When someone says that he/she is a Hindu or a Muslim or an Adivasi or a North Indian or South Indian, what is he/she trying to refer to?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Social identity
Option (1) Social identity — Correct. Social identity refers to those aspects of a person that link her or him to a social or cultural group, or are derived from it. Calling oneself a Hindu or a Muslim, an Adivasi, a North Indian or a South Indian names the groups one belongs to, so it shows social identity.
Option (2) Personal identity — Incorrect. Personal identity refers to the attributes of a person that make her or him different from others, such as one’s name or one’s own qualities (‘I am honest’). Religion and region are shared with many others, so they do not set the person apart.
Option (3) Biological self — Incorrect. The biological self grows out of awareness of bodily needs, as when a child’s reflex response to hunger leads to the awareness ‘I am hungry’. It has nothing to do with group membership.
Option (4) Personal self — Incorrect. The personal self is an orientation in which one is concerned primarily with oneself: personal freedom, personal responsibility, personal achievement and comforts. It is the opposite of the social self, which links one to others.
NCERT (2025-26): “Self as Subject and Self as Object … Personal identity refers to those attributes of a person that make her/him different from others.…” “Self as Subject and Self as Object … Social identity refers to those aspects of a person that link her/him to a social or cultural group or are derived from it. When someone says that s/he is a Hindu or a Muslim, a Brahmin or an adivasi or a North Indian or a South Indian, or something like these, s/he is trying to indicate her/his social identity.…” “Kinds of Self … A distinction is made between ‘personal’ and ‘social’ self. The personal self leads to an orientation in which one feels primarily concerned with oneself. We have talked above how our biological needs lead to the development of a ‘biological self’. But, soon a child’s psychological and social needs in the context of her/his environment lead other components of personal self to emerge. Emphasis comes to be laid on those aspects of life that relate only to the concerned person, such as personal freedom, personal responsibility, personal achievement, or personal comforts.…” |