What is Case Study Question / Paragraph Based Question?
A case study is a scenario in a particular academic / professional context which students are expected to analyse and respond to, guided by specific questions posed concerning the situation. In many cases, the scenario or case study involves a number of issues or problems that must be dealt with in a academic / professional workplace.
Why Case Study Questions are included in academics?
Case study assignments usually require students to identify problems and issues in a scenario, to demonstrate their developing knowledge of theories and academic / professional policies and to make decisions and recommendations based on these to either prevent or solve some of the issues in that scenario.
How to solve Case Study Questions?
There are several steps to writing an answer to a case study assignment:
STEP 1: Read the case study and questions carefully.
- Read the case and associated questions carefully.
- Highlight the main points of the case and any issues that you can identify.
- Read the questions closely and analyse what they are requiring you to do.
- Read the case again, linking the information that is relevant to each question you have been asked.
STEP 2: Identify the issues in the case study.
Case studies describe a situation which may arise in a particular profession or social context. They often involve a number of people in a complex situation. They will often describe a situation which is problematic, possibly in how it is dealt with, or in its complexity. An important part of your answer is to analyse the situation and to identify the issues/actions described in the case which may be problematic. The following questions may help you to do this:
- What actions were taken in the case?
- Were these actions the most appropriate and why?
- Were there any consequences of the actions taken?
- Was anything omitted or not considered?
- Were actions/procedures in line with existing codes of practice, policy or theories?
STEP 3: Link theory to practice.
Use your knowledge of existing codes of practice, theories and/or other academic / professional documents and behaviours to decide what was done appropriately and what was not.
STEP 4: Plan your answer.
It can be useful to use the questions you have been set as headings and to answer each part in turn, reducing the chance of omitting set questions. You can always take out the headings before you submit if you wish. Lecturers usually set questions in a logical order, so answer in the order they are written in your question.
STEP 5: Start writing your case study answer (for theory only)
Like any assignment, you will need an introduction, body sections in which you answer the questions put to you regarding the case study, and a conclusion.
STEP 6: Edit and proofread.
Read through your paper yourself to detect and correct other errors and omissions.
Check you have answered all questions and backed up your answer with relevant passage.
Types of Case Study Questions / Paragraph Based Questions
Case Study Questions / Paragraph Based Questions can be broadly classified into two types:
- MCQs type: In this type, student has to tick the correct option from various options.
- Theory type: In this type, student has to write proper solution / answer in cotext to the case study.
Case Study/ Passage Based Questions Chapter 1 Development
Type 1: MCQ type
Case Study Question 01
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Besides seeking more income, one-way or the other, people also seek things like equal treatment, freedom, security, and respect of others. They resent discrimination. All these are important goals. In fact, in some cases, these may be more important than more income or more consumption because material goods are not all that you need to live. Money, or material things that one can buy with it, is one factor on which our life depends. But the quality of our life also depends on non-material things mentioned above. If it is not obvious to you, then just think of the role of your friends in your life. You may desire the friendship. Similarly, there are many things that are not easily measured but they mean a lot to our lives. These are often ignored. However, it will be wrong to conclude that what cannot be measured is not important.
Consider another example. If you get a job in a far off place, before accepting it you would try to consider many factors, apart from income, such as facilities for your family, working atmosphere, or opportunity to learn. In another case, a job may give you less pay but may offer regular employment that enhances your sense of security.
Another job, however, may offer high pay but no job security and also leave no time for your family. This will reduce your sense of security and freedom. Similarly, for development, people look at a mix of goals. It is true that if women are engaged in paid work, their dignity in the household and society increases. However, it is also the case that if there is respect for women there would be more sharing of housework and a greater acceptance of women working outside. A safe and secure environment may allow more women to take up a variety of jobs or run a business. Hence, the developmental goals that people have are not only about better income but also about other important things in life.
Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:
Question.1. What are the different things that people seek in the society besides good income?
(a) Equal treatment in the society
(b) Freedom and security in the society
(c) Respect in the society
(d) All of the above
Question.2. What are some of the factors that a person considers while taking a job?
(a) Income
(b) Facilities for the family
(c) Working atmosphere
(d) All of the above
Question.3. What happens to the image of the women if they are engaged in paid work?
(a) Their dignity and importance increases in the society
(b) Their dignity and importance decreases in the society
(c) Their dignity and importance remains same in the society
(d) None of the above
Question.4. Which of the following things will promote more women in the work?
(a) Safe and secure environment
(b) Support of their family
(c) Respect from the society
(d) All of the above
Question.5. For development people look at _________.
(a) Single goal
(b) Mix of goals
(c) No goals
(d) None of these
Ans.1. (d) All of the above
Ans.2. (d) All of the above
Ans.3. (a) Their dignity and importance increases in the society
Ans.4. (d) All of the above
Ans.5. (b) Mix of goals
Case Study Question 02
Read the source given below and answer the following questions:
Once it is realised that even though the level of income is important, yet it is an inadequate measure of the level of development, we begin to think of other criterion. There could be a long list of such criterion but then it would not be so useful. What we need is a small number of the most important things. Health and education indicators are among them. Over the past decade or so, health and education indicators have come to be widely used along with income as a measure of development. For instance, Human Development Report published by UNDP compares countries based on the educational levels of the people, their health status and per capita income.
Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:
Question.1. According to you, which is one of the parameter to assess the education level of the population?
(a) Infant Mortality Rate.
(b) Literacy rate
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above
Question.2. According to the given passage, the role of health and education is equally important as money in our life is evident based on which one of the following statements?
(a) What we need is a small number of the most important things.
(b) UNDP compares countries based on the educational levels of the people, their health status and per capita income.
(c) Level of income is an inadequate measure
(d) There can be many other criterion like education and health.
Question.3. By publishing HDR, UNDP wants to:
(a) Emphasis on the role of education and health.
(b) Publishes balance development report
(c) Not rely on money as a important aspect of life.
(d) All of the above
Question.4. What according to you, among the options given below, should also be considered in HDR?
(a) Number of holidays given to employees.
(b) Clean and safe environment.
(c) Closeness to market.
(d) Number of bridges and flyovers.
Ans.1. (b) Literacy rate.
Ans.2. (b) UNDP compares countries based on the educational levels of the people, their health status and per capita income.
Ans.3. (d) All of the above.
Ans.4. (b) Clean and safe environment.
Type 2: Theory Type
Case Study Question 03
Read the sources given below and answer the questions that follows:
Source A- Ideas of Development
The idea of development or progress has always been with us. We have aspirations or desires about what we would like to do and how we would like to live. Similarly, we have ideas about what a country should be like. What are the essential things that we require? Canlife be better for all? How should people live together? Can there be more equality? Development involves thinking about these questions and about the ways in which we can work towards achieving these goals.
Source B- World Development Reports
In World Development Reports, brought out by the World Bank, this criterion is used in classifying countries. Countries with per capita income of US$ 12,056 per annum and above in 2017, are called rich countries and those with per capita income of US$ 955 or less are called low-income countries. India comes in the category of low middle income countries because its per capita income in 2017 was just US$ 1820 per annum.
Source C- Renewable Resources
Groundwater is an example of renewable resources. These resources are replenished by nature as in the case of crops and plants. However, even these resources may be overused. For example, in the case of groundwater, if we use more than what is being replenished by rain then we would be overusing this resource.
Source A- Ideas of Development
Question.1. What do you mean by economic development?
Source B- World Development Reports
Question.2. Why India comes in the category of low middle income countries?
Source C-Renewable Resources
Question.3. Why groundwater is the best example of renewable resources?
Ans.1. The economic development is the process of improving economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region or local community.
Ans.2. India comes in the category of low middle income countries because its per capita income in 2017 was just US$ 1820 per annum.
Ans.3. The groundwater is the best example of renewable resources because these resources are replenished by nature as in the case of crops and plants.
Case Study Question 04
Read the extract and answer the questions that follows:
Besides seeking more income, one-way or the other, people also seek things like equal treatment, freedom, security, and respect of others. They resent discrimination. All these are important goals. In fact, in some cases, these may be more important than more income or more consumption because material goods are not all that you need to live. Money, or material things that one can buy with it, is one factor on which our life depends. But the quality of our life also depends on non-material things mentioned above. If it is not obvious to you, then just think of the role of your friends in your life. You may desire their friendship. Similarly, there are many things that are not easily measured but they mean a lot to our lives. These are often ignored. However, it will be wrong to conclude that what cannot be measured is not important. Consider another example, if you get a job in a far off place, before accepting it you would try to consider many factors, apart from income, such as facilities for your family, working atmosphere, or opportunity to learn. In another case, a job may give you less pay but may offer regular employment that enhances your sense of security.
Another job, however, may offer high pay but no job security and also leave no time for your family. This will reduce your sense of security and freedom. Similarly, for development, people look at a mix of goals. It is true that if women are engaged in paid work, their dignity in the household and society increases. However, it is also the case that if there is respect for women there would be more sharing of housework and a greater acceptance of women working outside. A safe and secure environment may allow more women to take up a variety of jobs or run a business. Hence, the developmental goals that people have are not only about better income but also about other important things in life.
Question.1. What do you mean by income?
Question.2. Why people seek things like equal treatment, freedom, security, and respect of others?
Question.3. Why does job may give you less pay but enhances your sense of security?
Question.4. What are the things people seek for development?
Ans.1. The term income refer to the financial gain accruing over a given time period.
Ans.2. The people seek things like equal treatment, freedom, security, and respect of others because they wanted to avoid the discrimination.
Ans.3. The job may give you less pay but enhances your sense of security because it offer regular employment.
Ans.4. The things which people seek for the development are:
1. Income
2. Other aspects like security, health, equal treatment, freedom, security, and respect of others.
Case Study Question 05
Read the extract and answer the questions that follows:
Study the following table and answer the following questions:
Question.1. Which of the given states has the highest per capita income?
Question.2. Do you think that Haryana will also be the most developed and educated state as it has the highest per capita income?
Ans.1. The highest per capita income is in the state of Haryana. It is around ₹ 1,80,174.
Ans.2. Having the highest per capita income does not mean that the state has the highest level of literacy and development. The state of Kerala for example has the highest level of education percentage in India.
