As a sociological concept 'minority' means the following.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Lack of both number and power
Option (1) Lack of number — Incorrect. Small numbers alone do not make a minority. People who are left-handed or born on 29th February are minorities only in a statistical sense; they do not form a disadvantaged collectivity, so they are not minorities in the sociological sense.
Option (2) Lack of power — Incorrect. Disadvantage is part of the idea, but on its own it is only half of it. When the word is used without qualification it means a group that is relatively small and also disadvantaged, so number cannot be left out.
Option (3) Lack of both number and power — Correct. The sociological notion of minority is more than a merely numerical distinction; it usually involves some sense of relative disadvantage. That is why very wealthy people, though few, are called a ‘privileged minority’ and not just a minority. A minority is thus a relatively small but also disadvantaged group, whose members feel a strong sense of group solidarity.
Option (4) Lack of number and culture — Incorrect. Minorities have cultures of their own; what marks them out is disadvantage, the experience of prejudice and discrimination, not a lack of culture.
NCERT (2025-26): “6.3 Religion-related Issues and … The notion of minority groups is widely used in sociology and is more than a merely numerical distinction – it usually involves some sense of relative disadvantage. Thus, privileged minorities such as extremely wealthy people are not usually referred to as minorities; if they are, the term is qualified in some way, as in the phrase ‘privileged minority’. When minority is used without qualification, it generally implies a relatively small but also disadvantaged group. The sociological sense of minority also implies that the members of the minority form a collectivity – that is, they have a strong sense of group solidarity, a feeling of togetherness and belonging. This is linked to disadvantage because the experience of being subjected to prejudice and discrimination usually heightens feelings of intra-group loyalty and interests (Giddens 2001:248). Thus, groups that may be minorities in a statistical sense, such as people who are left-handed or people born on 29th February, are not minorities in the sociological sense because they do not form a collectivity.” |