Questions
- Examine the statement, “Bureaucracy is a rational action in an institutional form”. (10 Marks)
- Explain Durkheim's basic arguments on suicide. Analyse the high suicide rates of contemporary Indian society with Durkheim's theory. (20 Marks)
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Model Structures
Q1. Examine the statement, “Bureaucracy is a rational action in an institutional form”. (10 Marks)
Introduction
- Define bureaucracy and legal rational action
Main Body
- Bureaucracy is the medium through which rational-legal authority is carried out
- Weber studied it and made an IDEAL TYPE for Bureaucracy based on legal-rational authority.
- Inevitable in modern society -- as it’s the only mechanism to cope up with large-scale admin requirements
- Explain rational action
- Critical Analysis
- Specialist without spirits
- Iron cage of rationality
- Rule ritualism and loss of individual creativity. It leads to red-tapism (Merton)
- Official dictatorship kind (Master and Mistress of their own will)
- Nexus and influence of others over bureaucracy
- Roberto Michels - Calls bureaucratic sys in democracy as iron law of oligarchy - as they usurp all power
- Merton - over emphasis on rules led to goal displacement
Conclusion
- Yet, Bureaucracy is transforming itself according to change in the social system. It could adapt to social and admin changes. Examples-
- Digitalization - less hierarchical
- In India, lateral entry adoption in top-level bureaucracy
Q2. Explain Durkheim's basic arguments on suicide. Analyse the high suicide rates of contemporary Indian society with Durkheim's theory. (20 Marks)
Introduction
- Definition of Suicide as given by Durkheim-
- All cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself he knows will produce the result. OR
- Suicide: A Study in Sociology is an 1897 book written by French sociologist Émile Durkheim. It was the first methodological study of SUICIDE, a social fact in the context of society.
Main Body
- Refutation of earlier existing Psychological and Biological aspects of suicide.
- Earlier studies - value loaded, lacks objectivity
- Durkheim applied Comparative analysis method and dwelled on Objective analysis of the social fact - SUICIDE
- Durkheim concluded that suicide rates are higher:
- in men than women
- for those who are single
- for people without children than people with children.
- among Protestants than Catholics and Jews.
- among soldiers than civilians.
- in times of peace than in times of war.
- the higher the education level, the more likely it was that an individual would choose suicide.
- Four types of suicide - which are based on the degrees of imbalance of two social forces: social integration and moral regulation.
- High suicide rates as per Durkhiem's conception in contemporary Indian society (can write in COHERENCE WITH ABOVE DIAGRAM ) -
- Egoistic suicide - Upsc students, Kota Coaching students
- Altruistic suicide - Armed forces, Chipko Movement, Protestors
- Anomic suicide - Farm waiver loans, Rape Victims
- Fatalistic suicide - Constables in CRPFs, IPS officers suicide
- What can be done to reduce suicide rates in India
- Student counselling, HR dept to increase integration → thus reducing Optimal regulation and integration-suicides.
Conclusion
- Durkheim's theory caused a revolution in the field of understanding the basic causes of Suicide in contemporary Indian society.
