Practice Questions

Identify the term that literally means 'downtrodden' and is now the generally accepted term for referring to the ex-untouchable communities.

Propose one reason why legislation alone is insufficient to eradicate social practices like untouchability.

Apply the concept of social exclusion to a situation where a person is refused a job because of their religion, even though they are qualified.

Justify the significance of the term 'Dalit' as a self-chosen identity over terms like 'Harijan'.

Demonstrate how matrilineal societies challenge the notion that gender inequality is a 'natural' or biological phenomenon.

Define what a stereotype is in the context of social inequality.

Name the two commissions appointed by the government of independent India to look into measures for the welfare of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Propose how 'social capital' can perpetuate inequality across generations.

Define the term social exclusion as explained in the chapter.

Demonstrate how the principle 'social stratification persists over generations' applies to the Indian caste system.

Examine the relationship between prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Analyze the impact of post-independence 'national development' policies on Adivasi communities in India.

List three significant laws or constitutional provisions enacted by the state to address caste discrimination and untouchability in India.

List the three forms of capital described by Pierre Bourdieu and briefly explain each one.

Explain the difference between prejudice and discrimination, providing an example for each.

Contrast the focus of the nineteenth-century women's reform movements with the women's movement of the 1970s.

Contrast social inequality with the inequality of individuals.

Analyze the relationship between poverty and disability in the Indian context.

Formulate a critique of the argument that social inequality is a 'natural' outcome of individual differences in talent and effort.

Propose three ways in which prejudice and discrimination differ, yet are related, in perpetuating social exclusion.

Recall the central argument of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain's story, 'Sultana's Dream'.

Describe the three main dimensions of untouchability as a social practice.

Summarize the key issues faced by Adivasi communities since the colonial period, as discussed in the chapter.

Explain the social construction of disability, as presented in the text.

Compare the system of apartheid in South Africa with the caste system in India as forms of social stratification.

Contrast the social disadvantages faced by the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with those faced by the Dalits (Scheduled Castes).

Examine the role of the Mandal Commission in bringing the issue of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to the forefront of national politics.

Evaluate the statement: 'The struggles of Adivasis are fundamentally different from the struggles of Dalits because of their geographical concentration.'

Critique the idea that the 'Other Backward Classes' (OBCs) form a homogenous social group.

Evaluate the role of 19th-century male social reformers in the struggle for women's rights in India. Were their efforts unequivocally progressive?

Critique the concept of 'national development' from the perspective of Adivasi communities. Justify your critique with examples of displacement and resource alienation mentioned in the chapter.

Justify the use of the term 'differently-abled' over 'disabled' by critiquing the social model of disability.

Formulate an argument explaining why gender inequality should be understood as a form of social stratification.

Design a school-level policy to make the educational environment more inclusive for differently-abled students, moving beyond just physical infrastructure.

Examine the statement: 'Disability is as much a social as a physical thing'.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the Indian state's reservation policy in addressing historical caste-based inequalities. Justify your answer with reference to both its successes and limitations.

Summarize the three key principles that explain the concept of social stratification.

Analyze the three principal dimensions of untouchability: exclusion, humiliation-subordination, and exploitation.

Explain the concept of 'Other Backward Classes' (OBCs) and summarize their political journey in post-independence India.

Analyze how economic capital, cultural capital, and social capital can be inter-converted to perpetuate social inequality, providing a specific example.

Create a proposal for a community-based initiative designed to challenge and change stereotypes about a marginalized group, such as Adivasis or the differently-abled, in a local neighborhood.

Evaluate the argument that while the direct link between caste and occupation has weakened in modern India, the correlation between caste and economic status persists at a macro level.

Describe the contributions of nineteenth-century social reformers towards the 'women's question' in India.

Describe the main arguments that establish why social inequality is 'social' rather than individual.

Analyze why legislation alone, such as the Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989, has been insufficient to end caste discrimination.