Class 12 Sociology - Indian Society : Chapter 5: Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion Questions and Answers

List of Questions and Answers

Q 1.State the meaning of the term social exclusion?

Ans:
Social exclusion refers to ways in which individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society. It focuses attention on a broad range of factors that prevent individuals or groups from having opportunities open to the majority of the population.

Q 2.What are prejudices ?

Ans:
Prejudices refer to preconceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. The word literally means "pre-judgement", that is, an opinion formed in advance of any familiarity with the subject, before considering any available evidence.

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Q 3) The ways in which individuals may become cut-off from full involvement in the wider society is known as
(a) Social inclusion
(b) Social inequality
(c) Social exclusion
(d) Social stratification

Ans:(c ) Social exclusion

Q 4. Explain any two dimensions of untouchability.

Ans:
Exclusion: untouchables are most go through extreme form of exclusions like being prohibited from sharing drinking water sources or participating in collective religious worship, social ceremonies and festivals.
Humiliation-subordination:

  • Publicly visible humiliation and subordination is a common practice towards untouchables.
  • Untouchables are forced inclusion in a subordinated role,such as being compelled to play the drums at a religious event.
  • Common instances of humiliation and subordination are:
    • imposition of gestures of deference such as taking off headgear, carrying footwear in the hand, standing with bowed head, not wearing clean or "bright" clothes, and so on.
    • routinised abuse and humiliation.

Q 5. Explain the term social exclusion.

Ans:
Social exclusion refers to ways in which individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society.It focuses attention on a broad range of factors that prevent individuals or groups from having opportunities open to the majority of the population.
Social exclusion is not accidental but systematic - it is the result of structural features of society.

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Q 6. Explain the three key principles of social stratification.

Ans:
Three key principles that helps explain social stratification are :
(a) Social stratification is a characteristic of society, not simply a function of individual differences .Social stratification is a society-wide system that unequally distributed social resources among categories of people.With basic technologically little was produced so only simple social stratification could exist.And with advanced technology people produce a surplus over and above their basic needs,but social resources are unequally distributed to various social categories regardless of people's innate individual abilities.
(b) Social stratification persists over generations. It is linked to the family and the inheritance of social resources passed from one generation to the next.The occupational opportunities are decided based on the caste system an individual is born in.For example a dalit is likely to be confined to traditional occupations such as agricultural labour, scavenging, or leather work, with little chance of being able to get high-paying white-collar or professional work. Marriage is usually restricted to members of the same caste, ruling out inter-caste marriages.
(c) Social stratification is supported by patterns of belief, or ideology.No system of social stratification is likely to persist over generations unless it is widely viewed as being either fair or inevitable.The caste system, for example, is justified in terms of the opposition of purity and pollution, with the Brahmins designated as the most superior and Dalits as the most inferior by virtue of their birth and occupation. People with the greatest social privileges express the strongest support for systems of stratification such as caste and race.

Q 7) Explain the struggles of the differently abled.

Ans:

  • The differently abled are not "disabled" only because they are physically or mentally "impaired" but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs.
  • In India labels such as "disability", "handicap", "crippled", "blind" and "deaf" are used synonymously. Often these terms are hurled at people as insults.
  • Labels such as bechara (poor thing) accentuate the victim status for the disabled person.
  • The common perception views disability as retribution for past karma (actions) from which there can be no reprieve.
  • The dominant cultural construction in India therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual.
  • The disabled are rendered disabled not because they are biologically disabled but because society renders them so.
  • Disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family.

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Q 8. Analyse the state and non-state initiatives addressing caste and tribe discrimination.

Ans:

  • The most important state initiative attempting to compensate for past and present caste discrimination is the one popularly known as "reservations".
  • This involves the setting aside of some places or "seats" for members of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in different spheres of public life.
  • The initiatives provided reservations of seats in the State and Central legislatures (i.e., state assemblies, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha); reservation of jobs in government service across all departments and public sector companies; and reservation of seats in educational institutions.
  • The proportion of reserved seats is equal to the percentage share of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the total population.
  • In addition to reservations, there have been a number of laws passed to end, prohibit and punish caste discrimination, specially untouchability.
  • One of the earliest such laws was the Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850, which disallowed the curtailment of the rights of citizens due solely to change of religion or caste.
  • The 1850 Act was used to allow entry of Dalits to government schools.

Q 9.Illustrate the correlation between disability and poverty.

Ans:
There is a close relationship between disability and poverty.

  • Malnutrition, mothers weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate immunisation programmes, accidents in overcrowded homes, all contribute to the incidence of disability among poor people that is higher than among people living in easier circumstances.
  • Disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family.

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Q 10.State the meaning of the term "Social" in the phrase Social Inequality and Exclusion.

Ans:

  • First, social inequality and exclusion are social because they are not about individuals but about groups.
  • Second, they are social in the sense that they are not economic, although there is usually a strong link between social and economic inequality.
  • Third, they are systematic and structured – there is a definite pattern to social inequalities.

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