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Unit-15: Scaling and Measurement

notes

Notes scale that will be developed for measuring the religious fanaticism of
Brahmins, cannot be applied to Harijans.

4. Changing Nature of Human Behaviour: Human behaviour is ever changing and along with changes
in social conditions, many kind of changes keep emerging in human behaviour also. regarding a
subject whatever thoughts are there today, it may not be said that the same thoughts will remain
stable after some days also. Hence, the problem is that any scale prepared in a specific time cannot
be applied on other time. By this itself task of building scales becomes very difficult.
5. absence of universal Measurement of social Value: there is no public or globally acceptable
measure of measuring social values. For measuring the value of financial objects money is a universal
measurement. But any measure of this world is not available for measuring social values. result is that
each person and group evaluate the phenomenon in their point of views. this creates various types
of variations and complexities, because of which task of developing scales becomes difficult.
6. Laboratory Method cannot be Applied: one more mentionable disadvantage of social phenomenon
is that for obtaining information about its attributes, laboratory method cannot be used. in such
situation, it becomes very difficult to find out relative importance of various facts and without it,
scales also cannot be developed easily.
Despite the above-mentioned difficulties, various scales have been developed for measuring social
phenomenon and facts and continuous efforts are on in making further progress in this direction. that
is why it is being hoped that taking a well-determined measurement of social phenomenon which are
considered to be qualitative, complex and dynamic, will be possible in future for the sociologists.

15.4 Types of Scales
for measuring social phenomenon and facts, till now a few scales have been developed. it will prove
useful to know about them. in this regard, it is memorable that continuous efforts are on to make
these existent scales more determined and accurate. scales that are being used in sociological studies
are as follows:
1. point scale: In such type of scales some specific words or conditions are taken and each is provided
a point. then these words or situations are presented before the informant and regarding whichever
word or situation he wants to express his opinion about he puts a mark of cross or tick before it. By
knowing the votes of all informants in this way it is calculated and seen that how many votes are
received in whose favour.
2. social Distance scale: through such kind of scale, social gaps and differences are found between
various classes and people. social distance scales are mainly of two types: a. social distance scale of
Bogards b. samaajmiti scale. in Bogards scale some such situations are chosen through which intensity
of social distance may be expressed. these situations are placed on the base of intensity and then social
distance has to found between whichever groups, that scale is presented before them. Whosoever
expresses his opinion in reference to whichever condition, it is noted and in this way after knowing
the votes of all the informants’ social distances are guessed by applying statistical calculations. in
samajmiti scale, which people or groups are to be studied or social distance or closeness has to be
calculated on the basis of hatred, love etc, they are each given a chit and are requested that they write
the name of those people whom they hate or love the most. on the basis of their answers, social
distances or closeness is measured.

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