seeks

1. Aimmediate destruction of all order✓
2. Breturn to pre-human society✓
3. Cgradual modification of existing institutions✓
4. Dabolition of all norms✓

Revolutionary social change aims at

1. Aminor administrative tweaks only✓
2. Bpreserving every old institution✓
3. Creplacing existing political or economic structures fundamentally✓
4. Dcosmetic dress changes only✓

Demographic transition theory relates social change to

1. Aunchanging fertility forever✓
2. Bshifts from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates✓
3. Conly fashion cycles✓
4. Donly language change✓

Technological determinism holds that

1. Aideas never matter✓
2. Btechnology is the primary driver of social change✓
3. Cculture is frozen✓
4. Dpolitics alone shapes all life✓

Social change in Pakistan after partition illustrates

1. Amass migration, state-building and transformation of political institutions✓
2. Bunchanged colonial administration forever✓
3. Czero refugee movement✓
4. Disolation from South Asia✓

Colonialism as a force of social change introduced

1. Anew legal systems, education and economic structures in colonized societies✓
2. Bzero contact with colonizers✓
3. Cunchanged pre-colonial life everywhere✓
4. Donly internal inventions✓

Globalization accelerates social change through

1. Acomplete closure of borders✓
2. Bend of all cultural exchange✓
3. Ctransnational flows of capital, media, ideas and migration✓
4. Donly local barter trade✓

Social control in small-scale societies relies heavily on

1. Avast bureaucratic police only✓
2. Banonymous urban courts only✓
3. Cinternational tribunals only✓
4. Dkinship, ritual and informal sanctions✓

Foucault analysed social control through

1. Asurveillance, discipline and normalization in institutions✓
2. Bonly written constitutions✓
3. Conly market prices✓
4. Donly kinship diagrams✓

Panopticism as a concept describes

1. Ainternalized surveillance where people regulate themselves because they may be watched✓
2. Bopen anarchy without observation✓
3. Claw disappearing entirely✓
4. Dno role of power✓

Civil law systems emphasize

1. Aonly tribal custom unwritten✓
2. Bcodified statutes and judicial interpretation of written codes✓
3. Conly religious fatwa alone✓
4. Donly military decree without codes✓

Common law systems develop largely through

1. Aonly one written code never amended✓
2. Bonly village gossip✓
3. Cjudicial precedents and case law✓
4. Donly executive orders without courts✓

Deviance and social control are linked because

1. Adeviance is unrelated to norms✓
2. Ball behaviour is identical✓
3. Csocieties define boundaries of acceptable behaviour and enforce them✓
4. Dsanctions never exist✓

Social change can produce anomie when

1. Anorms strengthen instantly✓
2. Brapid change weakens normative regulation✓
3. Cculture never shifts✓
4. Drules multiply clarity✓

Collective behaviour during rapid change may include

1. Aonly isolated meditation✓
2. Bfads, riots and mass movements✓
3. Conly fixed ritual without variation✓
4. Donly permanent stability✓

Social planning attempts to

1. Aprevent any change whatsoever✓
2. Bignore all social problems✓
3. Cguide social change through deliberate policy and programs✓
4. Dabolish government✓

Resistance to social change may stem from

1. Auniversal enthusiasm for all change✓
2. Babsence of any tradition✓
3. Ccomplete lack of inequality✓
4. Dcultural conservatism, vested interests and fear of loss✓

Social control agents include

1. Aonly individual neurons✓
2. Bonly weather systems✓
3. Conly geological forces✓
4. Dpolice, courts, schools, families and religious institutions✓

Restitutive law aims primarily to

1. Arestore normal relations and compensate harm rather than punish passion✓
2. Binflict vengeance only✓
3. Cdestroy organic solidarity✓
4. Dabolish all contracts✓

Repressive law is typical of societies with

1. Ahigh division of labour only✓
2. Bweak shared morality✓
3. Cpure individualism✓
4. Dstrong collective conscience and mechanical solidarity✓

Social change research uses

1. Aonly laboratory rats✓
2. Bonly astrology✓
3. Chistorical comparison, surveys and ethnography across time✓
4. Donly single snapshots ignoring time✓

A sanction must be socially defined to function as

1. Aa random natural event✓
2. Ba private dream only✓
3. Ca biological reflex unrelated to norms✓
4. Da response that communicates approval or disapproval of behaviour✓

Social change in urban Pakistan includes

1. Afrozen tribal patterns everywhere✓
2. Bzero literacy change✓
3. Cno influence of technology✓
4. Dmigration, media expansion and shifting family and gender roles✓