What does the term ‘sociocultural change’ refer to?
Correct answer C. Changes of both kind
Topic / 71 questions
Social and Cultural Change MCQs
Social and Cultural Change MCQs are multiple-choice questions on how societies and cultures transform over time, covering sources of change such as invention and diffusion, theories of change, collective behaviour and modernisation. They help sociology students and civil service candidates revise this chapter. Each question has an instant answer, so you can review concepts efficiently.
- Methods and Research 94
- Culture 87
- Social Stratification 82
- Social Institutions 78
- Theory and Perspectives 74
- Social and Cultural Change 71
- Social Control 66
- Religion Education and Health 64
- Social Groups 57
- Introduction to Sociology 55
- Development of Sociology and Important Sociologists 54
- Population and the Environment 48
- Sociology and Society 45
- Socialization 45
- Crime and Deviance 45
- Race and Ethnicity 39
- Social Mobility 37
- Technology & Media 36
- Globalization 35
- Population Growth 32
- Personality 31
- Sociology as a Science 30
- Groups and Organizations 30
- Political and Economic Power 29
- Community 26
- Role & Status 25
- Cities and Urban Life 20
- Social Interaction and Everyday Life 19
- Poverty in Pakistan 19
- Civil Society 18
- Work, Government and the Economy 17
- Urbanization in Pakistan 16
- Nations, War and Terrorism 14
- The Process of Socio-Economic change in Pakistan 13
- Poverty,Social,Exclusion and Welfare 12
- Aging in Pakistan 12
- Immigration Issues in Pakistan 11
- literacy in Pakistan 6
- Drug Abuse in Pakistan Society Its Causes and Consequences 5
What kind of change is the addition of new words to a language?
Correct answer C. Cultural Change
Which word completes the saying ‘Change is the only ____ in the universe’?
Correct answer B. Constant
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Who put forward the theory that all civilisations move in an endless cycle between three cultural systems?
Correct answer B. Pitirim Sorokin
According to Comte, what characterises the first stage of social development?
Correct answer C. Guided by supernatural wisdom
Inventions can be split into material and social inventions. What is democratic government an example of?
Correct answer A. Social Invention
In how many directions does diffusion usually operate?
Correct answer C. Two-way
What is change almost always?
Correct answer A. Costly
Ogburn identified three forms of the social effects of inventions. One is dispersion, the many effects of a single mechanical invention. Which is an example of this?
Correct answer C. Both a and b
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Nineteenth-century theories of social change drew on pioneering work in biological evolution by whom?
Correct answer D. Charles Darwin
Which theorist argued that conflict is a normal and desirable part of social change?
Correct answer A. Karl Marx
What did Dahrendorf, Rex and Habermas focus on?
Correct answer D. Power domination and conflict
In modern society, cultural change is most likely to come about as a by-product of what?
Correct answer C. Diffusion
The development of computers and the growing use of the internet are examples of which source of social change?
Correct answer D. Innovation
What do cyclical theorists do?
Correct answer C. Try to predict the course of a civilisation or society
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Which outcome is likely to result from the computer revolution in the United States?
Correct answer B. A centralised accumulation of power in the hands of those who have access to computers
In developing nations, which factors push social change towards a liberal Western democratic type of society?
Correct answer B. Literacy education and communication
In what way does a fashion differ from a fad?
Correct answer C. Fashions enjoy widespread acceptance within society, fads enjoy acceptance only among a segment of the population
Crowds share three characteristics. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
Correct answer C. Transformation
In Smelser’s model, which determinant of collective behaviour comes first?
Correct answer C. Structural conduciveness
About Social and Cultural Change MCQs
This Sociology topic explains why and how societies change. Questions cover sources of change like technology, including computers and the internet, innovation as a new combination of existing knowledge, and deviance as an agent of change. Smelser's value-added model of collective behaviour and the order of its determinants appear, alongside Ogburn's work on the social effects of inventions, evolutionary theories influenced by Darwin, and conflict theorists such as Dahrendorf and Rex who treat conflict as normal and productive.
Social change is a recurring theme in sociology optional papers and links directly to current issues like urbanisation, technology and globalisation in South Asia. Examiners test both the names of theorists and the logic of each model. Practising these MCQs helps you remember who said what and in what order, which supports both objective tests and the structured arguments needed in CSS, PMS and UGC NET written papers.
Key facts to remember
- William Ogburn introduced the idea of cultural lag between material and non-material culture.
- Discovery, invention and diffusion are the main sources of cultural change.
- Smelser's value-added theory begins with structural conduciveness as its first determinant.
- Nineteenth-century evolutionary theories of social change drew on Darwin's work in biology.
- Dahrendorf argued that conflict is a normal feature of society and a source of change.
Exams that include Social and Cultural Change MCQs
Pakistan
- CSS
- PMS
- PPSC
- FPSC
- Lecturer tests
India
- UGC NET
- UPSC CSE
- State PSC exams
Bangladesh
- BCS
- NTRCA
How to prepare for Social and Cultural Change MCQs
- List Smelser's six determinants in order, from structural conduciveness to social control, as sequence questions are common.
- Match each theory of change, evolutionary, functionalist, conflict and cyclical, with its main thinkers.
- Use current examples, such as mobile phones or the internet, to explain cultural lag and diffusion in your own words.
- Learn Ogburn's terms carefully, since several options often use similar words for the social effects of inventions.
Frequently asked questions
What is cultural lag?
Cultural lag, a term from William Ogburn, describes the delay between change in material culture, such as technology, and adjustment in non-material culture, such as laws, values and norms. For example, rules on online privacy often develop well after the technology itself spreads.
How many Social and Cultural Change MCQs are on MCQs360?
There are 72 Social and Cultural Change MCQs on MCQs360 in its Sociology subject. Each question comes with an instant answer, and you can practise them all free without signing up, ideal for a focused chapter revision.
What are the main sources of social change?
Major sources include technology and invention, discovery of new knowledge, diffusion of ideas between cultures, population change, the physical environment, conflict, social movements and government policy. Sociologists also note that deviance can introduce new norms that later become accepted.
Which exams ask Social and Cultural Change MCQs?
These questions appear in CSS and PMS sociology papers, PPSC and FPSC lecturer tests, UGC NET Sociology and UPSC CSE in India, and BCS and NTRCA exams in Bangladesh, where sociology is a common subject.
Last reviewed October 2026