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Question

Who gave the concept of 'bifurcated consciousness'?

The correct answer is
Dorothy E. Smith

Origin of 'Bifurcated Consciousness' Concept

The concept of 'bifurcated consciousness' was introduced by sociologist Dorothy E. Smith.

Understanding Bifurcated Consciousness

Dorothy E. Smith used the term 'bifurcated consciousness' to describe the divided awareness experienced by individuals, particularly women, in modern, patriarchal societies. This division occurs between the subjective, lived experience and the objective, abstract, and often male-dominated modes of thought and social organization.

  • Smith argued that individuals must constantly translate experiences from their 'local', personal reality into the categories and language of the dominant, abstract social structure.
  • This translation process creates a split or bifurcation in consciousness, requiring individuals to navigate multiple, often conflicting, frames of reference.
  • Her work emphasizes how this division impacts understanding and action, particularly within sociological analysis originating from the standpoint of the oppressed.

Therefore, Dorothy E. Smith is credited with developing the concept of 'bifurcated consciousness'.

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Important Questions from Sociological Thinkers, Sociological Traditions

  1. Ethnomethodology is concerned with -

    A. The study of ordinary people's method for making sense of and creating order in everyday life.

    B. When people talk or act, they are constantly engaged in interpreting what is going on around them.

    C. There is an inherent relationship between talk and action.

    D. The study of social phenomena by using highly structured interviews of a very large sample size.

    Choose the correct answer from the options given below

  2. Which of the following is true of Edward Said's Orientalism?

    (A) It was published in 1979.

    (B) Utilises the concept of discursive formulation as argued by Foucault.

    (C) He has taken up the detailed analysis of imaginative geography and representation of the Orient.

    (D) It is one of the foundational texts of Postcolonial theory.

    (E) It puts to use Barthes' concept of 'death of the author'.

    Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

  3. The theoretical paradigm of functionalism is anchored in the idea that the maintenance of social cohesion, order and stability rests on one of the following........
  4. Who among the following sociologist made a lecture entitled ' soul and culture' in 1917?
  5. He saw man as Homo duplex - as body, desire and appetite and also as socialized personality.
    'He'- refers to _______________ .

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