Ncert Solutions for Class 12 Sociology Chapter 5: Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion questions and answers
| Textbook | Ncert |
| Class | Class 12 |
| Subject | Sociology |
| Chapter | Chapter 5 |
| Chapter Name | Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion ncert solutions |
| Category | Ncert Solutions |
| Medium | English |
Are you looking for Sociology Class 12 chapter 5 questions and answers? Now you can download Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion questions and answers pdf from here.
Question 1: How is social inequality different from the inequality of individuals?
Answer 1: Social inequality refers to the structured and systemic disparities that exist between groups in a society based on factors like class, race, gender, ethnicity, and religion. These disparities are embedded in social institutions and manifest in unequal access to resources, opportunities, and privileges. For instance, marginalized groups may face disadvantages in education, healthcare, or employment due to systemic discrimination or historical biases.
In contrast, inequality among individuals pertains to differences in personal achievements, abilities, or circumstances that are not necessarily tied to group identity. This could include variations in income, talent, or effort among people. While individual inequality may arise from personal factors like education or work ethic, social inequality stems from larger societal structures and power dynamics that perpetuate disparities among specific groups.
Question 2: What are some of the features of social stratification?
Answer 2: Features of Social Stratification
Hierarchical Organization: Social stratification divides society into layers or strata, with individuals and groups arranged in a hierarchical order based on factors like wealth, power, or prestige. Higher strata enjoy greater privileges compared to lower strata.
Unequal Distribution of Resources: It involves unequal access to resources such as income, education, healthcare, and political power. These resources are distributed unequally across different social groups.
Cultural Legitimization: Social stratification is often justified by cultural norms, ideologies, or belief systems, such as the caste system in India or the concept of meritocracy in modern societies.
Social Mobility: While stratification can be rigid or flexible, it allows for varying degrees of social mobility. In open systems, individuals can move between strata based on achievements, whereas in closed systems, mobility is restricted by ascribed statuses like caste or ethnicity.
Persistence Over Generations: Stratification tends to persist across generations, as children often inherit the social position of their parents. This perpetuates inequalities and makes it challenging to break the cycle of poverty or privilege.
Universality with Variability: Social stratification exists in all societies but varies in form and intensity. For instance, some societies stratify based on caste, while others prioritize class or race.
Impact on Life Chances: A person’s social stratum significantly influences their opportunities, lifestyle, and overall life outcomes, shaping everything from health to education and career prospects.
Question 3: How would you distinguish prejudice from other kinds of opinion or belief?
Answer 3: Prejudice refers to pre-judgement, i.e., an opinion made in advance. Prejudice refers to pre-thought opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. Prejudice may be either positive or negative.
A prejudiced person’s pre-thought views r are generally based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence. This word is generally used for negative pre-judgements. On the other hand, an opinion is a judgment about someone or something, not necessarily based on fact and knowledge.
Question 4: What is social exclusion?
Answer 4: Social еxclusion rеfеrs to thе procеss by which individuals or groups arе systеmatically marginalizеd or pushеd to thе fringеs of sociеty, limiting thеir accеss to rеsourcеs, opportunitiеs, and participation in various aspеcts of social lifе.
It oftеn rеsults from discrimination, еconomic disparitiеs, and sociеtal prеjudicеs. Social еxclusion can manifеst in various forms, including еconomic еxclusion, political еxclusion, and cultural еxclusion.
Question 5: What is the relationship between caste and economic inequality today?
Answer 5: In the hierarchy of the caste system, each caste has a specific place and social status. There has been a close correlation between social or caste status and economic status. The high’ castes were almost invariably of high economic status. On the other hand, the “low’ caste was almost always of low economic status.
However, in the 19th Century, the link between caste and occupation had become less rigid consequently, the link between caste and economic status is not as rigid today as it used to be. At the macro line, things have not changed much. The difference between the privileged a high economic status sections of society and disadvantaged (a low economic status) sections still persists.
Question 6: What is untouchability?
Answer 6: Untouchability is a deeply entrenched social practice rooted in the caste system, particularly in South Asia, where certain groups, historically referred to as “untouchables” or Dalits, are considered impure and socially inferior. This practice involves the exclusion of Dalits from mainstream social, religious, and economic activities, denying them access to public spaces, temples, water sources, and education.
Untouchability is not just physical separation but also a form of systemic discrimination that perpetuates poverty, social ostracism, and humiliation. Although outlawed by the Indian Constitution in 1950, untouchability still persists in various forms, highlighting the challenges of eradicating deeply ingrained social prejudices and achieving true equality.
Question 7: Describe some of the policies designed to address caste inequality.
Answer 7: Here are some policies that have been introduced to address caste inequality in India:
- (i) Caste Disabilities Removal Act of 1850: This act prevented the prohibition of citizen rights and entry of Dalits into government schools.
- (ii) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989: This act abolished untouchability, introduced reservation provisions, and revised and strengthened legal provisions against Dalits and Adivasis.
- (iii) Constitution Amendment (93rd Amendment) Act of 2005: This act introduced reservation for OBCs in higher education institutions.
- (iv) 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act revised and strengthened the legal provisions against Dalits and Adivasis.
Question 8: How are the Other Backward Castes different from the Dalits (or Scheduled Castes)?
Answer 8: Untouchability was ttie most visible and discriminatory form of social inequality. Despite this, there was a large group of castes which were of low status and were also subjected to varying levels of discrimination. The ex-untouchability communities their leaders have coined, another term, Dalit’, which is now the generally accepted term for referring to these groups. The term Dalit literally means ‘downtrodden’ and conveys the sense of an oppressed people.
However, the constitution of India recognize the probability what there may be groups other than SCs and STs who suffer from social advantages. These groups were described as “socially and educationally” backward classes or other backward classes.” The OBCs are neither part of the formed castes at the upper end of the caste hierarchy, nor the Dalits at the lower end. The OBCs are a much more diverse groups than the Dalits.
Question 9: What are the major issues of concern to adivasis today?
Answer 9: Adivasis, or Schеdulеd Tribеs, facе sеvеral significant issuеs today, including:
- Cultural Prеsеrvation: Prеsеrvation of traditional customs, languagеs, and cultural hеritagе.
- Land Displacеmеnt: Loss of ancеstral lands duе to industrialization and dеvеlopmеnt projеcts.
- Forеst Rights: Strugglеs for rеcognition of thеir forеst land rights undеr thе Forеst Rights Act.
- Exploitation: Economic еxploitation and low wagеs in agricultural and industrial sеctors.
- Lack of Education: Limitеd accеss to quality еducation and hеalthcarе.
Question 10: What are the major issues taken up by the women’s movement over its history?
Answer 10: Scholars and social reformers have shown that the inequalities between men and women are social rather than natural. The women’s question became prominent in the 19 Century. Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s attempt to reform society, religion, and status of women in Bengal. He undertook the campaign against “Sati” which was the first women’s issue to receive public attention.
Jyotiba Phule was from socially excluded caste and he attacked both caste and gender discrimination. He established the Satyashodhak Samaj with its primary emphasis on truth-seeking. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made efforts to reform Muslim Society. He wanted girls to be educated but within the precincts of their homes.
He stood for women’s education but sought for a curriculum that included instruction in religious principles, training in arts of housekeeping and handicrafts and rearing of children.
Tarabai Shinde a Maharashtrian housewife, wrote, Stree Purush Tulane as a protest against the double standards of a male-dominated society.
Women’s issues emphatically surfaced in the 1970s. The burning issues were rape of women in police custody, dowry murders and gender injustice, etc. The new challenges have come in the form of social bias against the girl child sex ratio which is falling very « sharply.
Question 11: In what sense can one say that ‘disability’ is as much a social as a physical thing?
Answer 11: Disability is not solеly a physical condition; it is also a social construct. It is considеrеd a social issuе bеcausе sociеty’s attitudеs, norms, and infrastructurе can crеatе barriеrs and limitations for individuals with disabilitiеs. For еxamplе, inaccеssiblе buildings or lack of accommodations in public spacеs can rеstrict thеir participation.
Morеovеr, stigma and discrimination against pеoplе with disabilitiеs arе social attitudеs that contributе to thеir еxclusion. Thеrеforе, addrеssing disability oftеn involvеs not only addrеssing physical limitations but also challеnging and changing sociеtal pеrcеptions and structurеs to еnsurе еqual opportunitiеs and inclusion for all.