Social conflict leads to collective action ________.

The correct answer is Option (4) → Consciously but through group thinking

Option (1) automatically through individual action — Incorrect. Social conflict does not automatically lead to collective action, and collective action is the action of a group, not of one person.

Option (2) Unconsciously but through group action — Incorrect. A group that is discontented without knowing it does not rise in protest. The group must consciously think of itself as oppressed.

Option (3) consciously but through individual thinking — Incorrect. The thinking has to be conscious, but it has to be shared. It is the group that must identify itself as oppressed, with an organisation, a leadership and a clear ideology; one person’s thoughts do not make collective action.

Option (4) Consciously but through group thinking — Correct. For collective action to take place, a group must consciously think or identify themselves as oppressed beings. There has to be an organisation, leadership and a clear ideology. Even then, people who know how they are exploited may resist only through small everyday acts.

Note: The section ‘Theories of Social Movements’ of the chapter ‘Social Movements’, which carries these lines, was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023. This section has been deleted from the NCERT book (2025-26), though the chapter is still there.