Social inequality and exclusion are social because:
(A) They are structured
(B) They are systematic
(C) They are unstructured
(D) They are non-systematic
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A) and (B) only
(A) They are structured Correct. Social inequality and exclusion follow a definite pattern: they are about groups, not individuals, and are built into the way society is arranged.
(B) They are systematic Correct. The third sense in which they are social is that they are systematic and structured; the same groups are kept at a disadvantage again and again, not by chance.
(C) They are unstructured Incorrect. Unstructured would mean random, with no pattern. Social inequality has a definite pattern, so this is the reverse of the truth.
(D) They are non-systematic Incorrect. If inequality were non-systematic, it could be explained by personal effort, talent and luck. It is the group differences, not chance, that explain social inequality and exclusion.
NCERT (2025-26): “5.1 What Is Social About Social Inequality and Exclusion? … The question being asked in this section has three broad answers which may be stated briefly as follows. First, social inequality and exclusion are social because they are not about individuals but about groups. Second, they are social in the sense that they are not economic, although there is usually a strong link between social and economic inequality. Third, they are systematic and structured – there is a definite pattern to social inqualities. These three broad senses of the ‘social’ will be explored briefly below.” |