The critical self-analysis in sociology that can show how one looks like to others and teaches how to look at oneself from the outside is called:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Self Reflexivity
Option (1) Self Reflexivity — Correct. Sociology can show you what you look like to others and teach you how to look at yourself ‘from the outside’. This is called self-reflexivity, or just reflexivity: the ability to turn your gaze, usually directed outward, back towards yourself. The self-inspection must be critical - quick to criticise and slow to praise oneself.
Option (2) Value Neutrality — Incorrect. Value neutrality means that a social scientist keeps personal likes, dislikes and beliefs out of the study, so that the findings are not coloured by them. It is about the researcher’s attitude to the subject studied, not about looking at oneself as others do.
Option (3) Empathy — Incorrect. Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings by imagining oneself in that person’s place. Its gaze is on the other person, while reflexivity turns the gaze back on oneself.
Option (4) Sympathy — Incorrect. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone in trouble. It is a feeling for others, not a critical look at oneself.
Note: The concepts in Option (2), ‘Value Neutrality’, Option (3), ‘Empathy’, and Option (4), ‘Sympathy’, are not in NCERT (2025-26); explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2025-26): “What may be of even more interest to you is that sociology can show you what you look like to others; it can teach you how to look at yourself ‘from the outside’, so to speak. This is called ‘self-reflexivity’, or sometimes just reflexivity. This is the ability to reflect upon yourself, to turn back your gaze (which is usually directed outward) back towards yourself. But this self-inspection must be critical – i.e., it should be quick to criticise and slow to praise oneself.” |