Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Sociology

Chapter

Social Change and Development in India: Social Movements

Question:

People may damage a bus and attack its driver when the bus has ran over a child. This is an isolated incident of protest. Since it flares up and dies down it is not a social movement. A social movement requires sustained collective action over time. Such action is often directed against the state and takes the form of demanding changes in state policy or practice. Spontaneous, disorganised protest cannot be called a social movement either. Collective action must be marked by some degree of organisation. This organisation may include a leadership and a structure that defines how members relate to each other, make decisions and carry them out. Those participating in a social movement also have shared objectives and ideologies. A social movement has a general orientation or way of approaching to bring about (or to prevent) change. These defining features are not constant. They may change over the course of a social movement's life. Social movements often arise with the aim of bringing about changes on a public issue, such as ensuring the right of the tribal population to use the forests or to the right of displaced people to settlement and compensation. Think of other issues that social movement have taken up in the past and and present. While social movement seek to bring in social change, counter movements sometimes arise in defense of status quo.

Read the passage above and answer the following questions.

Social Movements are responsible for:

Options:

Development

Conflict

Protest

Social Change

Correct Answer:

Social Change

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (4) → Social Change

Social Movements are primarily responsible for social change. While they may involve protest and conflict as means to achieve their goals, their overarching aim is to bring about meaningful changes in society, such as advocating for rights, addressing injustices, or challenging existing norms and practices. Development, while it may result from social change, is not inherently the primary responsibility of social movements.