Diversity and Discrimination Class 6 Notes CBSE Political Science Chapter 2 [Free PDF Download]

Very Short Answer Questions: 1 Mark

1. Fill in the blanks- 

(i) _____ provides that the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or region. 

Ans: Constitution - The Indian Constitution is the country's supreme law. The constitution establishes a framework that defines the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and responsibilities of government institutions, as well as people' fundamental rights, directive principles, and responsibilities.

(ii) One of the fastest _______ suffers from _______. 

Ans: Athletes, Chronic asthma - Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a well-known actress. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a UCLA basketball and track player, was diagnosed with severe asthma. Joyner-Kersee withheld the diagnosis from her coaches because she was afraid it would impact her athletic performance.

(iii) _____ works as an obstacle in individual’s growth. 

Ans: Discrimination - Discrimination has a negative impact on people's opportunities, well-being, and sense of agency. Individuals who are subjected to discrimination on a regular basis may internalise the prejudice or stigma aimed at them, resulting in feelings of shame, low self-esteem, fear, and stress, as well as bad health.

(iv) Mahars were the _______ settlers in Maharashtra. 

Ans: Earliest - Mahars are a caste-cluster, or a collection of several endogamous castes, who live primarily in Maharashtra and neighbouring states.

2. State true and false. 

(i) The stereotype society does not allow women and men to share the equal status.

 Ans: True - Men and women are held to different standards when it comes to how they should dress, act, and work. Men and women's interactions, whether in the home, the business, or the public sphere, reflect perceptions of women's and men's talents, qualities, and behaviour.

(ii) Stereotypes think that asthma patients cannot run fast or cannot take part in sports. 

Ans: True - Since airway narrowing during exercise can limit ventilatory capacity and efficiency, asthma diagnosis is especially important for sportsmen.

(iii) Only influential and high- class people can dream big. Even poor people can dream big and prove them Trueselves. 

Ans: True - It is critical that all people are treated equally because only then will our society flourish in the genuine sense of the term. It is our right to receive equal treatment.

(iv) The stereotypes think that crippled child is good for everything. 

Ans: False - Stereotypes can be based on practically any characteristic, including colour, ethnicity, age, gender, and sexual orientation.

3. Match the following:-

Ans: 

1. Original Habitants - Adivasis are the original residents of the subcontinent, as their name implies, and once inhabited far bigger areas than they do now.

2. Diversity - Workers having distinct demographic backgrounds from the rest of the workforce may feel alienated and may be, or appear to be, subject to outside pressure.

3. December 3 - Its goal is to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities in all aspects of society and development, as well as to raise awareness about their position in political, social, economic, and cultural life.

4. Hindu Philosophy - The Dharma-shastras' Varna system divides society into four varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and Shudras).

4. Choose the correct option 

(i) Battle of Koregaon was took place between__________. 

1. British and Peshwas 

2. British and Aurganzeb 

3. British and Freedom fighters 

4. None of the above 

Ans: 

1. British and Peshwas - The Battle of Koregaon (also known as the Battle of Koregaon Bhima) took place at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818, between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy.

(ii) Teachings of Buddhism is based on the lessons of_________. 

1. Gautam Buddha 

2. Mahaveer Swami 

3. Paigambar Mohammad 

4. None of the above 

Ans: 

1. Gautam Buddha - The Buddha's teachings are only intended to free sentient beings from suffering.

5. Define the Following 

(i) Gender Discrimination 

Ans: Gender Discrimination is the term used to describe discrimination between males and females of any age group.

(ii) Economic Disparity 

Ans: Economic disparity is defined as the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy.

Short Answer Questions 2 Marks 

6. What is prejudice?

Ans: When an individual's or a society's opinion is taken into consideration always hostile or oppressive toward a person or a group. It's known as prejudice.

7. How does Constitution of India help people? 

Ans: The Indian constitution does not compel anyone to abandon their own language, beliefs, customs, or practises.

8. How does constitution help an individual from being discriminated? 

Ans: Every individual in India is free to choose their religion, customs, practises, occupation, and language, according to the Indian Constitution.

9. What is an important aspect of equality? 

Ans: Respect for diversity and various people is an important part of equality.

10. What is the main source of prejudice and discrimination in India? 

Ans: India's diversity and cultural distinctions are the primary sources of prejudice and discrimination.

Short Answer Question 3 Marks 

11. How do you think the girl born in stereotype family feel discrimination? 

Ans: The prejudices portray girls as a financial burden on their parents. These stereotypes believe that a girl's image in society can be harmed by a variety of actions. Girls' mentality is pressed by these actions of inferiority, and they tend to become introverts. Marriage does not bring them good fortune. These young ladies are not permitted to make their own decisions. They are unable to dress, eat, read, or even speak in accordance with their behaviour and needs. They are subjected to numerous limitations.

12. Define Constitution. 

Ans: The Constitution of India is a document written for the benefit of Indian people and everyone else who lives in India. The Constituent Assembly of India accepted this book on January 26, 1950. There are various rules and regulations in this book that apply to both the Indian government and anybody who lives in India.

13. Differentiate between discrimination and prejudice. 

Ans: Discrimination can be based on a variety of factors, including language, status, religion, educational background, and geographic location. It's only natural. Prejudice is a concept that is influenced by unfavourable attitudes toward those who are different than us. When a person or society assaults a person's or society's individualism, discrimination occurs.

14. Write any three fundamental duties of Indian citizens. 

Ans: The following are the three fundamental duties of an Indian citizen:-

1. Spread the feeling of fraternity among all Indian citizens.

2. Everyone should work to preserve our culture's rich legacy.

3. Everyone should cultivate a scientific mindset and ability to ask questions.

15. What is the importance of directive principal and state policy? 

Ans: The directive principal and state policy is a directive issued to the central and state governments in India to work for the welfare of all Indian citizens without discrimination. The primary goal of directive principal and state policy is to ensure that every citizen has their rights and is not subjected to any type of discrimination. 

Long Answer Questions 5 Marks 

16. List five different effects that a girl suffers by her stereotype family. 

Ans: The five affects that a girl experiences in her typical household are as follows:-

1. Even marriage does not always offer good fortune to the girls. While some in-laws may treat newlywed females well, we frequently discover that they are mistreated at their in-laws' homes. They are exploited in some way.

2. Girls may become disappointed and lose focus on their schoolwork.

3. Their ambitions to achieve their goals will be destroyed.

4. Even at their parents' house, they would feel helpless because they are not given sufficient care, love, and affection by the family.

5. The girls' poor treatment would cause them to have low self-esteem and confidence, leaving them mentally weak and reliant.

17. What does the Constitution of India say about equality? Why equality is necessary? 

Ans: The state is prohibited from discriminating against citizens on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or area, according to our Constitution. All persons must be treated equally because only then will our society flourish in the genuine sense of the word. It is our right to receive equal treatment. It is our right to be treated with dignity. It is our entitlement to be afforded the same opportunities as others. Our lives would be a nightmare if we didn't have all of these. Our individuality would be stifled. As a result, we require equality so that everyone can progress without restriction. Only then will we be able to contribute to the society's and country's development.

18. Discuss different types of discriminations. 

Ans: Discrimination can be based on a variety of factors, including language, status, religion, educational background, and geographic location. It's only natural. Prejudice is a concept that is influenced by unfavourable attitudes toward those who are different than us. Discrimination occurs when people make disparaging remarks about different religions and cultures. Making disparaging remarks about a girl's appearance, behaviour, or customs is also a kind of discrimination. When such topics are raised, the general public may turn against anyone, and someone out of everyone who expresses those opinions may be mocked and dismissed.

19. How do stereotype families think that girls are a burden on them? 

Ans: The prejudices portray girls as a financial burden on their parents. This has a variety of effects on the daughter's life. It has an impact on their daily lives and has the potential to shatter their ambitions and dreams. It also gives individuals a sense of inferiority and ignorance, as well as a bad feeling. These preconceptions believe that girls will be unable to assist them in the future while boys will. These stereotypes believe that a girl's image in society can be harmed by a variety of actions. Girls' mentality is pressed by these actions of inferiority, and they tend to become introverts.

20. Differentiate the lifestyle of urban people with rural people. 

Ans: 

Access Class 6 Political Science Chapter 2 - Diversity and Discrimination Notes

In the previous chapter, we studied the importance of diversity in bringing variation to the country. These variations are sometimes not accepted by the people peaceably and that leads to discrimination and stereotyping. This chapter will teach us how differences lead to inequalities, stereotyping, and discrimination. 

“My language, My Culture is the Best”

In the previous chapter, we have seen that India is the miniature version of the world - geographically and demographically. There are twenty-two official languages in India that are spoken by its citizens. But around 121 major languages are spoken by the people of India. Your book says that there are at least 1600 languages in India that serve as the mother tongues of the people. The customs that you see in one part of the country can be entirely different from the customs that you see in the other parts. Each of the eight major religions of the world is practised in India. 

However, this diversity can sometimes look intimidating to people. It is the nature of people to hang out with familiar people. Different customs or traditions make them uncomfortable. This is the basic reason why people of one custom sometimes fail to establish an amicable relationship with the people of another custom. And this is how differences - the negative ones - take birth. 

Sometimes people can form untoward opinions towards unfamiliar cultures, different religions, different languages, different customs - anything that they are not familiar with. These opinions are malicious. These opinions are mostly baseless and pre-determined. The predetermined malicious opinions that people have of anything is called Prejudice. This prejudice stems from one’s notion that his culture, his language, his religion are the best and those of others are inferior.  

Sometimes this prejudice can lead to serious enmity between communities, cultures and language speakers. These prejudices hinder establishing a relationship of trust and friendship between communities.

Stereotypes: The First Step Towards Forming Prejudice

As we said, prejudices are formed from the predetermined notions that people have about a particular culture, religion or group of language speakers. Once we assume that the group XYZ is bad, we tend to paint every person belonging to the group with the same negative colour. This is called a stereotype. An easy way to understand stereotypes is to examine the way society expects boys and girls to behave. 

It is the prevalent assumption that - “Boys don’t feel pain.” From childhood, they are told not to cry because they are boys. So as they grow up, these poor boys start gulping their tears so that their friends and society do not ridicule them. This is very damaging to the boys from a psychological point of view. On the other hand, the girls in Indian society are expected to be soft-spoken. Naughty girls are often scolded by their parents for not ‘acting like a girl.’ To this date, many people think that cooking is the duty of the women and girls are trained to cook from an early age. 

This abnormal way of clipping their wings ruins the lives of thousands of Indian girls. From the above two paragraphs, you can see that there are two sets of behaviours - one set is deemed to be appropriate for boys and the other one to be appropriate for girls. But this segregation is entirely baseless and must be done away with. Stereotypes almost always are baseless.   

Stereotype and Prejudice Breed Inequality and Discrimination:

Now, when somebody acts on the preconceived notions that we discussed above, then it will harm the person who is subject to prejudice. For example, as we said in many families girls are supposed to get married and perform the household duties when they grow up. This prejudice breaks their dream of advancing in the professional sphere. The stereotype that boys don’t cry is creating millions of men who have trained themselves not to show sympathy or care. As a result, the nation is getting filled with an uncaring population and with women who can only cook. Can such a nation be strong? If people are prejudiced against the people of any particular caste (for example Dalits), then people of that caste might not be allowed to use the facilities that others use, and live in the place where others live. This is exactly why you often hear news of the Dalits not being allowed to draw water from the public well. The same happens in the case of prejudices concerning religion - a lot more violently. Sometimes differences in language and customs become a source reason for prejudice and discrimination. For example, in India people tend to romanticise English. Often people who speak incorrect English are made fun of. Again, suppose in a state language A is prevalent. When somebody who knows only language B comes to this state, he might not be accepted well by the people of that state.

Diversity in Financial Status: 

While diversity is welcomed, when it comes to economic status, diversity does more harm than good. In India, people belong to diverse economic backgrounds.  A student who is able to read in a premium school will get more opportunities in the professional sphere than his other counterpart who reads in a government school. A person who can pay for private medical care does not have to jostle to get a bed. He will receive the best in class medical treatment whereas the person who can only afford government medical care has to be content with the bare minimum medical care. Due to this poor people tend to die more of illness than the rich and privileged ones.

Discrimination Based on Work and Caste in India:

In India, people of different religions work together and even share the same society. We also see diversity at the workplaces, jobs, and schools. People do so many different kinds of jobs. Some are office goers, some are salesmen, some are programmers, some are drivers, some are cobblers etc. Now the question arises, do all these professionals get the same respect? How many times have you heard people addressing a vegetable seller as ‘tu’ instead of ‘aap’? This is because we tend to attach respect to the kind of work people do. Some people treat vendorship as a small work. This is another form of discrimination. 

In the ancient days, separate works were for people belonging to separate castes. Such as, Shudras were not allowed to do the work of the Brahmans. Brahmans were the upper caste of the society and they were the only ones allowed to become a priest. As a result, people did not have the opportunity of advancing. Dr B.R Ambedkar tells his experience of being refused by the Bullock Cart owners just because he was a Dalit. The Bullock Cart drivers were of the opinion that if they let B.R Ambedkar in, he would “pollute” the carts. Imagine the sense of humiliation that Dr Ambedkar had felt at that time. 

The Fight for Equality:

During the time the British ruled India, people not only struggled to banish the British but they also struggled in demolishing all the beliefs, stereotypes, and discriminations created by them. That is when the Constitution was being made. It was unambiguously written that in India people of every religion, caste, culture, language, creed, and customs will be respected. The constitution gave legitimacy to the diversity of India. Although India suffers from the presence of inequality till date. But people are always standing up and fighting for their rights. 

Important Questions and Answers:

1. How is Inequality Connected with Stereotypes?

Ans: In the NCERT class VI book of Social Science, we find an example of Muslim girls being subjected to the stereotype of not getting an education. It is believed that Muslim parents are unwilling to send their girl children to schools. It isn't as simple as it seems. Generally, people of the Muslim community are poor and hence, education takes a back seat when it comes to the question of survival. However, in states like Kerala, where efforts have been made to help the backward section of the society to get access to schools, the parents did come forward and enrolled their girl children to the schools.

2. Should we blame diversity for inequality?

Ans: Diversity can sometimes lead to stereotypes and inequality. But in countries where the demographic is not as diverse as we see in India, we still find some of the other kinds of inequality. For example, even if we rule out language, culture, religion-based diversity there will be people of varying economic status. And this variation will lead to inequality - anywhere in the world.

3. How does a country become weak when people start seeing diversity with hatred?

Ans: When diversity is not welcomed, people tend to adhere to the rules set by society. This hampers the emergence of innovation and new ideas. For example, if society expects every man to be heartless who should not cry then that nation would become a nation of soldiers where emotions are not valued.

4. What is the stereotype?

Ans: OftentimesP we judge a person’s character or behaviour based on the view we have of the community, caste or religion he belongs to. We don’t take into account his own uniqueness. This preconceived notion about a person based on the features of his community or language is what we call a stereotype.

5. What is prejudice?

Ans: If the stereotype is the cause then prejudice is the effect. When we entertain some preconceived notion about a person or a culture or a community, our actions towards that person or culture or community get biased. This biased action or view is called prejudice.

Class 6 Civics Chapter 2 Notes - Difference and Prejudice

A variety of elements make us what we are- such as the languages we speak, how we live, what wear, what we eat, the games we play and the things we celebrate are all inspired both by the geography and history of the place where we live.

Differences can only be declared based on a comparison or categorisation. Prejudice means judging people negatively or regarding them as subordinate. People can be biased about many things: religious beliefs, skin colour, the country they originate from, the accent, the clothes they wear and more.

Creating Stereotypes

A “stereotype” is a generalisation about a character or group of characters. We resort to discrimination by ascribing qualities to a person based on a convention, without the understanding of complete details. It diminishes an individual to an unyielding image and does not recognise the fact that human beings are complicated and multidimensional with different qualities. Stereotypes recommend that people or groups of people are equal, although they are quite distinct in nature.

Inequality and Discrimination

Discrimination transpires when people act based on their prejudices or stereotypes. People pertaining to various religions can be a viewpoint of heterogeneity, but can also be a cause of bias. Some people who may speak a particular language, follow a specific religion, live in particular regions or so maybe victimised as their practices or customs may be viewed as inferior.

Further, the subject of various economic backgrounds is not a form of heterogeneity but inequality. Some people may encounter both kinds of bigotry. They are poor and belong to societies whose culture is not recognised.

Aiming for Equality

The struggle for freedom from British rule also incorporated within it the struggle of big groups of people who not only battled against the British but also fought to be treated more equally. Dalits, tribals, women, and peasants fought against the inequalities they encountered in their lives.

When India became independent in 1947, the leaders too, were worried about the different kinds of differences that survived. Constitution writers of India were conscious of how prejudice is followed in the society and how people had grappled against it. Many freedom fighters, such as Dr Ambedkar had also fought for the Dalits’ rights. So these leaders started a vision and a goal in the Constitution to assure that all the people of India were regarded as equal.

The Constitution laid an obligation on the government to take specific steps to realise the right to equality for the needy and other such negligible communities. They believed that honour for diversity was an important factor in ensuring equality. They stated that the government must treat all religions equally and no one religion, language or festival should become mandatory for all to follow.

Hence, India became a secular country, where people of various religions and faiths have the liberty to follow and practise their religion without any terror of discrimination. Though these ideals are consecrated in our Constitution, inequalities exist even today.

To have a clear understanding of the chapter and the implications of the concepts, refer to the PDF of the Diversity and Discrimination Class 6 Notes, which can be downloaded as well for free of cost.