1. What is socialization?
A. Learning scientific theories
B. Process of acquiring culture, norms, and behavior
C. Earning income in society
D. Passing exams
Answer: B. Process of acquiring culture, norms, and behaviour
Explanation: Socialization is the lifelong process by which individuals learn the norms, values, behaviors, and social skills appropriate to their society.
2. Which sociologist defined socialization as “the process by which the individual learns to adjust to group life and acquires modes of behavior”?
A. E.B. Tylor
B. Gillin and Gillin
C. Auguste Comte
D. Talcott Parsons
Answer: B. Gillin and Gillin
Explanation: They emphasized how individuals adapt to social life and internalize social behavior through interaction.
3. Which of the following is not an agent of socialization?
A. Family
B. School
C. Peers
D. DNA
Answer: D. DNA
Explanation: DNA determines biological traits, not social learning. Family, school, and peers are key social institutions that socialize individuals.
4. Who introduced the concept of the Looking-Glass Self in socialization?
A. George Herbert Mead
B. Sigmund Freud
C. Charles Horton Cooley
D. Emile Durkheim
Answer: C. Charles Horton Cooley
Explanation: Cooley’s Looking-Glass Self theory states that our self-image develops from how we imagine others perceive us.
5. The “I” and “Me” components of self in socialization theory were introduced by:
A. Charles Cooley
B. Jean Piaget
C. Karl Marx
D. George Herbert Mead
Answer: D. George Herbert Mead
Explanation: Mead explained that the “I” is the spontaneous self, while the “Me” is the socialized self that responds to societal expectations.
6. Which type of socialization takes place in early childhood and lays the foundation of personality?
A. Resocialization
B. Secondary socialization
C. Primary socialization
D. Anticipatory socialization
Answer: C. Primary socialization
Explanation: Primary socialization occurs mainly through family in early years and is critical in shaping core personality and basic values.
7. Learning the norms and behaviors of a new role in advance is called:
A. Anticipatory socialization
B. Reverse socialization
C. Role conflict
D. Informal socialization
Answer: A. Anticipatory socialization
Explanation: This type occurs when an individual prepares for a new status (e.g., student preparing to become a teacher).
8. The process of unlearning old behaviors and learning new ones is known as:
A. Desocialization
B. Resocialization
C. Reintegration
D. Formalization
Answer: B. Resocialization
Explanation: Resocialization often happens in total institutions (e.g., military, prison) where old identities are stripped and new ones built.
9. Secondary socialization typically occurs through:
A. Family
B. Mass media, school, and peer groups
C. Genes and hormones
D. Inheritance of property
Answer: B. Mass media, school, and peer groups
Explanation: These institutions continue the socialization process after early childhood, shaping roles in society.
10. Which of the following thinkers is associated with the psychoanalytic theory of socialization?
A. Jean Piaget
B. Emile Durkheim
C. Sigmund Freud
D. Talcott Parsons
Answer: C. Sigmund Freud
Explanation: Freud believed personality develops through the interaction of id, ego, and superego, influenced by social environment.
11. According to Jean Piaget, socialization is linked to:
A. Biological instincts
B. Rationalization and mental development
C. Class struggle
D. Economic forces
Answer: B. Rationalization and mental development
Explanation: Piaget saw cognitive development stages (sensorimotor to formal operational) as critical to how children internalize social norms.
12. What is informal socialization?
A. Learning through structured lessons
B. Unofficial learning through observation and daily interaction
C. Learning from textbooks
D. Government-sponsored education
Answer: B. Unofficial learning through observation and daily interaction
Explanation: Informal socialization happens unconsciously in everyday settings like at home or during play.
13. A total institution where resocialization often occurs is:
A. Shopping mall
B. Public library
C. Military boot camp
D. Cultural fair
Answer: C. Military boot camp
Explanation: Total institutions control almost all aspects of life and impose new norms and routines, often through resocialization.
14. Who viewed education as the means by which society reproduces its norms and values?
A. Karl Marx
B. Emile Durkheim
C. Max Weber
D. Auguste Comte
Answer: B. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim emphasized the role of education in moral development and the transmission of collective conscience.
15. In socialization, peer groups primarily influence:
A. Religious values
B. Political beliefs
C. Informal behavior, language, fashion, and social identity
D. Legal obligations
Answer: C. Informal behavior, language, fashion, and social identity
Explanation: Peer groups shape everyday behaviors, social styles, and identity, especially in adolescence.
16. Which of the following is a latent function of socialization in schools?
A. Teaching curriculum
B. Promoting discipline
C. Reinforcing social inequalities
D. Developing creativity
Answer: C. Reinforcing social inequalities
Explanation: While unintended, schools may perpetuate class or gender inequalities through tracking and access to resources.
17. The theory of cognitive development in the context of socialization was proposed by:
A. Jean Piaget
B. Erik Erikson
C. Herbert Spencer
D. Auguste Comte
Answer: A. Jean Piaget
Explanation: Piaget’s theory describes how children’s thinking evolves and influences their ability to internalize social norms.
18. Mass media as an agent of socialization is most effective in transmitting:
A. Genetic traits
B. Unconscious desires
C. Public opinion, fashion trends, and cultural values
D. Natural instincts
Answer: C. Public opinion, fashion trends, and cultural values
Explanation: Media spreads dominant cultural messages, influencing beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors globally.
19. Who proposed the “Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development”, linking psychological and social growth?
A. Sigmund Freud
B. Erik Erikson
C. John Dewey
D. Charles Cooley
Answer: B. Erik Erikson
Explanation: Erikson outlined stages from infancy to old age, each involving a psychosocial conflict essential to personal and social development.
20. Socialization is considered successful when an individual:
A. Rebels against society
B. Withdraws from group life
C. Internalizes societal norms and participates constructively in society
D. Avoids all institutions
Answer: C. Internalizes societal norms and participates constructively in society
Explanation: The goal of socialization is to help individuals function effectively within their social world by accepting roles and responsibilities.
21. Who authored the book “Democracy and Education”?
A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
B. John Dewey
C. Rabindranath Tagore
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: B. John Dewey
Explanation: Dewey’s Democracy and Education (1916) links education with democratic social development and emphasizes experiential learning.
22. “Man is a social animal” — this quote is attributed to:
A. Aristotle
B. Plato
C. Rousseau
D. Comenius
Answer: A. Aristotle
Explanation: Aristotle emphasized that human beings naturally seek social association; thus, society and education are essential to development.
23. The book “Emile, or On Education” was written by:
A. Pestalozzi
B. Froebel
C. Rousseau
D. Durkheim
Answer: C. Rousseau
Explanation: Rousseau’s Emile (1762) presents his philosophy of natural education, where the child learns through experience, not forced instruction.
24. Who said, “Education is the social process, the process of living and not a preparation for future living”?
A. Swami Vivekananda
B. John Dewey
C. Plato
D. Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: B. John Dewey
Explanation: Dewey emphasized education as part of life itself, not just preparation for future roles.
25. Which book by Emile Durkheim analyzes the relationship between education and society?
A. Education and Society
B. Moral Education
C. Sociology of Education
D. Social Contract
Answer: B. Moral Education
Explanation: Durkheim’s Moral Education outlines the function of schools in transmitting societal norms and values.
26. Who wrote “Sociology of Education”?
A. Karl Mannheim
B. Auguste Comte
C. Talcott Parsons
D. Cooley
Answer: A. Karl Mannheim
Explanation: Mannheim explored how social structures and class influence education and knowledge dissemination.
27. Who is known for the quote: “Give me a dozen healthy infants… and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist”?
A. Sigmund Freud
B. John B. Watson
C. Skinner
D. Erik Erikson
Answer: B. John B. Watson
Explanation: This quote reflects Watson’s belief in behaviorism and the impact of environment and socialization over heredity.
28. The phrase “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man” is attributed to:
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Rabindranath Tagore
C. Swami Vivekananda
D. Radhakrishnan
Answer: C. Swami Vivekananda
Explanation: Vivekananda emphasized that education should help realize the inherent divinity and potential within every person.
29. The book “Theory of Communicative Action”, important in sociological theory of education, is written by:
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Jurgen Habermas
C. Anthony Giddens
D. Ivan Illich
Answer: B. Jurgen Habermas
Explanation: Habermas stresses rational communication and its role in socialization and education.
30. Who said, “Education is the transmission of culture”?
A. B.F. Skinner
B. Durkheim
C. Parsons
D. Cooley
Answer: B. Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim viewed education as a tool to transmit the collective norms and culture of society.
31. Who authored the book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”?
A. Paulo Freire
B. Ivan Illich
C. Dewey
D. Tagore
Answer: A. Paulo Freire
Explanation: Freire critiques traditional education and promotes dialogue-based, emancipatory learning as a form of social change.
32. “Education is not filling a pail, but lighting a fire” is attributed to:
A. Socrates
B. William Butler Yeats
C. Tagore
D. Froebel
Answer: B. William Butler Yeats
Explanation: This quote encourages inspirational and meaningful education rather than rote memorization.
33. In which book did Rabindranath Tagore express his educational thoughts?
A. Towards Universal Man
B. Letters from a Father to His Daughter
C. My School
D. Sadhana
Answer: C. My School
Explanation: Tagore shared his educational philosophy and his experience with the Visva-Bharati system in My School.
34. Who authored “Deschooling Society”, advocating alternatives to institutional education?
A. John Dewey
B. Paulo Freire
C. Ivan Illich
D. Durkheim
Answer: C. Ivan Illich
Explanation: Illich argued for dismantling traditional schooling systems that perpetuate social inequality.
35. “The child is the father of the man” — this quote supports the idea of:
A. Heredity
B. Religious education
C. Importance of early socialization
D. Role of adult education
Answer: C. Importance of early socialization
Explanation: It means childhood experiences and learning shape the adult personality—key in socialization.
36. The book “Childhood and Society” was authored by:
A. Jean Piaget
B. Erik Erikson
C. Margaret Mead
D. G. H. Mead
Answer: B. Erik Erikson
Explanation: Erikson’s book discusses psychosocial development and the stages of identity formation during socialization.
37. Who said: “Education is a process of living and not a preparation for future living”?
A. John Dewey
B. Plato
C. Kant
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: A. John Dewey
Explanation: Repeated intentionally due to its importance. Dewey viewed education as an active and current experience.
38. “Education is the apprenticeship of life” was said by:
A. Herbert Spencer
B. Rousseau
C. Tagore
D. Pestalozzi
Answer: A. Herbert Spencer
Explanation: Spencer emphasized that education prepares individuals for complete living and social responsibilities.
39. “School and Society” was written by:
A. John Dewey
B. Ivan Illich
C. Karl Mannheim
D. Rousseau
Answer: A. John Dewey
Explanation: This book presents Dewey’s ideas about progressive education, linking learning with real-life experience.
40. “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body” is a quote by:
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Aristotle
C. Herbert Spencer
D. Swami Dayananda
Answer: B. Aristotle
Explanation: Aristotle emphasized balance in moral, physical, and intellectual education, all vital for full social participation.
41. Which of the following is considered the primary agent of socialization in most societies?
A. School
B. Peer group
C. Family
D. Mass media
Answer: C. Family
Explanation: Family is the first and most influential agent, shaping early habits, language, identity, emotional development, and moral values.
42. In the Indian context, what is a unique feature of family socialization?
A. Nuclear family structure
B. Focus on legal education
C. Emphasis on joint family and respect for elders
D. Reliance on AI tutors
Answer: C. Emphasis on joint family and respect for elders
Explanation: In India, traditional joint families emphasize hierarchy, interdependence, and values like obedience and respect.
43. Schools act as agents of socialization primarily through:
A. Informal gossip
B. Hidden curriculum and formal instruction
C. Religious sermons
D. Parental training
Answer: B. Hidden curriculum and formal instruction
Explanation: Beyond textbooks, schools transmit social norms, punctuality, teamwork, competition, and discipline.
44. Peer group socialization is strongest during:
A. Infancy
B. Childhood
C. Adolescence
D. Old age
Answer: C. Adolescence
Explanation: Adolescents seek independence and identity, heavily influenced by their peers in behavior, clothing, and attitudes.
45. Mass media as an agent of socialization is often criticized for:
A. Promoting critical thinking
B. Encouraging physical exercise
C. Stereotyping gender and violence
D. Teaching scientific laws
Answer: C. Stereotyping gender and violence
Explanation: Mass media can reinforce harmful stereotypes and glorify aggression or unrealistic ideals, especially through advertisements and entertainment.
46. Which of the following is a latent function of mass media in socialization?
A. Publishing government policies
B. Broadcasting entertainment
C. Shaping consumer culture and lifestyle aspirations
D. Telecasting parliamentary sessions
Answer: C. Shaping consumer culture and lifestyle aspirations
Explanation: Media subtly shapes aspirations and behaviors by portraying “ideal” lifestyles, often promoting materialism.
47. Religious institutions as agents of socialization primarily impart:
A. Scientific knowledge
B. Vocational training
C. Moral and ethical values
D. Language fluency
Answer: C. Moral and ethical values
Explanation: Religion teaches concepts like sin, virtue, duty, and sacrifice, forming the moral framework of individuals.
48. In India, the gurukul system was an early form of socialization that emphasized:
A. Group farming
B. Teacher-disciple relationships, discipline, and self-reliance
C. Trade and commerce
D. State-controlled learning
Answer: B. Teacher-disciple relationships, discipline, and self-reliance
Explanation: The gurukul was an informal educational institution rooted in values, oral transmission, and character development.
49. According to Emile Durkheim, schools serve to:
A. Promote rebellion
B. Dismantle family systems
C. Integrate individuals into society
D. Replace religion
Answer: C. Integrate individuals into society
Explanation: Durkheim saw schools as key to transmitting the collective conscience and ensuring moral unity.
50. In the Indian school context, mid-day meal programs serve a socialization function by:
A. Teaching cooking
B. Promoting health, equality, and cooperation among children
C. Increasing competition
D. Preventing sports activities
Answer: B. Promoting health, equality, and cooperation among children
Explanation: Shared meals break caste/class barriers, encourage attendance, and foster social harmony.
51. Which of the following is an example of reverse socialization?
A. Parents teaching children
B. Teacher correcting students
C. Child teaching grandparents to use smartphones
D. Priest preaching morality
Answer: C. Child teaching grandparents to use smartphones
Explanation: Reverse socialization occurs when younger generations influence older ones, often in technology use.
52. Role conflict in socialization may arise when:
A. One person plays a single role
B. Cultural expectations are stable
C. Expectations from multiple roles contradict each other
D. School curriculum is followed
Answer: C. Expectations from multiple roles contradict each other
Explanation: For instance, a working mother may struggle to balance professional and parenting expectations.
53. Which of the following socializing agents plays a significant role in political socialization?
A. Hospitals
B. Newspapers and political parties
C. Factories
D. Markets
Answer: B. Newspapers and political parties
Explanation: These institutions shape individuals’ political ideologies, opinions, and awareness of civic duties.
54. According to Auguste Comte, socialization helps in:
A. Rejecting societal norms
B. Scientific development only
C. Transition from theological to positivist stage
D. Promoting rebellion against tradition
Answer: C. Transition from theological to positivist stage
Explanation: Comte believed society evolves through intellectual stages, and education/socialization help individuals progress.
55. In India, which constitutional provision supports socialization by promoting fraternity and dignity?
A. Article 370
B. Directive Principle 45
C. Fundamental Duty – Article 51A(e)
D. Article 19
Answer: C. Fundamental Duty – Article 51A(e)
Explanation: This article encourages citizens to promote harmony and fraternity, important values internalized through socialization.
56. An example of gender socialization is:
A. Teaching geography
B. Giving dolls to girls and trucks to boys
C. Conducting parent-teacher meetings
D. Introducing mid-day meals
Answer: B. Giving dolls to girls and trucks to boys
Explanation: Gender socialization reinforces roles and expectations based on societal norms around femininity and masculinity.
57. Who introduced the concept of “Cultural Capital” in the context of education and socialization?
A. Karl Marx
B. Pierre Bourdieu
C. Max Weber
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: B. Pierre Bourdieu
Explanation: Bourdieu argued that schools reward cultural knowledge of dominant classes, thus perpetuating social hierarchy.
58. In a multicultural society like India, socialization must aim at:
A. Homogeneity only
B. Exclusion of minority cultures
C. Inclusive citizenship and mutual respect
D. Promoting regionalism
Answer: C. Inclusive citizenship and mutual respect
Explanation: Democratic education fosters tolerance, dialogue, and understanding across diverse linguistic, religious, and ethnic groups.
59. Which modern institution has emerged as a virtual agent of socialization?
A. School textbooks
B. Social media platforms
C. State transport offices
D. Weather forecasting stations
Answer: B. Social media platforms
Explanation: Social media now plays a dominant role in shaping opinions, identity, language, and peer interaction.
60. In Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, education as socialization should:
A. Be passive and rote-based
B. Focus only on English language
C. Build self-reliance, morality, and community responsibility
D. Prepare for exams only
Answer: C. Build self-reliance, morality, and community responsibility
Explanation: Gandhi’s Nai Talim integrated craft, values, and community life to foster holistic and socially rooted education.
61. What is the process through which an individual learns the norms, values, and culture of their society?
A. Acculturation
B. Enculturation
C. Socialization
D. Assimilation
Answer: C. Socialization
Explanation: Socialization is the lifelong process through which individuals learn cultural norms, values, behaviors, and roles necessary to function in society.
62. Which of the following is not a type of socialization?
A. Primary
B. Secondary
C. Tertiary
D. Intermediary
Answer: D. Intermediary
Explanation: The major types of socialization include primary, secondary, anticipatory, resocialization, and developmental. “Intermediary” is not a recognized type.
63. Who is the main proponent of the “Looking-Glass Self” theory of socialization?
A. George H. Mead
B. Charles Horton Cooley
C. Sigmund Freud
D. Emile Durkheim
Answer: B. Charles Horton Cooley
Explanation: Cooley proposed the “Looking-Glass Self,” suggesting that people develop their self-image based on how they think others perceive them.
64. According to George H. Mead, the “Me” represents:
A. The impulsive, instinctual self
B. The internalized social self
C. The biological self
D. The aggressive part of self
Answer: B. The internalized social self
Explanation: Mead explained that the “Me” is the socialized aspect of the self, developed through interaction with others and societal expectations.
65. Which of the following is an agent of primary socialization?
A. Peer group
B. Mass media
C. School
D. Family
Answer: D. Family
Explanation: Primary socialization takes place during early childhood, with family playing the most significant role in shaping basic behavior and values.
66. What is the main focus of secondary socialization?
A. Biological development
B. Cultural learning in adulthood
C. Learning new roles in new settings
D. Learning language
Answer: C. Learning new roles in new settings
Explanation: Secondary socialization occurs later in life through schools, peers, media, and workplaces, teaching individuals to function in different contexts.
67. The process by which individuals prepare for future roles is called:
A. Developmental socialization
B. Resocialization
C. Anticipatory socialization
D. Retro-socialization
Answer: C. Anticipatory socialization
Explanation: Anticipatory socialization involves rehearsing future roles, such as a student preparing for a job or a teenager emulating adults.
68. Resocialization typically occurs in:
A. Childhood
B. Family
C. Total institutions
D. Informal settings
Answer: C. Total institutions
Explanation: Resocialization is the process of radically changing an individual’s values and behavior, often seen in total institutions like prisons, military, or monasteries.
69. Sigmund Freud’s theory of socialization is based on the:
A. Conflict between self and society
B. Development of the id, ego, and superego
C. Concept of role-playing
D. Class conflict
Answer: B. Development of the id, ego, and superego
Explanation: Freud believed personality development is shaped by internal psychological processes. The id seeks pleasure, the ego balances reality, and the superego internalizes societal norms.
70. In Erik Erikson’s theory, identity formation is most crucial during:
A. Infancy
B. Adolescence
C. Early adulthood
D. Late adulthood
Answer: B. Adolescence
Explanation: Erikson’s psychosocial theory suggests that the identity vs. role confusion stage (adolescence) is key for developing a coherent sense of self.
71. Which sociologist argued that education is a form of socialization into societal norms and values?
A. Karl Marx
B. Emile Durkheim
C. C.H. Cooley
D. Talcott Parsons
Answer: B. Emile Durkheim
Explanation: Durkheim saw education as an essential tool for social solidarity, helping individuals internalize collective norms and function in society.
72. The process by which schools transmit cultural values and norms is called:
A. Curriculum standardization
B. Cultural pluralism
C. Hidden curriculum
D. Social equity
Answer: C. Hidden curriculum
Explanation: Hidden curriculum refers to the informal teaching of values like obedience, punctuality, and conformity that are not part of formal lessons.
73. Which theory sees socialization as a process of internalizing shared symbols and meanings?
A. Structural functionalism
B. Symbolic interactionism
C. Conflict theory
D. Rational choice theory
Answer: B. Symbolic interactionism
Explanation: Symbolic interactionists like Mead and Cooley view socialization as occurring through interaction using symbols like language and gestures.
74. Who emphasized the role of play and games in developing the self?
A. Piaget
B. Erikson
C. Mead
D. Parsons
Answer: C. Mead
Explanation: Mead described role-taking through play and games as crucial stages in developing the concept of the “self” in social interaction.
55. In Piaget’s theory, which stage involves learning through physical interaction with the environment?
A. Formal operational
B. Pre-operational
C. Concrete operational
D. Sensorimotor
Answer: D. Sensorimotor
Explanation: In the sensorimotor stage (0–2 years), children learn via their senses and motor activities, laying foundations for social learning.
76. Which of the following is considered a formal agent of socialization?
A. Peer group
B. Social media
C. School
D. Neighborhood
Answer: C. School
Explanation: Formal agents are structured institutions like schools, religious bodies, and the legal system that teach norms and values deliberately.
77. The “generalized other” refers to:
A. The closest friend
B. The internalized societal expectations
C. The teacher’s behavior
D. The public figure
Answer: B. The internalized societal expectations
Explanation: Mead’s concept of the generalized other means understanding and internalizing broader social norms beyond specific individuals.
78. Who explained socialization through cognitive development stages?
A. Vygotsky
B. Freud
C. Piaget
D. Durkheim
Answer: C. Piaget
Explanation: Jean Piaget outlined four stages of cognitive development that influence how children understand the world and internalize social norms.
79. According to Vygotsky, social interaction plays a fundamental role in:
A. Biological growth
B. Unconscious development
C. Cognitive development
D. Personality disorders
Answer: C. Cognitive development
Explanation: Vygotsky stressed that learning is a social process and interaction with more knowledgeable others is crucial for development (ZPD).
80. Which of the following best describes anticipatory socialization in an educational context?
A. Learning from textbooks
B. Participating in internships
C. Reading news
D. Memorizing history
Answer: B. Participating in internships
Explanation: Internships are a prime example of anticipatory socialization, preparing students for future professional roles by simulating work environments.