Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion
Class 12 Sociology · Indian Society · Chapter 5
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Summary
Social inequality and exclusion are so much a part of everyday Indian life that they come to seem natural or even deserved. Sociologically, however, social inequality is not about individual differences but about structured, group-based inequalities produced by society and reproduced across generations through social institutions. Social resources or 'capital' come in three forms — economic, cultural and social — whose unequal distribution underlies stratification. Prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination convert difference into disadvantage, and social exclusion systematically denies certain groups access to opportunities and resources. The chapter studies several axes of exclusion. The caste system, an extreme form of inequality, produced untouchability, against which reformers and the state have struggled; the Constitution abolished untouchability and introduced reservation as protective discrimination. Other Backward Classes face a different, secular form of disadvantage. Adivasi (tribal) struggles centre on land, forests and identity. Women face patriarchy and gender inequality, addressed by a long women's movement and laws. The chapter also examines the struggles of people with disabilities, showing how society — not just impairment — disables people by failing to accommodate their needs. Throughout, it stresses that these forms of inequality are social and therefore can be changed.
Key terms
Social inequality
Structured, group-based inequalities produced and reproduced by social institutions.
Social exclusion
The systematic denial of access to resources and opportunities to certain groups.
Prejudice
Preconceived, usually negative, opinions about a group based on stereotypes.
Untouchability
The extreme exclusion and stigmatisation of castes at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Reservation
A policy of protective discrimination reserving seats and posts for disadvantaged groups.
Patriarchy
A system of social relations in which men hold power and women are subordinated.
Extra questions & answers
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Sociologically, social inequality refers to: