(i) Many religions are practised in India and more than over 1,600 languages are spoken.
(ii) Sometimes, we meet people with different ideas.
(iii) Differences in people exist on various grounds.
(iv) These differences lead to prejudice. Prejudice means to form an opinion without realising actual facts. Ex People think Boys are good in sports (Fact: Girls are equally good like P.V Sandu )
Creating Stereotype:
(i) As children grow up, boys and girls are taught to do certain types of tasks.
(ii) These are based on certain types of stereotype images. It means to fix people into one
particular image.
Inequality and Discrimination:
(i) Discrimination is when people act on their prejudices or stereotypes.
(ii) Discrimination can take place on several grounds.
(iii) A group of people may be seen inferior as they speak a different language, follow another religion, have different customs and practices.
(iv) People may suffer discrimination on economic or social grounds. Tribals, some religious groups and some regions are discriminated against others for several reasons.
On Being Discriminated Against:
(i) People are engaged in certain types of occupations. Certain kinds of jobs are more valued than others.
(ii) Caste rules did not allow the so called untouchables to take on work of their choice in spite
they were forced to serve the high class.
(iii) Dr Ambedkar suffered discrimination in school when he was only of nine years of age.
(iv) He emerged as the pioneer of rights of Dalits. He believed the Dalits must fight for their rights and raise voice against caste system.
Striving for Equality:
(i) The struggle for freedom against British rule also strived for equality.
(ii) Dalits, women, tribals and peasants have fought for long against inequality.
(iii) The framers of the Indian Constitution aimed to overcome discrimination and inequality of
the society.
(iv) People were granted freedom to follow their religion, speak their language, celebrate their festivals and expose themselves freely.
(v) To guarantee equality, India became a secular state.
NCERT SOLUTIONS
Question 1. Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.
| (a) Two surgeons were sitting down to lunch when one of them made a call on the mobile phone | (1) suffers from chronic asthma |
| (b) The boy who won the drawing competition went to the dais | (2) to become an astronaut which she did |
| (c) One of the fastest athletes in the world | (3) to speak with her daughter who had just returned from school |
| (d) She was not that well-off but had a dream | (4) on a wheelchair to collect his prize |
Ans :
| (a) Two surgeons were sitting down to lunch when one of them made a call on the mobile phone | (3) to speak with her daughter who had just returned from school. |
| (b) The boy who won the drawing competition went to the dais | (4) on a wheelchair to collect his prize. |
| (c) One of the fastest athletes in the world | (1) suffers from chronic asthma. |
| (d) She was not that well-off but had a dream | (2) to become an astronaut which she did. |
Question 2: How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.
Answer: When we fit all persons of a particular group into one fixed image, a stereotype is created by us. Stereotypes affect all of us as they prevent us from doing certain things, that we might otherwise be good at. A stereotype is based on prejudices. Such stereotypes hurt the feelings of others and it can result in misunderstandings and conflicts between various communities and groups.
The stereotype thinking that girls are a burden on their parents will affect their life and shatter their dreams and goals. It also creates a feeling of being inferior to others and arouses negativity among them. They feel so discouraged that they are not able to concentrate on their studies.
Five different effects of the stereotype are:
- The girls are not given quality education as they are not allowed to join the school or college. Their career is ruined by this attitude of their parents.
- They are not given nutritious diet because nutritious food shall be kept for the boys. As a result, their health and growth may be affected.
- They are not allowed to enjoy their childhood and forced to do household chores. They may be forced into marriage at an early age. Sometimes they are also ill-treated by their in-laws.
- They are not given proper care, love, and affection of the family and even not allowed to go out and enjoy with their friends. They cannot think of becoming independent, so they start feeling helpless even in their parents' home.
- Their issues are not properly addressed and proper medical care is not given when they fall ill.
Question 3. What does the constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?
Answer: There were different kinds of inequalities existed in India before getting independence. When India became a free nation in 1947, our leaders were concerned about these inequalities. So they set out to prepare a constitution for India and took great care to remove inequalities and discrimination of all kinds. They said that no one language, religion or festival should become compulsory for all to follow and the government must treat all religions equally. This equality of all persons is seen as a key value that unites us all as Indians.
With regard to equality, the constitution said that;
- All Indians are equal before the law and everyone has equal rights and opportunities.
- People are free to choose the kind of work they wish to do.
- Government jobs are open to all people.
- It is right to equality for poor and other such marginal communities.
- Untouchability is seen as a crime and has been legally abolished by law.
It is important for all people to be equal so that all of them have the freedom to follow their religion, speak their language, celebrate their festivals and express them freely. Respect for diversity was a significant element in ensuring equality. We need equality so that we can move ahead and prove ourselves helpful in the development of the country.
Question 4. Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in your presence. We are often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say something right then and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following situations:
- A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.
- You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial comment about a particular religious community.
- Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person because they think that she is dirty.
- Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community because of their accent.
- Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well as them.
Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.
Answer: Students should make five groups and discuss the issues among themselves.
- We should try to convince that being poor is neither a crime nor a matter of laughter. Hence, he should not tease his poor classmate. Instead, he should learn to respect the social background of others.
- India is a country known for its harmony and secularism. This is our power and we should not hurt the sentiments and beliefs of other religious communities. All religions teach us that we should love our fellow human beings.
- We should not consider someone inferior to us only because of their appearance. We should treat all children as unique in their own way and we should be friendly with all children.
- People in each religion have their own language and accent. We should not make fun or joke of their accent and learn to respect it.
- Everyone is unique in his/her own way. They have their own physiques and may not be good in all things. We should convince those boys that girls are no way less efficient than boys and should encourage them. There are many female sports stars who are very popular.