1. Which of the following is an example of an associative social process?
A. Conflict
B. Competition
C. Cooperation
D. War
Answer: C. Cooperation
Explanation: Associative processes promote unity and collaboration. Cooperation is a classic example where individuals work together toward a common goal.
2. Who is regarded as one of the earliest proponents of the concept of ‘Cooperation’ as a social process?
A. Karl Marx
B. Charles Horton Cooley
C. Auguste Comte
D. William Graham Sumner
Answer: B. Charles Horton Cooley
Explanation: Cooley emphasized primary groups where cooperation is the most basic form of social interaction.
3. Which of the following is not an associative social process?
A. Cooperation
B. Accommodation
C. Conflict
D. Assimilation
Answer: C. Conflict
Explanation: Conflict is a dissociative process because it creates tension and division between individuals or groups.
4. Assimilation as a social process refers to:
A. The complete dominance of one group over another
B. Temporary adjustment between conflicting groups
C. The gradual integration of individuals into a new culture
D. Open physical confrontation
Answer: C. The gradual integration of individuals into a new culture
Explanation: Assimilation is the process where individuals adopt the cultural norms of another group, leading to unity.
5. Which of the following is a dissociative process?
A. Cooperation
B. Accommodation
C. Competition
D. Assimilation
Answer: C. Competition
Explanation: Competition is a dissociative process as it involves striving against others to achieve a goal, often creating social distance.
6. Who emphasized the role of conflict in social change?
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Max Weber
C. Karl Marx
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: C. Karl Marx
Explanation: Marx viewed conflict, particularly class conflict, as the driving force of historical and social change.
7. The process where opposing parties adjust and live together despite differences is known as:
A. Competition
B. Assimilation
C. Accommodation
D. Cooperation
Answer: C. Accommodation
Explanation: Accommodation involves adjustment without necessarily resolving underlying conflict—it’s a temporary compromise.
8. Who classified social processes into associative and dissociative types?
A. Karl Marx
B. MacIver and Page
C. Auguste Comte
D. Parsons
Answer: B. MacIver and Page
Explanation: MacIver and Page were among the first to classify social processes into associative (cooperation, accommodation, assimilation) and dissociative (competition, conflict) categories.
9. In which type of social process is the goal mutually accepted but only one can succeed?
A. Cooperation
B. Assimilation
C. Conflict
D. Competition
Answer: D. Competition
Explanation: In competition, multiple individuals or groups aim for the same goal, but success is limited to one or a few.
10. Which of the following best represents the concept of dissociative processes?
A. Unity, harmony, togetherness
B. Rivalry, antagonism, struggle
C. Integration, blending, absorption
D. Mutual support and trust
Answer: B. Rivalry, antagonism, struggle
Explanation: Dissociative processes lead to opposition and separation between individuals or groups.
11. Which social process helps in the cultural integration of minority communities in a pluralistic society?
A. Competition
B. Conflict
C. Assimilation
D. Accommodation
Answer: C. Assimilation
Explanation: Assimilation leads to cultural unity by allowing minorities to gradually absorb the dominant culture.
12. In which associative process do individuals with differences continue to live together by making adjustments?
A. Cooperation
B. Competition
C. Assimilation
D. Accommodation
Answer: D. Accommodation
Explanation: Accommodation refers to the adjustments made by conflicting parties to maintain coexistence without necessarily resolving the conflict.
13. Who described conflict as a “universal form of interaction”?
A. Auguste Comte
B. Georg Simmel
C. Talcott Parsons
D. Karl Marx
Answer: B. Georg Simmel
Explanation: Simmel emphasized the role of conflict in maintaining group boundaries and renewing social bonds.
14. In which social process do individuals or groups voluntarily act together to achieve shared goals?
A. Cooperation
B. Competition
C. Conflict
D. Alienation
Answer: A. Cooperation
Explanation: Cooperation is a voluntary associative process where parties work jointly for common benefits.
15. Which of the following is an example of accommodation at the international level?
A. Cultural exchange
B. Treaty after a war
C. Colonization
D. Alliance formation
Answer: B. Treaty after a war
Explanation: A treaty is a form of accommodation where conflicting nations agree to end hostilities and coexist.
16. Which process is most likely to create long-term tension between social groups?
A. Assimilation
B. Accommodation
C. Competition
D. Cooperation
Answer: C. Competition
Explanation: Competition, though less violent than conflict, can create long-term tension over resources, status, or power.
17. The concept of ‘ingroup vs outgroup’ rivalry relates most closely with which social process?
A. Cooperation
B. Assimilation
C. Conflict
D. Accommodation
Answer: C. Conflict
Explanation: The ingroup-outgroup dynamic often fuels conflict between differing social, ethnic, or political groups.
18. Who emphasized that social cooperation is the foundation of society and essential for progress?
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Herbert Spencer
C. Charles Cooley
D. Auguste Comte
Answer: A. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim saw cooperation and solidarity as essential for maintaining the collective conscience and societal order.
19. Which of the following is a temporary and situational associative process?
A. Conflict
B. Accommodation
C. Assimilation
D. Competition
Answer: B. Accommodation
Explanation: Accommodation is typically a short-term adjustment to manage disagreement or tension.
20. The process where conflicting groups become similar over time is called:
A. Competition
B. Alienation
C. Assimilation
D. Antagonism
Answer: C. Assimilation
Explanation: In assimilation, opposing or different cultural groups gradually become alike, reducing dissimilarity.
21. Who classified social processes into associative and dissociative categories?
A. Max Weber
B. MacIver and Page
C. Herbert Spencer
D. Emile Durkheim
Answer: B. MacIver and Page
Explanation: MacIver and Page introduced the classification of social processes into associative (e.g., cooperation, assimilation) and dissociative (e.g., conflict, competition).
22. The theory that emphasizes “cooperation as the basis of social order” is mainly associated with:
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Karl Marx
C. Auguste Comte
D. Charles Cooley
Answer: A. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim viewed cooperation and solidarity as the foundation of social integration and the moral basis of society.
23. Which sociologist developed the Conflict Theory to explain dissociative social processes?
A. Max Weber
B. Georg Simmel
C. Karl Marx
D. Talcott Parsons
Answer: C. Karl Marx
Explanation: Marx’s Conflict Theory focuses on class struggle and economic conflict as the driving force of dissociative processes in society.
24. The concept of “organic solidarity” explaining interdependence in complex societies was introduced by:
A. Karl Marx
B. Max Weber
C. Emile Durkheim
D. Ferdinand Tönnies
Answer: C. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim’s idea of organic solidarity shows how cooperation and role differentiation sustain complex societies.
25. Who viewed society as moving from ‘Gemeinschaft’ (community) to ‘Gesellschaft’ (association)?
A. Ferdinand Tönnies
B. Herbert Spencer
C. Auguste Comte
D. Charles Cooley
Answer: A. Ferdinand Tönnies
Explanation: Tönnies highlighted the shift in social relationships from intimate (Gemeinschaft) to formal (Gesellschaft), reflecting changing social processes.
26. Georg Simmel’s contribution to the theory of social processes primarily lies in his analysis of:
A. Education
B. Social Conflict
C. Class Struggle
D. Structural Functionalism
Answer: B. Social Conflict
Explanation: Simmel saw conflict not only as destructive but also as a binding force in group formation and societal change.
27. Who stated that cooperation arises when individuals perceive shared goals?
A. Robert Merton
B. Charles H. Cooley
C. Talcott Parsons
D. George Homans
Answer: D. George Homans
Explanation: Homans, a behavioral sociologist, explained cooperation in terms of shared rewards and mutual goals, central to associative processes.
28. The theory of Social Exchange, explaining cooperation as cost-benefit interaction, was proposed by:
A. George Homans
B. Talcott Parsons
C. Robert Merton
D. Max Weber
Answer: A. George Homans
Explanation: Social Exchange Theory suggests that individuals cooperate when they perceive the benefits outweigh the costs in the interaction.
29. Which theory by Max Weber explains social processes in terms of individual meanings and motivations?
A. Conflict Theory
B. Structural Functionalism
C. Symbolic Interactionism
D. Verstehen
Answer: D. Verstehen
Explanation: Verstehen is Weber’s interpretive approach where social action is understood by grasping the subjective meanings behind it—important in all social processes.
30. Who emphasized the role of ‘reciprocal interaction’ in social processes like cooperation and competition?
A. Charles Cooley
B. Talcott Parsons
C. George Homans
D. Robert Park
Answer: A. Charles Cooley
Explanation: Cooley’s concept of the “looking-glass self” and emphasis on reciprocal interaction laid the foundation for understanding interpersonal social processes.
31. Which theorist viewed social conflict as a necessary and unifying element in society?
A. Karl Marx
B. Emile Durkheim
C. Georg Simmel
D. Auguste Comte
Answer: C. Georg Simmel
Explanation: Simmel believed that conflict, rather than always being divisive, can help integrate groups and clarify relationships.
32. According to Talcott Parsons, which concept maintains equilibrium in social processes?
A. Anomie
B. Adaptation
C. Value Consensus
D. Conflict
Answer: C. Value Consensus
Explanation: Parsons, a functionalist, emphasized value consensus as essential for social order and cooperative processes.
33. Auguste Comte’s theory of societal development is based on which three stages?
A. Primitive, Feudal, Modern
B. Magical, Religious, Scientific
C. Theological, Metaphysical, Positive
D. Symbolic, Concrete, Scientific
Answer: C. Theological, Metaphysical, Positive
Explanation: Comte’s “Law of Three Stages” explains social evolution through progressive change, laying a base for understanding cooperative social processes.
34. Which of the following theorists is associated with the concept of ‘Looking-glass self’?
A. Max Weber
B. Charles Cooley
C. George Homans
D. Herbert Mead
Answer: B. Charles Cooley
Explanation: Cooley’s “Looking-glass self” theory explains how self-concept is shaped through interaction and cooperation with others.
35. Who is the proponent of the Symbolic Interactionism theory, focusing on symbols and meaning in social interactions?
A. Karl Marx
B. Emile Durkheim
C. George Herbert Mead
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: C. George Herbert Mead
Explanation: Mead’s Symbolic Interactionism explains that social cooperation and identity formation occur through symbol-based communication.
36. Which sociologist emphasized ‘role differentiation’ in understanding cooperative social processes in complex societies?
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Max Weber
C. Auguste Comte
D. Ralf Dahrendorf
Answer: A. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim’s concept of organic solidarity highlights how different roles in society contribute to overall social harmony and cooperation.
37. Conflict theory argues that the structure of society is shaped primarily by:
A. Language and symbols
B. Social consensus
C. Cultural values
D. Economic and power struggles
Answer: D. Economic and power struggles
Explanation: Conflict Theory, mainly from Karl Marx, sees society as a platform of struggle over resources, power, and inequality—a key dissociative process.
38. Which theorist believed that “competition is more regulated and less personal than conflict”?
A. George Homans
B. Georg Simmel
C. Karl Marx
D. Charles Cooley
Answer: B. Georg Simmel
Explanation: Simmel viewed competition as a more constructive and impersonal dissociative process than conflict, often leading to social progress.
39. The ‘Functionalist Perspective’ views social processes as:
A. Constantly evolving due to class conflict
B. Inherently destructive
C. Contributing to social stability and harmony
D. Determined by symbolic interaction
Answer: C. Contributing to social stability and harmony
Explanation: Functionalists (e.g., Parsons, Durkheim) see cooperative processes as maintaining the social system’s equilibrium and function.
40. Who proposed the idea of “Social Action Theory,” emphasizing that individuals act based on meaning?
A. Talcott Parsons
B. Max Weber
C. Robert K. Merton
D. George Mead
Answer: B. Max Weber
Explanation: Weber’s Social Action Theory explores how individual meaning and motivation influence social processes like cooperation and competition.
41. Which sociologist proposed the concept of ‘social distance’ in group interaction?
A. Karl Mannheim
B. Robert Park
C. Emory Bogardus
D. Max Weber
Answer: C. Emory Bogardus
Explanation: Bogardus introduced the Social Distance Scale to measure degrees of association or dissociation between groups, aiding the study of cooperative and conflicting group dynamics.
42. According to Max Weber, rationalization leads to:
A. Greater emotional bonding
B. Traditional authority
C. Structured cooperation and bureaucracy
D. Class conflict
Answer: C. Structured cooperation and bureaucracy
Explanation: Weber argued that modern society increasingly depends on rationalization, leading to organized, rule-based cooperative structures like bureaucracies.
43. Which process is primarily involved when people come together for mutual benefit, such as in a co-operative society?
A. Competition
B. Conflict
C. Accommodation
D. Cooperation
Answer: D. Cooperation
Explanation: Cooperation is an associative process in which individuals or groups work together toward shared goals or mutual benefits.
44. According to George Homans, which theory explains group behavior through rewards and punishments?
A. Social Exchange Theory
B. Symbolic Interactionism
C. Functionalism
D. Anomie Theory
Answer: A. Social Exchange Theory
Explanation: Homans’ Social Exchange Theory suggests that social relationships are maintained through a cost-benefit analysis, reinforcing cooperation when rewards outweigh efforts.
45. The process of ‘Assimilation’ is best described as:
A. Suppressing group identity
B. Gradual blending of cultural groups
C. Competing for cultural dominance
D. Isolating minority groups
Answer: B. Gradual blending of cultural groups
Explanation: Assimilation is an associative process where individuals or groups adopt the culture of another, reducing conflict over time.
46. Who among the following considered ‘Conflict’ as a normal and necessary element of group life?
A. Charles Cooley
B. Herbert Spencer
C. Georg Simmel
D. Emile Durkheim
Answer: C. Georg Simmel
Explanation: Simmel argued that conflict can be integrative, leading to reorganization, reform, and new cooperation within groups.
47. What is the key difference between ‘Competition’ and ‘Conflict’?
A. Competition is goal-oriented; conflict is person-oriented
B. Both are peaceful processes
C. Conflict is always constructive; competition is not
D. Competition is emotional; conflict is not
Answer: A. Competition is goal-oriented; conflict is person-oriented
Explanation: Competition is impersonal and based on achievement of goals, while conflict often involves direct opposition between individuals or groups.
48. In which process do opposing groups make adjustments without resolving underlying issues?
A. Assimilation
B. Cooperation
C. Conflict
D. Accommodation
Answer: D. Accommodation
Explanation: Accommodation is a temporary settlement between conflicting parties to maintain social order without resolving the root causes of disagreement.
49. Which sociologist stated that cooperation is essential for the existence of society?
A. Karl Marx
B. Emile Durkheim
C. Charles Horton Cooley
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: B. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim believed in social solidarity, where cooperation forms the foundation of collective existence and moral unity in society.
50. Who proposed that society evolves through conflict between thesis and antithesis leading to synthesis?
A. Hegel
B. Karl Marx
C. Talcott Parsons
D. Emile Durkheim
Answer: A. Hegel
Explanation: Hegel’s dialectic process described social change through conflict, where opposing ideas (thesis vs. antithesis) resolve into a new synthesis, influencing later conflict theorists like Marx.
51. Who first classified social processes into associative and dissociative categories?
A. Emile Durkheim
B. MacIver and Page
C. Cooley and Mead
D. Auguste Comte
Answer: B. MacIver and Page
Explanation: MacIver and Page were among the first to classify social processes as either associative (cooperation, accommodation, assimilation) or dissociative (competition, conflict).
52. Which sociologist described conflict as a creative force within society?
A. Karl Marx
B. Georg Simmel
C. Robert Merton
D. Emory Bogardus
Answer: B. Georg Simmel
Explanation: Simmel emphasized that conflict is not always destructive; it can help redefine group boundaries, strengthen unity, and trigger social change.
53. Which one of the following is not an associative process?
A. Cooperation
B. Accommodation
C. Assimilation
D. Competition
Answer: D. Competition
Explanation: Competition is a dissociative process as it involves individuals or groups striving for scarce resources, often leading to tension.
54. The theory of ‘Cultural Lag’ influencing assimilation and conflict was introduced by:
A. Karl Mannheim
B. William Ogburn
C. Max Weber
D. H. Spencer
Answer: B. William Ogburn
Explanation: Ogburn’s ‘Cultural Lag’ explains how material culture changes faster than non-material culture, causing friction in assimilation and adjustment.
55. In Cooley’s theory, which type of group is crucial for the development of social self through cooperation?
A. Reference Group
B. Primary Group
C. Secondary Group
D. Voluntary Group
Answer: B. Primary Group
Explanation: According to Cooley, Primary Groups like family and close friends shape one’s social self through intimate, cooperative interactions.
56. Which process is observed when diverse cultural groups adopt a common language or custom for unity?
A. Cooperation
B. Conflict
C. Assimilation
D. Accommodation
Answer: C. Assimilation
Explanation: Assimilation involves the gradual merging of cultural traits where groups adopt shared values, customs, or language, enhancing social unity.
57. Who among the following stated that ‘social life is impossible without cooperation’?
A. Auguste Comte
B. MacIver
C. Emile Durkheim
D. Karl Marx
Answer: B. MacIver
Explanation: MacIver asserted that cooperation is foundational to social life; without it, social institutions and order cannot sustain.
58. According to Karl Marx, which process is the driver of social change?
A. Cooperation
B. Assimilation
C. Conflict
D. Accommodation
Answer: C. Conflict
Explanation: Marx viewed class conflict (between bourgeoisie and proletariat) as the engine of social transformation and revolution.
59. The concept of ‘role conflict’ is associated with which process?
A. Cooperation
B. Conflict
C. Accommodation
D. Assimilation
Answer: B. Conflict
Explanation: Role conflict arises when an individual faces incompatible demands from multiple social roles, leading to internal or interpersonal tension.
60. The process of temporary adjustment between conflicting groups is known as:
A. Competition
B. Assimilation
C. Accommodation
D. Social Control
Answer: C. Accommodation
Explanation: Accommodation is the temporary or permanent settlement of conflict where groups adjust to coexist without resolving root differences.