Two communities live in the same district of Jharkhand. In Village A, families live in the forest and move in small groups from place to place, collecting honey, roots and fruits and hunting small animals. Children go into the forest on their own from an early age. In Village B, families have lived on the same land for generations, growing paddy and vegetables. Work follows the seasons, land is held by joint families, and every member has a fixed part in sowing, weeding and harvesting. A researcher studying the two villages finds clear differences in the personality patterns of their children.
On the basis of the cultural approach to personality, which qualities are most likely to become dominant in the children of Village B?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Obedience to elders, nurturance to youngsters and responsibility to duties
Option (1) Independence, autonomy and achievement orientation — Incorrect. These qualities belong to hunting-gathering life, as in Village A. Moving through forests and taking risks while hunting make independence, autonomy and achievement more useful there.
Option (2) Obedience to elders, nurturance to youngsters and responsibility to duties — Correct. Village B lives by settled farming. In <strong>agricultural societies</strong>, children are brought up to obey elders, care for younger ones and do their duties, because these qualities make people <strong>more functional</strong> in such a society. The cultural approach sees personality as an <strong>adaptation</strong> to the demands of the group's ecology and culture.
Option (3) Independence, nurturance to youngsters and responsibility to duties — Incorrect. Nurturance and responsibility fit farming life, but independence is part of the hunting-gathering pattern. A farming society values obedience to elders in its place.
Option (4) Obedience to elders, autonomy and achievement orientation — Incorrect. Obedience to elders fits farming life, but autonomy and achievement are the qualities valued in hunting-gathering societies like Village A.
NCERT (2026-27): “Cultural Approach … |