Please read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
A popular Bollywood movie 'Lagan' portrays India before Independence. Indians were ruled by the Britishers for many years. They were denied basic rights. The common and the lower strata of the society were not provided the privilege of education as the Britishers felt that 'Indians are not good enough'. They deliberately gave Indians less qualified jobs and kept highly qualified jobs for themselves.
Britishers’ attitude towards Indians was usually negative. Such negative attitude is termed as ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Prejudice
Option (1) Prejudice — Correct. Prejudices are attitudes towards a particular group; they are usually negative and are often based on stereotypes. The British held such a negative attitude towards Indians as a whole.
Option (2) Stereotype — Incorrect. A stereotype is the cluster of ideas about a group, the cognitive component on which a prejudice rests. The question asks for the name of the negative attitude itself.
Option (3) Discrimination — Incorrect. Discrimination is the behavioural component: treating the target group less positively. It is what a prejudice may turn into, not the attitude.
Option (4) Hatred — Incorrect. Hatred is part of the affective component of prejudice, a feeling that often goes with the stereotype. The attitude as a whole, with its ideas, feelings and actions, is prejudice.
NCERT (2025-26): “Prejudice and Discrimination … Prejudices are examples of attitudes towards a particular group. They are usually negative, and in many cases, may be based on stereotypes (the cognitive component) about the specific group. As will be discussed below in the section on social cognition, a stereotype is a cluster of ideas regarding the characteristics of a specific group. All members belonging to this group are assumed to possess these characteristics. Often, stereotypes consist of undesirable characteristics about the target group, and they lead to negative attitudes or prejudices towards members of specific groups. The cognitive component of prejudice is frequently accompanied by dislike or hatred, the affective component. Prejudice may also get translated into discrimination, the behavioural component, whereby people behave in a less positive way towards a particular target group compared to another group which they favour.…” |