'Ascriptive identities are very hard to shake off.' Identify the reason behind the same.
A. It is accidental, unconditional and yet almost inescapable belonging that we can often be emotionally attached to
B. It gives meaning to our world
C. It defines our sense of self
D. It is what we have become
E. It is universal in nature
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B, C, E
A. It is accidental, unconditional and yet almost inescapable belonging that we can often be emotionally attached to Correct. We do nothing to be born into a community, yet our membership is total. Because of this accidental, unconditional and almost inescapable belonging, we can become so emotionally attached to our community identity that it is hard to shake off.
B. It gives meaning to our world Correct. Expanding and overlapping circles of community ties – family, kinship, caste, ethnicity, language, region or religion – give meaning to our world, so people hold on to them.
C. It defines our sense of self Correct. The same ties give us a sense of identity, of who we are, so people often react emotionally when they see a threat to their community identity.
D. It is what we have become Incorrect. Community identity is based on birth and ‘belonging’, not on any qualification or accomplishment. It is what we ‘are’ rather than what we have ‘become’.
E. It is universal in nature Correct. A second feature of ascriptive identities is that they are universal: everyone has a motherland, a mother tongue, a family, a faith, and we are all equally committed to our own identities.
NCERT (2025-26): “6.1 The Importance of Community Identity … Community identity is based on birth and ‘belonging’ rather than on some form of acquired qualifications or ‘accomplishment’. It is what we ‘are’ rather than what we have ‘become’.…” “…In fact, most ascriptive identities are very hard to shake off; even if we choose to disown them, others may continue to identify us by those very markers of belonging. Perhaps it is because of this accidental, unconditional and yet almost inescapable belonging that we can often be so emotionally attached to our community identity. Expanding and overlapping circles of community ties (family, kinship, caste, ethnicity, language, region or religion) give meaning to our world and give us a sense of identity, of who we are. That is why people often react emotionally or even violently whenever there is a perceived threat to their community identity. A second feature of ascriptive identities and community feeling is that they are universal. Everyone has a motherland, a mother tongue, a family, a faith… This may not necessarily be strictly true of every individual, but it is true in a general sense. And we are all equally committed and loyal to our respective identities.…” |