SOCIOLOGY ANSWER WRITING CHALLENGE -11
#QUESTIONS
21-11-24

1.Why are sects and cults becoming popular?10 m

2.Comment on Durkheimian functionalist theory of religion as a creation of man.20 M

after 8 pm written model answers will be given for that ,through which you can self evaluate yourself.

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Having said that, We are happy to present the 26th edition of our Sociological bulletin : "The Social Fact" which adds value to your UPSC preparation ✍️

We are focussing on Parsons and his major works in this edition. Students find it difficult to understand Social system and reference group theory. So we are providing you the lucid version of it.

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#SOCIOLOGY ANSWER WRITING CHALLENGE -11
Topics to be studied
21-11-24

Unit 8 :
a. Sociological theories of religion.
b. Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

Questions will be posted by 5 pm daily. PYQ & Questions which will help you to holistically understand the topic.
after 8 pm written model answers will be given for that ,through which you can self evaluate yourself.

Anarcho-capitalism
The term "anarcho-capitalism" has recently gained attention, particularly with the recent electoral victory of Javier Milei, a self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist, in the presidential race in Argentina.

Anarcho-capitalism refers to a political philosophy which calls for the abolition of the state and for the provision of law and order to be controlled by private companies in a free market.

● Within an unrestricted free-market economy, anarcho-capitalists argue, there would be no space for monopolies to develop, due to the competitive nature of the market and a lack of regulation.

● Anarcho-capitalism espouses the notion of a minimal state and unrestricted capital, positing that such a framework would foster innovative endeavours and promote inclusive development, according to David Friedman.

● Murray Rothbard, who coined the term anarcho-capitalism says that it is the logical conclusion of the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP), i.e. also known as libertarianism arguing that every human is granted natural and inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and property.

● Beck adds that economic discourse that artificially privileges the centrality of capitalism in Western society argues that there are no viable alternatives to capitalism. And so, anarcho-capitalism is projected to fill the gap.

● Albert Jay Nock moots for anarcho-capitalism in his book ‘Our Enemy, the State’, saying that the US government seeks to accumulate more power and wealth at the expense of individuals at every possible opportunity. He saw the New Deal as a way for the government to tighten its grip on society and the economy.
Critique
● Collectivist anarchists reject the idea that capitalism and anarchism are reconcilable ideologies. They argue that, within the anarcho-capitalist vision, the oppressive structures of the state are simply replicated.

● Most libertarians/anarcho-capitalists accept that some minimal form of state control needs to exist, to maintain order in society. This model of the state was developed by John Locke, who labelled the ideal as a 'Night Watchman', which only intervenes to protect its citizens from theft, deprivation of property, or physical harm.

● Steinberg points out the concerns that anarcho-capitalism might not entirely resolve societal tensions and might even restructure existing structures without addressing underlying problems. For instance, the global financial crisis did not lead to an imminent collapse or implosion that was widely predicted at the time. A ‘business-as-usual’ approach was quickly re-instated in a post-crisis United Kingdom, without finding lasting solutions.

#sociolologycurrentaffairsMAINS2024

*?*?Marital Rape - A Play of Power*?*?
In March 2022 the Karnataka High Court ruled that a married man can be prosecuted for raping his wife.

The very definition of rape incorporates the necessity of ‘consent’ or ‘will’ to be engaged in sexual activity. The concept of criminalisation of Marital Rape fosters the idea that rape is not an act only against the sanctity of women but against the consent and will of the person.

Marital rape is ultra vires the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India i.e., Article 14 and Article 21. However, the non-Criminalization of marital rape in India emanates from exceptions in Section 375 of the IPC.

The notion that a husband can rape his own wife was not and is not acceptable to many people in society even today. The rationale is that man and wife are one and a married man could not commit rape against his wife.

✅Andrea Dworkin, marriage as an institution developed from rape as a practice. Rape, originally defined as abduction, became marriage by capture (Rakshasa).

✅David Finkelhor and Kersti in their book ‘License to Rape: Sexual Abuse of Wives’, more than 30 years ago stated that marriage is nothing but a license to rape.

✅Bogger argued that given the power inequality in the institution of marriage, all marital sex is coerced.

✅Bringing Marital Rape into the domain of criminal law would not be seen positively from a functionalist perspective. It would suggest that gender inequalities exist as an efficient way to create a division of labour, where a woman is responsible for spawning a child in the family and pleasing her husband. The act of criminalising Marital Rape would disrupt the existing patriarchal structure of the society, thus, creating havoc.

✅Feminists say that the oppression of women occurs through sexual subordination. Hence Shulamith Firestone appeals to the idea of women as a class whose sexuality, like the proletariat’s labour, is exploited.

✅According to Aileen Marques, low women empowerment and literacy rates have led to the perpetuation of social norms that have dominated women's psyche for centuries and have also been a major factor in women's refusal to recognise marital rape as rape.

✅Sangeetha Rege explains that women are typically subject to different types of violence such as Emotional, verbal, economic, physical and sexual which overlap with each other. She adds that despite the wide prevalence of such sexual violence, the criminal justice system often fails to take cognisance of it.

✅When the discord between husband and wife increases, the husband tries to prove himself more powerful and dominant than the woman. To humiliate his wife he shows his dominance over her and destroys her privacy, says Iris Young.

✅Leela Kasturi argues that the social relations of gender and class relations are part of a historical inheritance such as patriarchy, wherein inequality and hierarchy are implicit, indicating male supremacy. This to a large extent governs social and gender relations leading to consequences like marital rape.

✅Any relationship based on the genuine consent of the partners is interpreted as a defiance of patriarchal authority and a threat to endogamy says Uma Chakravarti. Therefore, patriarchy as a product of caste and religion deters equality outrightly and portrays the act of violence by men as power over women.

Indian Scenario

?India is one of the 36 countries that has still not criminalised marital rape. According to UNFPA, about two-thirds of women in India and according to NFHS 2015-16, almost 83% of married women aged between 15 and 49 have blamed their husbands for sexual violence and 7% have also called their husbands an offender.

?In 2019, a UN Women's report on the status of women worldwide stated that “statistically, the home is one of the most dangerous places for women.”

?NFHS 2019-20 also states that at the pan India level, 9 out of 100 men believe that the husband has the right to use force and have sex with his wife even if she does not want to.

#sociolologycurrentaffairsMAINS2024

Salut à tous !?**

A huge congratulations to all the aspirants who cleared UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 from "The Social Fact team❤️

Now you are in the privileged position to prepare for the ultimate test - CSE MAINS 2024, so we have come up with the special edition for the mains exam?

We are happy to present the 24th edition of our Sociological bulletin : "The Social Fact" which adds value to your UPSC preparation ✍️

To make your preparation simpler, in this special edition we compiled all previous editions of the ‘Connecting the dots’. We hope, this will save your precious time and bring much needed dynamic for the sociology mains paper.✅

All The Best !

For higher resolution pdf : https://www.sivarajavelias.com/the-social-fact/

Uniform Civil Code
Uniform Civil Code, a directive principle in the Indian Constitution (Art.44)  has been the theme of one of the most intense and widespread debates that emerged in India‘s public life since the constitution was adopted in 1950. A UCC involves having a common set of laws of marriage, divorce, succession and adoption for all Indians, instead of allowing different personal laws for people of different faiths.
Arguments for UCC
Rajeev Bhargava suggests that the UCC can promote secularism and ensure that the state doesn’t favour any particular religious community.

According to Marc Galanter, India has a complex and diverse legal system with formal legal institutions and informal dispute-resolution mechanisms. The UCC could help to promote the rule of law and create a common legal framework that is accessible to all citizens of India.

Arguments against UCC
T.N. Madan has argued that personal laws are integral and essential aspects of cultural identity and that imposing a common civil code would undermine religious freedom and diversity in India.

According to Shiv Visvanathan, the UCC could exacerbate existing social inequalities and tensions between different religious and ethnic groups in India.

Partha Chatterjee argues that the UCC reflects broader debates about identity and representation in Indian politics and that the imposition of a common civil code could be seen as an attempt to impose a homogenising vision of Indian society.

Zubair Ahmed Bader adds that there is a need for restructuring the identity structure of the minority community with civil reforms and socio-political justice, so that the religious identity moves down the ladder of the structure, before the complete introduction of UCC, which otherwise would cause resentment and be seen as a threat to minority identity.

Nivedita Menon writes that complete abrogation of personal laws in the prevailing social and political conditions looks difficult because right-wing forces increasingly use personal laws in their rhetoric against the minority community resulting in counter-mobilization by the fundamentalist forces.

Zoya Hassan writes that the argument of homogeneity and unification was associated with the personal laws of Muslim elites, projecting them as a unifying symbol for the community as opposed to the socio-economic differences, which divided the community.

Feminist Perspectives
Flavia Agnes claims that personal laws in India are often discriminatory against women, particularly in matters related to marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The aim here should be a Uniformity of Rights and not merely a Uniform Law.

Nalini Rajan compares Rakhmabai and Shah Bano’s case and concludes that due to the complexity of religion and patriarchy, reforms in personal laws have to be driven by women.
Example- Abolishment of Polygamy under Hindu Personal laws, secular maintenance for Muslim women after divorce, etc 

Conclusion
SP Sathe writes that the word ‘Uniform’ in Article 44 does not mean the extension of majority laws to all communities, for it would only make for ‘common’ law and not necessarily ‘uniform’ law. Rather uniform application of laws should mean that every community is governed by uniform principles of human justice and gender.
#sociologycurrentaffairsMAINS2024