Home › Free notes › Class 11 Sociology › Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society

Social Structure, Stratification and Social Processes in Society – Class 11 Sociology notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 11 Sociology, chapter 6. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Social structure refers to the patterned and relatively stable arrangement of relationships and institutions in society. Social stratification ranks groups in a hierarchy of unequal access to resources. Social processes are the ways people interact, mainly cooperation, competition and conflict. Functionalist and conflict perspectives explain these processes differently.

Social structure and stratification

Emile Durkheim saw social structure as constraining individuals, like walls of a room; people also act to reproduce and change structures.
Stratification is based on caste, class, gender, race or estate; it involves unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige.
Social mobility is movement between positions; it may be vertical (upward or downward) or horizontal, and intergenerational or intragenerational.

Social processes

Cooperation is working together for common goals; Durkheim distinguished mechanical solidarity (based on similarity in simple societies) and organic solidarity (based on interdependence in complex societies).
Competition is the struggle for limited resources within rules; it became prominent with capitalism and individualism.
Conflict is a clash of interests that may involve open struggle; Marx saw class conflict as the driving force of history. Functionalists stress cooperation and order, while conflict theorists stress inequality and struggle.

Key terms

Social structure: patterned and relatively stable arrangement of social relationships
Social mobility: movement of individuals or groups between social positions
Mechanical solidarity: unity based on similarity in simple societies
Organic solidarity: unity based on interdependence in complex societies
Competition: the struggle for limited resources within accepted rules

Important questions with answers

What is social mobility?2 marks

Social mobility is the movement of individuals or groups from one social position to another. It may be vertical, upward or downward, or horizontal, and may occur within one's lifetime (intragenerational) or across generations (intergenerational).

Distinguish between mechanical and organic solidarity.3 marks

Mechanical solidarity, found in small, traditional societies, is based on similarity of beliefs, values and occupations among members, and is supported by repressive laws. Organic solidarity, found in modern complex societies, is based on interdependence arising from the division of labour, and is supported by restitutive laws.

Explain the social processes of cooperation, competition and conflict.5 marks

Social processes are the ways in which individuals and groups interact. Cooperation is the process of working together to achieve shared goals. It may be voluntary or forced, and it is essential for survival and social life. Durkheim distinguished mechanical solidarity, based on likeness in simple societies, from organic solidarity, based on interdependence created by the division of labour in modern societies. Functionalists see cooperation as a basis of social order. Competition is the struggle among individuals or groups for scarce resources, such as jobs, admission or markets, within accepted rules; it is directed towards the goal rather than towards defeating the rival personally. It became a dominant value with the rise of capitalism, which emphasises individualism and markets, though it can also increase inequality. Conflict is a struggle in which individuals or groups seek to defeat or neutralise opponents because of a clash of interests over resources, power or values; it may be latent or open. Marx saw class conflict between those who own the means of production and those who sell their labour as the driving force of social change. These processes often occur together; for example, people may cooperate within a group while competing or conflicting with other groups.

Quick revision

Social structure constrains and is reproduced.
Stratification: caste, class, gender.
Social mobility: vertical, horizontal.
Cooperation, competition, conflict; two perspectives.

Exam tips

Compare cooperation, competition and conflict with examples.
Remember Durkheim's mechanical and organic solidarity.

Practice MCQs

Working together for common goals is called
1. competition
2. stratification
3. conflict
4. cooperation
Show answer
Answer: (d) cooperation. It is a basic social process.
Movement of people between social positions is called
1. socialisation
2. culture
3. social control
4. social mobility
Show answer
Answer: (d) social mobility. It may be upward or downward.
A clash of interests between groups is
1. conflict
2. cooperation
3. accommodation
4. assimilation
Show answer
Answer: (a) conflict. It may be open or hidden.
Unity based on interdependence in complex societies is
1. mechanical solidarity
2. caste solidarity
3. class conflict
4. organic solidarity
Show answer
Answer: (d) organic solidarity. Durkheim described it.
Marx considered the driving force of history to be
1. religion
2. cooperation
3. class conflict
4. geography
Show answer
Answer: (c) class conflict. Classes struggle over the means of production.
A farmer's son becoming a doctor is an example of
1. horizontal mobility
2. downward mobility
3. upward vertical mobility
4. no mobility
Show answer
Answer: (c) upward vertical mobility. Status rises across generations.
Which perspective emphasises cooperation, order and integration
1. functionalist perspective
2. conflict perspective
3. Marxist perspective only
4. feminist perspective only
Show answer
Answer: (a) functionalist perspective. It sees society as a system of parts.
Competition differs from conflict in that
1. competition has no rules
2. competition is regulated by rules and aims at a goal, not at defeating the opponent directly
3. conflict is always peaceful
4. they are identical
Show answer
Answer: (b) competition is regulated by rules and aims at a goal, not at defeating the opponent directly. Conflict targets the opponent.

All chapters of Class 11 Sociology

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.