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.
Which one of the following is not a characteristic of social movements?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Orientation of social movements are fixed
Option (1) Orientation of social movements are fixed — Not a characteristic (Correct). The orientation of a social movement is not fixed; it may shift over time. A movement may start off with, say, revolutionary objectives and become reformist, so the statement says the opposite of what is true.
Option (2) Social movements can be a mix of different types — A characteristic (Incorrect). When one tries to classify a movement, one finds that most movements have a mix of redemptive, reformist and revolutionary elements. A single movement rarely fits only one type.
Option (3) Social movement organisations are institutionalised form of movements — A characteristic (Incorrect). A movement may start from a phase of mass mobilisation and collective protest and become more institutionalised. Social scientists who study the life cycles of movements call this a move towards ‘social movement organisations’.
Option (4) Social movements involve collectives — A characteristic (Incorrect). A social movement is collective action: long and continuous social effort and action by people working together towards a goal. One person’s protest, however strong, is not a movement.
NCERT (2025-26): “8.3 Types of Social Movements … As you might discover when you try to classify a social movement in terms of this typology, most movements have a mix of redemptive, reformist and revolutionary elements. Or the orientation of a social movement may shift over time such that it starts off with, say, revolutionary objectives and becomes reformist. A movement may start from a phase of mass mobilisation and collective protest to become more institutionalised. Social scientists who study the life cycles of social movements call this a move towards ‘social movement organisations…” |