In-group and Out-group
Examples of ingroup and outgroup ranges from genders to football teams. Our ability to form in-groups and out-groups happens from childhood. Bullying is an example of an in-group undermining an out-group. The concept of in-group and out-group is centered on the work of Tajfel and his team carried out in the 1970s. They emphasized not only the idea that in-groups try to make themselves superior to others, but also that they will work together to raise their status if they feel undermined. There are multitude of groups that an individual can belong.
For ‘ingroup’ and ‘outgroup’ members, “we” and “they” words are used respectively. People in the “we” group are generally:
(A) seen unfavourably
(B) have undesirable traits
(C) perceived positively
(D) categorised as similar
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (C) and (D) only
By using the words ‘we’ and ‘they’, one is categorising people as similar or different. Persons in the ingroup are generally supposed to be similar, are viewed favourably, and have desirable traits.
(A) seen unfavourably Incorrect. Ingroup members are viewed favourably; it is the outgroup that is often perceived negatively.
(B) have undesirable traits Incorrect. Ingroup members are seen to have desirable traits.
(C) perceived positively Correct. Being viewed favourably means being perceived positively.
(D) categorised as similar Correct. Members of the ‘we’ group are supposed to be similar to one another.
NCERT (2025-26): “Ingroup and Outgroup … The term ‘ingroup’ refers to one’s own group, and ‘outgroup’ refers to another group. For ingroup members, we use the word ‘we’ while for outgroup members, the word ‘they’ is used. By using the words they and we, one is categorising people as similar or different. It has been found that persons in the ingroup are generally supposed to be similar, are viewed favourably, and have desirable traits.…” |