UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY

TEXTBOOK FOR CLASS XI

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11106 – U NDERSTANDING S OCIETY
ISBN 81-7450-111-6
Textbook for Class XI

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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August 2006 Ashvin 1927 q No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
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Amit Srivastava

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 FOREWORD
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005, recommends that
children’s life at school must be linked to their life outside the school. This
principle marks a departure from the legacy of bookish learning which
continues to shape our system and causes a gap between the school, home
and community. The syllabi and textbooks developed on the basis of NCF
signify an attempt to implement this basic idea. They also attempt to
discourage rote learning and the maintenance of sharp boundaries between
different subject areas. We hope these measures will take us significantly
further in the direction of a child-centred system of education outlined in
the National Policy on Education (1986).
The success of this effort depends on the steps that school principals
and teachers will take to encourage children to reflect on their own learning
and to pursue imaginative activities and questions. We must recognise that,
given space, time and freedom, children generate new knowledge by
engaging with the information passed on to them by adults. Treating the
prescribed textbook as the sole basis of examination is one of the key
reasons why other resources and sites of learning are ignored. Inculcating
creativity and initiative is possible if we perceive and treat children as
participants in learning. Not as receivers of a fixed body of knowledge.
These aims imply considerable change in school routines and mode
of functioning. Flexibility in the daily time-table is as necessary as rigour
in implementing the annual calendar so that the required number of
teaching days are actually devoted to teaching. The methods used for
teaching and evaluation will also determine how effective this textbook
proves for making children’s life at school a happy experience, rather than
a source of stress or boredom. Syllabus designers have tried to address
the problem of curricular burden by restructuring and reorienting
knowledge at different stages with greater considertation for child
psychology and the time available for teaching. The textbook attempts to
enhance this endeavour by giving higher priority and space to
opportunities for contemplation and wondering, discussion in small
groups, and activities requiring hands-on experience.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
appreciates the hard work done by the textbook development committee
responsible for this book. We wish to thank the Chairperson of the advisory

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 vi

group in Social Science, Professor Hari Vasudevan and the Chief Advisor
for this book, Professor Yogendra Singh for guiding the work of this
committee. Several teachers contributed to the development of this
textbook; we are grateful to their principals for making this possible. We
are indebted to the institutions and organisations which have generously
permitted us to draw upon their resources, material and personnel. We are
especially grateful to the members of the National Monitoring Committee,
appointed by the Department of Secondary and Higher Education,
Ministry of Human Resource Development under the Chairpersonship of
Professor Mrinal Miri and Professor G.P. Deshpande, for their valuable time
and contribution. As an organisation committed to systemic reform and
continuous improvement in the quality of its products, NCERT welcomes
comments and suggestions which will enable us to undertake further
revision and refinement.

Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
20 December 2005 Research and Training

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 RATIONALISATION OF CONTENT IN THE
TEXTBOOKS
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to reduce content
load on students. The National Education Policy 2020, also emphasises
reducing the content load and providing opportunities for experiential
learning with creative mindset. In this background, the NCERT has
undertaken the exercise to rationalise the textbooks across all classes.
Learning Outcomes already developed by the NCERT across classes have
been taken into consideration in this exercise.

Contents of the textbooks have been rationalised in view of the

following:

• Overlapping with similar content included in other subject areas in

the same class
• Similar content included in the lower or higher class in the same
subject
• Difficulty level
• Content, which is easily accessible to students without much
interventions from teachers and can be learned by children through
self-learning or peer-learning
• Content, which is irrelevant in the present context
This present edition, is a reformatted version after carrying out the
changes given above.

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 TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSON, ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS AT THE
HIGHER SECONDARY LEVEL
Hari Vasudevan, Professor, Department of History, University of Kolkata,
Kolkata

CHIEF ADVISOR
Yogendra Singh, Emeritus Professor, Centre for the Study of Social System,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
MEMBERS
Abha Awasthi, Professor (Retd.), Department of Sociology, Lucknow
University, Lucknow
Amita Baviskar, Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi
Anjan Ghosh, Fellow, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata
Balka Dey, Programme Associate, United Nations Development
Programme, New Delhi
Disha Nawani, Professor, Gargi College, New Delhi
D.K. Sharma, Professor (Retd.), Department of Education in Social Sciences,
NCERT, New Delhi
Jitendra Prasad, Professor (Retd.), Department of Sociology, M.D.
University, Rohtak
Madhu Nagla, Professor, Department of Sociology, M.D. University, Rohtak
Madhu Sharan, Project Director, Hand-in-Hand, Chennai
Maitrayee Choudhari, Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Systems,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Rajiv Gupta, Professor (Retd.), Department of Sociology, University of
Rajasthan, Jaipur
Sarika Chandrawanshi Saju, Assistant Professor, RIE, Bhopal, NCERT,
New Delhi.

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 viii

Satish Deshpande, Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of

Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi
Vishwa Raksha, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Jammu,
Jammu
MEMBER-COORDINATOR
Manju Bhatt, Professor, Department of Education in Social Sciences,
NCERT, New Delhi

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The National Council of Educational Research and Training acknowledges
Karuna Chanana, Professor (Retd.), Zakir Husain Centre for Education
Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Arvind Chouhan,
Professor, Department of Sociology, Barkatullah University, Bhopal;
Debal Singh Roy, Professor, Department of Sociology, Indira Gandhi
National Open University, New Delhi; Rajesh Mishra, Professor, Department
of Sociology, Lucknow University, Lucknow; S.M. Patnayak, Professor,
Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi; Sudershan Gupta,
Principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Paloura, Jammu;
Mandeep Choudhary, PGT (Retd.), Sociology, Guru Hari Kishan Public
School, New Delhi; Seema Banarjee, PGT, Sociology, Laxman Public School,
New Delhi; Rita Kanna, PGT (Retd.), Sociology, Delhi Public School, New
Delhi for providing their feedback and inputs.
Acknowledgements are due to Savita Sinha, Professor and Head (Retd.),
Department of Education in Social Sciences for her help and support.
The Council expresses its gratitude to Press Information Bureau,
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India; V. Suresh,
PGT, Zoology, Sri Vidhya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Uttangari,
Tamil Nadu; and L. Chakravarthy, Photographer, Uttangari, Tamil Nadu,
for using their photographs in the textbook. Different photographs were
also provided by R.C. Das, Photographer, CIET, NCERT. Council also
acknowledges his contribution. Some photographs were taken from the
different issues of Business and Economy, Business World and Business
Today magazines. The Council thanks the copyright holders and publishers
of these magazines.
The Council also gratefully acknowledges the contributions of
Mathew John, Proof Reader and Uttam Kumar, DTP operator and other
staff members of the Publication Department, NCERT for their support
in bringing out this textbook.
The efforts of Manju Bhatt, Retired Professor, Dehradun, Uttarakhand,
Achla Pritam Tandon, Associate Professor, Sociology, Hindu College; Seema
Banerjee, PGT Sociology, Laxman Public School, Hauz Khas, New Delhi;
Abha Seth, PGT Sociology, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi are acknowledged for
their contribution in the process of rationalisation of textbooks.

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 A NOTE TO THE TEACHER AND STUDENTS
In the earlier book our task was to introduce sociology. We had thus
discussed the emergence of sociology, the key concerns of the discipline,
its tools and methods of studying society. A central concern of sociology in
its attempt to understand society was to understand the relationship
between the individual and society. To what extent is the individual free to
act and to what extent is the individual constrained?
In this book we seek to understand this relationship better by exploring
the concepts of social structure, social stratification and social processes.
We try and understand how groups and individuals are located within the
social structure. And how they act and initiate social processes. How do
they cooperate, compete and conflict? Why do they cooperate, compete and
conflict differently in different kinds of society? Proceeding with the basic
questioning approach of sociology dealt with in the earlier book we do not
see these processes as natural and unchanging. But as socially constituted.
We do not accept a naturalist explanation that may suggest that human
beings are ‘naturally’ competitive or ‘naturally’ prone to conflict.
The concepts social structure and social processes draw attention to
the fact that society is marked both by order and change. Some things remain
the same. Some things change. A look at order and change in rural and urban
societies help us look at these continuities and changes better.
We then proceed further to look at the fundamental relationship between
society and the environment. And drawing from contemporary
developments, attempt a sociological understanding of our environment.
In the earlier book we had dealt with the emergence of sociology and its
attempt to understand modernity. Here, we are introduced to some of the
key concepts that western and Indian thinkers developed to understand
the structures and processes of modern societies. The idea is not to deal
exhaustively with all their ideas, which would be impossible within the time
and space available. But to focus on only some aspect of their work and
hopefully communicate some sense of the richness of the ideas that the
thinkers were engaging with. For instance we look at Karl Marx’s ideas on
class conflict, Emile Durkheim’s ideas on division of labour and Max Weber’s
on bureaucracy. Likewise we look at G.S. Ghurye’s ideas on race and caste,
D.P. Mukerji’s ideas on tradition and change and A.R. Desai’s on the state
and M.N. Srinivas’ on the village.

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 xii

In keeping with the questioning spirit of sociology, this book like the
earlier one continuously engages with the reader to think and reflect, to
relate what is happening to society and to us as individuals. The activities
built into the text are therefore an intrinsic part of the book. The text and
activities constitute an integrative whole. One cannot be done without the
other. For the objective here is not just to provide ready made information
to be learnt but to understand society. The dates that mark the life and works
of the thinkers have been included only to provide a broad sense of the
historical context of the thinkers.
This book tries to be interactive and introduces various activities that
may help students engage with understanding society in a live manner.
However, the most exciting and innovative part rests with the teachers and
students. They will perhaps be able to introduce far more apt activities and
examples. Indeed the idea is to initiate the interactive debate. This is just a
beginning. And much of the most exciting learning process will take place
in the classroom. Students and teachers will perhaps think of far better
ways, activities and examples. And suggest how textbooks can be bettered.

Maitrayee Chaudhari
Professor,
Department of Education in
Social Sciences, NCERT, New Delhi

Manju Bhatt
Professor,
Department of Education
in Social Sciences, NCERT, New Delhi

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 CONTENTS

FOREWORD (v)

RATIONALISATION OF CONTENT IN THE TEXTBOOKS (vii)

A NOTE TO THE TEACHER AND STUDENTS (xi)

1. SOCIAL STRUCTURE, STRATIFICATION AND 1

SOCIAL PROCESSES IN SOCIETY

2. SOCIAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ORDER 21

IN RURAL AND URBAN SOCIETY

3. ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY 50

4. INTRODUCING WESTERN SOCIOLOGISTS 65

5. INDIAN SOCIOLOGISTS 82

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 Constitution of India
Part IV A (Article 51 A)

Fundamental Duties
It shall be the duty of every citizen of India —
(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the
National Flag and the National Anthem;
(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle
for freedom;
(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to
do so;
(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all
the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or
sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women;
(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes,
rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;
(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and
reform;
(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective
activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour
and achievement;
*(k) who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to
his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and
fourteen years.

Note: The Article 51A containing Fundamental Duties was inserted by the Constitution
(42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 (with effect from 3 January 1977).
*(k) was inserted by the Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002 (with effect from
1 April 2010).

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