All members are welcome to contribute as well as criticize holding few things in mind:

1. The answers should be concise, to the point and with stuffed material.

2. The comprehnsion should be ones own rather than copy pasting.

Let me start first with the Question pertaining to Durkheim's suicide theory asked in 2003.

Note: No one is perfect but one should tend to provide with the relevant substance, as per the demand of the Question.

Q. Durkheim wrote extensively on suicide. Critically examine his views about suicide. (CSS-2003)
Durkheim, a French Sociologist, carried out a comprehensive study about suicide. His main object was to establish the fact that every individual was the product of social environment he/she is exposed to. He managed to maintain a relationship through his research.

He stated that the industrialization of the West is undermining historical social control and support one gets from the society. Resultantly, the modern man is prone to individualism and psychological alienation which in turn leads to the situations like commiting of suicide.

He assumed that the suicide rates of developed nations would be relatively greater than that of the under-devoloped ones. To prove this assumption, he studied the suicide rates of the Catholic and Protestant Countries. The former being less industrialized and more cohesive as compared to the later. The comparison of the records of both type of countries suggested his assumption to be true. The rate of suicide in Protestant countries was relatively greater because of less solidarity in correspondance to their counter parts – the Catholic countries.

Recognising the fact that some other factors might also stand responsible for the high suicide rates, he carried out the study in other groups simultaneously. These groups involved, the married people and the singles, and the couple with children and those that were without. Expectedly, he reached the desired results and found his theory held again.

Durkheim identified three types of suicide:
1. Egoistic Suicide
2. Altruistic Suicide
3. Anomic Suicide

In the first case, he considered the under-involvement of any individual with the values of a particular group a leading factor for enabling someone to commit an egoistic suicide.

The second case of altruistic suicide he attributed to the over-involvement of any individual with the social affairs where one is so associated with the group values that he/she tends to sacrify his/her life for the cause. The Kamikaze (attacks by Japanese Pilots during WWII), the ceremonial right of Seppuku (in which a disgraced rips open his belly), and the suicide attacks carried out by terrorists in the modern times are all the prominent examples of altruistic suicide.

Durkheim related the final type of suicide – anomic suicide – with the normlessness, lawlessness and anarchy prevailing in any society. He found that that the periods of economic crisis relatively witness the rise in suicide rates.

In short, Durkheims study of suicide showed that the most personal of all acts is in fact the product of social forces.

Note: Besides this suicide theory, Durkheim gave concepts about Division of Labour and Social Solidarity. Apparently it seems that the Question does not have any concern about the Mechanical Solidarity and Organic Solidarity as they have nothing to do directly with his theory of suicide. Still, if the seniors consider the necessity of mentioning those concepts as analysed by Durkheim, then kindly correct me. I personally don't feel the induction of those concepts in this Questoins. Regards.

Q. Individual is product of society and culture. Different methods of socialization lead to a variety of building norms and values in the personality of individuals. Discuss:
a) the relationship of individual, society and culture
b) different methods of socialization
c) the variation exemplified due to different methods of socialization in norms and values. (Css-2007):

a)The three concepts – individual, society, and culture – are inter-related to each other. A group of individuals form a society having a uniform culture. The society in turn produces individuals sharing identical culture. This culture, ultimately, provides some norms, values and beliefs so that the cohesive force be maintained among the individuals, and that the society be kept intact. To keep up with this whole process, socialization, a life long process, plays a vital role.

Through the process of socialization, the individuals learn to live and work together. Thus, society is an organized aggregation of persons whereas culture is an organized aggregation of ideas and attitudes.

b)Generally, there are six methods of socialization that perform in the development of human beings. These may be categorized as:
1.Affective Method of Socialization
2.Operant Method of Socialization
3.Cognitive Method of Socialization
4.Observational Method of Socialization
5.Socio-cultural Method of Socialization
6.Apprenticeship Method of Socialization

Affective method of socialization pertains to the nurturing of individual through love and affection. It breeds a feeling of security and affection in the socialize, who in return readily accepts and follows the values, interests and ideals of the person socializing him/her.

Operant method is somewhat close to the Cooley’s ‘looking glass-self’ concept. Here, the socialize is less concerned with his/her own pattern of behaviour, rather it is the response of others towards a particular individual that constructs the self-image in him/her. Keeping view of other people’s response towards his/her own behaviour, the socialize tends to continue, modify, or cease his/her behavioral patterns.

Socialization through cognitive method involves the inculcation of various standards and definitions within any individual. These standards may be justified through reasoning. Certain rewards and punishments may also prove handy to facilitate the socialize learn and unlearn various patterns of behavior. Ultimately, these concepts flourish within that individual and later become the part and parcel of one’s personality.

Further, imitation, experimentation and observation are the prominent features through which any individual selects a role model as a reference individual and tends to copy his/her behavioral patterns. This method of socialization is termed as Observational method.

Socio-cultural method of socialization refers to all of those customs, traditions, habits and routines that a society passes over to the individuals. Agents like, family, schooling, peer-group, religion and mass media play a vital role in the developmetnt of socialize in that particular case.

Finally, the apprenticeship method requires the child to go through three stages. First, the learning situation is structured by an expert. Then, the child works in collaboration with the expert. Ultimately, the responsibility is transferred to the child. Learning to ride a bi-cycle may well be attributed as an example to this type of socialization, where, in early stages some expert in the form of father, elder brother or some friend guides the socialize gaining control and balance over the bicycle, but at the end of the day, the individual, irrespective of any support, manages to keep on riding.

c) These different methods of socialization shape the character of individual. Depending on the ratio of any of the above mentioned methods role in the socialize’s life, pesonalities are formed and deformed. Over-dozing with affection may turn the socialize sensitive and emotions driven. Similarly, the operant, congnitive, observational, socio-cultural, and apprenticeship methods of socialization may inculcate the values and norms that are to be followed, but at the same time may, depending on the amount of contribution, shape the personality and behaviour patterns of that particular individual as being possessive, rational, flexible, orthodox, conservative, traditional, or confident. Nevertheless, each individual, throughout his/her life, remains subject to all or any of these socialization methods that build his/her character.

Note: I do not claim that this answer as composed by me is error free. However, this is how I perceived what the examiner is looking for in the answer. Other fellows may disagree that it was not what was asked and they may come up with their own answers simultaneously. But please do avoid copy pasting and come up with your genuine answers. No matter how erroneous they may be. After all, we all are here to learn.