Which of the following are the characteristics of ‘community identity’?
(A) It is based on birth
(B) Membership is accidental and inescapable
(C) It is universal and has emotional attachment
(D) It is based on certain accomplishments
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (B), and (C) only
(A) It is based on birth Correct. Community identity is based on birth and ‘belonging’. No one chooses the family, community or country into which he or she is born; such identities are called ascriptive.
(B) Membership is accidental and inescapable Correct. Membership of a community is entirely accidental, since we do nothing to deserve it, and almost inescapable: even if we disown it, others may go on identifying us by it.
(C) It is universal and has emotional attachment Correct. Everyone has a motherland, a mother tongue, a family, a faith, so these identities are universal. And because belonging is accidental, unconditional and almost inescapable, we are often emotionally attached to our community identity.
(D) It is based on certain accomplishments Incorrect. Community identity rests on birth rather than on acquired qualifications or accomplishment. Membership of a profession or a team needs exams or skill; membership of a community needs none.
NCERT (2025-26): “6.1 The Importance of Community Identity … Community identity is based on birth and ‘belonging’ rather than on some form of acquired qualifications or ‘accomplishment’. It is what we ‘are’ rather than what we have ‘become’. We don’t have to do anything to be born into a community – in fact, no one has any choice about which family or community or country they are born into. These kinds of identities are called ‘ascriptive’ – that is, they are determined by the birth and do not involve any choice on the part of the individuals concerned.…” “…Perhaps it is because of this accidental, unconditional and yet almost inescapable belonging that we can often be so emotionally attached to our community identity.…” “…A second feature of ascriptive identities and community feeling is that they are universal.…” |