At a weekly market in a forested district, Gond villagers sell tamarind to traders who carry it to towns, and buy salt, pots and knives made elsewhere. Which of the following does this exchange mainly show?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The local tribal economy is linked into wider markets
Option (1) The local tribal economy is linked into wider markets — Correct. Forest produce such as tamarind goes to the towns through traders, and goods made elsewhere come into the village. This shows the local tribal economy linked into wider markets.
Option (2) The economy works as a separate sphere with its own laws — Incorrect. Studying the economy as a separate sphere with its own laws is the approach of modern economics. It is a way of studying economies, so a single market exchange cannot show it.
Option (3) Markets are controlled by particular social groups or classes — Incorrect. Control of markets by particular social groups or classes is the sociological idea of an embedded economy. The scene does not show who controls the market; it shows goods moving between village and town.
Option (4) A market for tribal labour develops in the area — Incorrect. A market for tribal labour grew when tribals were recruited to work on plantations and mines. The Gond villagers here sell produce and buy goods, and nobody is hired for wages.
NCERT (2026-27): “4.1 Sociological Perspectives on Markets and the Economy … |