What would you call a process in which individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Social exclusion
Option (1) Social separation — Incorrect. This is not the sociological name of the process. Being cut off from full involvement in society is called social exclusion.
Option (2) Prejudice — Incorrect. Prejudices are pre-conceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another, formed before any evidence is considered. A prejudice is an attitude in the mind, not the process by which people are cut off from society.
Option (3) Social exclusion — Correct. Social exclusion refers to ways in which individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society. It looks at the many factors that prevent individuals or groups from having opportunities open to the majority, such as access to education, health, transport, banking or the police and courts. It is not accidental but systematic, a result of the structure of society.
Option (4) Social discrimination — Incorrect. Discrimination is actual behaviour towards another group, such as refusing a person a job because of their gender or religion. It is one of the practices that can lead to exclusion; the wider process of being cut off from society is exclusion itself.
NCERT (2025-26): “Social Inequality … Prejudices refer to pre-conceived opinions or attitudes held by members of one group towards another. The word literally means ‘pre-judgement’, that is, an opinion formed in advance of any familiarity with the subject, before considering any available evidence. A prejudiced person’s preconceived views are often based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence, and are resistant to change even in the face of new information.…” “Social Exclusion Social exclusion refers to ways in which individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society. It focuses attention on a broad range of factors that prevent individuals or groups from having opportunities open to the majority of the population. In order to live a full and active life, individuals must not only be able to feed, clothe and house themselves, but should also have access to essential goods and services such as education, health, transportation, insurance, social security, banking and even access to the police or judiciary. Social exclusion is not accidental but systematic – it is the result of structural features of society.…” |