Read the passage given below to answer.
A person's thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates social norms. Norms are expected behaviour in a group. Every culture has certain standards for accepting behaviour as per socially acceptable norms. For example - child marriage was a norm about hundred years ago. Those who did not marry their girl child like everyone else were considered to be breaking the norm. The most obvious problem with defining abnormality using social norms is that there is no universal agreement over social norms. Another definition of abnormality states that a person is considered abnormal if he/she is unable to perform the behaviours necessary for day-to-day living eg. self care, holding a job, managing everyday tasks. We must understand that mental health issues are prevalent in all cultures as there is ignorance and fear about psychological disorders. It is believed that these disorders are something to be ashamed of.
Norms of societies grow from its history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, art etc. These are together referred as its _________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Culture
Option (1) Community — Incorrect. A community is a group of people living together or sharing something in common. History, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology and arts are not people; they are what a society has built up over time.
Option (2) Social norms — Incorrect. Norms are the stated or unstated rules for proper conduct. The question says the norms grow from these things, so the norms are the result and cannot be the name for their source.
Option (3) Culture — Correct. A society’s norms grow from its particular culture — its history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts. So a culture that values competition may accept aggressive behaviour, while one that values cooperation and family, as in India, may see it as unacceptable.
Option (4) Rules — Incorrect. Rules are a part of what norms are, stated rules for proper conduct. History, art and technology are not rules; together they make up the culture from which the rules grow.
NCERT (2025-26): “Concepts of Abnormality and Psychological Disorders … The first approach views abnormal behaviour as a deviation from social norms. Many psychologists have stated that ‘abnormal’ is simply a label that is given to a behaviour which is deviant from social expectations. Abnormal behaviour, thoughts and emotions are those that differ markedly from a society’s ideas of proper functioning. Each society has norms, which are stated or unstated rules for proper conduct. Behaviours, thoughts and emotions that break societal norms are called abnormal. A society’s norms grow from its particular culture — its history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts. Thus, a society whose culture values competition and assertiveness may accept aggressive behaviour, whereas one that emphasises cooperation and family values (such as in India) may consider aggressive behaviour as unacceptable or even abnormal.…” |