Basic Concepts Of Sociology

The correct answer is (B) : Alex Inkeles.

The correct answer is (B) : Empiricism.

The correct answer is (B) : Max Weber.

Concept: The "Power Elite" refers to a small group of individuals who hold a disproportionate amount of power in society, particularly in political, economic, and military spheres.
Step 1: Understanding the concept.
The idea suggests that major decisions in society are made by a select group of elites rather than through democratic processes.
Step 2: Identifying the thinker.
The concept of the "Power Elite" was developed by C. Wright Mills in his famous work The Power Elite (1956), where he analyzed the concentration of power in American society.
Step 3: Eliminating incorrect options.

• Karl Marx focused on class struggle and capitalism.
• Max Weber analyzed authority and bureaucracy.
• Talcott Parsons emphasized structural functionalism.

Conclusion:
Thus, the correct answer is C. Wright Mills.

Concept: Robert Merton’s Strain Theory explains deviant behavior as a result of the gap between culturally approved goals and the socially accepted means to achieve them. Individuals adapt to this strain in different ways.
Step 1: Understanding Merton's modes of adaptation.
Merton identified five modes:

• Conformity: Accept goals and means
• Innovation: Accept goals but reject legitimate means
• Ritualism: Reject goals but accept means
• Retreatism: Reject both goals and means
• Rebellion: Replace both goals and means

Step 2: Matching the given condition.
The question states that individuals accept societal goals but use illegal (illegitimate) means. This directly corresponds to Innovation.
Step 3: Eliminating incorrect options.

• Conformity follows both legitimate goals and means.
• Ritualism abandons goals but follows rules.
• Retreatism rejects both goals and means.

Conclusion:
Thus, the correct answer is Innovation.

Concept: "Sanskritisation" is a sociological concept used to describe the process by which lower castes or tribal groups in India adopt the rituals, customs, and practices of higher castes (especially the Brahmins) to elevate their social status. This concept is important in understanding social mobility within the caste system.
Step 1: Understanding the term "Sanskritisation".
The term refers to a cultural process where lower social groups imitate the lifestyle, rituals, and values of upper castes to gain higher social recognition.
Step 2: Identifying the scholar who introduced the concept.
The term "Sanskritisation" was coined by the eminent Indian sociologist M. N. Srinivas, who used it extensively in his study of Indian society, particularly in his work on caste dynamics.
Step 3: Eliminating incorrect options.

• Louis Dumont focused on hierarchy and purity in caste but did not coin this term.
• G. S. Ghurye contributed to caste studies but did not introduce Sanskritisation.
• Max Weber studied religion and society broadly, not this specific concept.

Conclusion:
Thus, the correct answer is M. N. Srinivas.