Read the passage and answer the following questions.
Social change is a continuous and ongoing process. The broad historical processes of social change are the sum total of countless individual and collective actions gathered across time and space. While social movements are directed towards some specific goals, it involves long and continuous social effort and action by people. The social movements can be classified as redemptive or transformatory, reformist and revolutionary. A redemptive social movement aims to bring about a change in the personal consciousness and actions of its individual members. Reformist social movements strive to change the existing social and political arrangements through gradual, incremental steps. Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations often by capturing state power.
Regarding social movements, choose the incorrect statement from the following.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Social movements are not directed towards specific goals
Option (1) Involves long and continuous social efforts — True. A social movement involves long and continuous social effort and action by people. That is what sets it apart from a single protest or a passing event.
Option (2) Involves action by people — True. The same line of the passage says a movement involves social effort and action by people; it is people acting together that makes a movement.
Option (3) Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations — True. This is how the passage defines a revolutionary movement: it attempts to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power.
Option (4) Social movements are not directed towards specific goals — False. Social change in general is continuous and ongoing, the sum total of countless actions across time and space. A social movement is different: it is directed towards some specific goals. The word ‘not’ turns this point upside down.
NCERT (2025-26): “Distinguishing Social Change and Social Movements … It is important to distinguish between social change in general and social movements. Social change is continuous and ongoing. The broad historical processes of social change are the sum total of countless individual and collective actions gathered across time and space. Social movements are directed towards some specific goals. It involves long and continuous social effort and action by people.…” “…Revolutionary social movements attempt to radically transform social relations, often by capturing state power.…” |