Social Movements
Short Questions with answers
1. What is universal adult franchise?
Answer : It is the right of every adult to vote in elections.
2. What movement fought for equal rights for Blacks in the US?
Answer : The Civil Rights Movement.
3. What is a social movement?
Answer : A collective effort to bring about or resist change in society.
4. What does the People’s Charter represent?
Answer : A demand for universal male suffrage in England.
5. What is the main feature of a revolutionary social movement?
Answer : It aims to radically transform social relations.
6. Who led the Chipko Movement?
Answer : Villagers, especially women, in the Himalayan foothills.
7. What does the term Dalit mean?
Answer : It refers to oppressed or broken people.
8. What is the aim of the Right to Information campaign?
Answer : To ensure transparency in governance.
9. What is the ‘economy of subsistence’?
Answer : A way of living relying on basic resources for survival.
10. What was the Dandi March?
Answer : Gandhi’s protest against British salt taxes.
11. What do social reform movements focus on?
Answer : Changing unjust societal practices.
12. What is the significance of the Chipko Movement?
Answer : It protected forests and raised ecological concerns.
13. What is the Tebhaga Movement?
Answer : A struggle for a larger share of produce for sharecroppers.
14. What does the term sanskritisation mean?
Answer : Adopting upper-caste practices to gain social mobility.
15. What role did Birsa Munda play?
Answer : He led a tribal uprising in Jharkhand.
16. What are counter movements?
Answer : Movements resisting social changes.
17. What is a redemptive social movement?
Answer : It seeks personal and spiritual change in individuals.
18. What was the Women’s India Association?
Answer : An early women’s organization in India.
19. What sparked the Telangana movement?
Answer : Feudal oppression in Hyderabad.
20. What is ‘identity politics’?
Answer : Political movements based on shared experiences of marginalization.
21. What is the focus of ecological movements?
Answer : Sustainable use of natural resources.
22. What is the meaning of post-Fordism?
Answer : Flexible production methods and global outsourcing.
23. What did the Bardoli Satyagraha protest against?
Answer : High land revenue demands.
24. What were the demands of the All India Kisan Sabha?
Answer : Freedom from exploitation for peasants.
25. Who founded the first trade union in India?
Answer : B.P. Wadia in 1918.
26. What is secularisation in politics?
Answer : Reducing caste influence in political mobilization.
27. What does Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aim for?
Answer : Cleanliness and sanitation in India.
28. What are new social movements focused on?
Answer : Issues like environmental protection and human rights.
29. What do tribal movements often address?
Answer : Alienation from forest lands.
30. What is the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana?
Answer : A program promoting girl child education and survival.
Medium Questions with answers
1. How did the Chipko Movement address ecological and social issues?
Answer : The Chipko Movement protested against deforestation, protecting villagers’ livelihoods and the environment. Villagers, especially women, hugged trees to prevent them from being cut. It highlighted the link between local subsistence and ecological sustainability.
2. What are the characteristics of social movements?
Answer : Social movements involve sustained collective action and shared objectives. They often seek to change policies or practices and may develop organizational structures. Movements evolve over time and face opposition from entrenched interests.
3. What were the aims of the Tebhaga movement?
Answer : The Tebhaga Movement demanded two-thirds of the produce for Bengal’s sharecroppers. It fought against the exploitation by landlords. Supported by the Kisan Sabha and the Communist Party, it symbolized peasant struggles for justice.
4. How do old and new social movements differ?
Answer : Old movements focused on class-based issues like wages and social security. New movements address identity, environmental, and quality-of-life issues. They often include participants across different social and class boundaries.
5. Why was the Dandi March significant?
Answer : The Dandi March was Gandhi’s protest against the British salt tax. It symbolized the fight against colonial exploitation. It transformed a basic necessity into a tool of resistance.
6. What does the term ‘economy of profit’ mean?
Answer : It refers to systems prioritizing financial gains over social and ecological needs. In the Chipko Movement, this was contrasted with villagers’ subsistence economy. The conflict highlighted ecological destruction for commercial purposes.
7. What is the impact of globalization on social movements?
Answer : Globalization creates international networks for social movements. Issues like environmental risks and human rights become global concerns. Movements like the World Social Forum address globalization’s hazards collectively.
8. How did the French Revolution influence social movements?
Answer : The French Revolution inspired movements to challenge established systems. It emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity. These principles shaped later revolutionary and reformist efforts globally.
9. What is a reformist social movement?
Answer : A reformist movement seeks gradual changes in societal structures. Examples include state reorganization on linguistic lines and the Right to Information campaign. It aims for incremental progress within the existing system.
10. What were the effects of deforestation in the Alaknanda valley?
Answer : Deforestation caused floods, landslides, and destruction of resources. Villages below deforested areas suffered severely. These events spurred ecological awareness and activism.
11. What was the focus of women’s movements post-1970s?
Answer : Women’s movements tackled issues like dowry, land rights, and workplace harassment. They also addressed the diverse concerns of women across classes. These movements brought significant legal and social reforms.
12. What is meant by the term Dalit?
Answer : Dalit refers to oppressed people, rejecting caste-based discrimination. The term symbolizes a struggle for dignity, equality, and self-determination. It gained prominence in the 20th century through Dalit activism.
13. How did tribal movements highlight ecological concerns?
Answer : Tribals opposed forest land alienation and industrial projects. Movements combined cultural identity and ecological sustainability. These struggles emphasized the need to preserve tribal livelihoods and natural resources.
14. Why is sociology interested in social movements?
Answer : Sociology studies social movements to understand societal change. Movements reveal conflicts, collective actions, and shifts in power structures. They are key to analyzing social integration and disintegration.
15. How did literacy impact the Jharkhand movement?
Answer : Literacy among tribals helped preserve their history and culture. It united them under a shared identity and strengthened demands for a separate state. Educated leaders effectively lobbied for their rights.
Long Questions with answers
1. How did social movements shape rights like the universal adult franchise?
Answer : Rights such as universal adult franchise were outcomes of prolonged struggles. Movements like Chartism and suffragettes campaigned for voting rights for all. These efforts challenged exclusionary practices and ensured broader representation. In India, similar struggles marked the fight against colonialism and caste discrimination.
2. What role did trade unions play in India’s labor movement?
Answer : Trade unions emerged to protect workers’ rights during colonial rule. The first union was formed in 1918, and later the AITUC and INTUC led struggles. These unions fought for better wages, working conditions, and social security. They also linked workers’ issues to the nationalist movement.
3. How do social movements inspire each other?
Answer : Movements like the Civil Rights Movement influenced global struggles for equality. The Indian national movement inspired constitutional reforms and social change. The Chipko Movement’s ecological focus shaped later environmental activism. Such connections show how movements propagate ideas and solidarity.
4. What challenges do social movements face?
Answer : Movements often face resistance from entrenched interests and values. Counter movements arise to maintain the status quo, as seen with widow remarriage and sati reforms. Social changes require sustained efforts against social and political obstacles. Despite resistance, movements gradually bring about transformation.
5. How does globalization influence new social movements?
Answer : Globalization connects movements across borders, addressing global issues. Environmental activism and human rights campaigns use international platforms. Movements collaborate through forums like the World Social Forum. These alliances strengthen their collective impact.
6. What was the significance of the Chipko Movement for ecology?
Answer : The Chipko Movement highlighted the destructive impact of deforestation. Villagers’ resistance protected forests and prevented ecological disasters. It emphasized the link between local livelihoods and environmental sustainability. This movement became a model for ecological activism.
7. Why are identity issues central to new social movements?
Answer : New movements address cultural anxieties, aspirations, and marginalized identities. They unite participants across class boundaries, like women’s and regional movements. These movements highlight that social inequality intersects with other concerns. Identity-based struggles often redefine societal norms and power dynamics.
8. What were the goals of the Telangana movement?
Answer : The Telangana movement opposed feudal exploitation and demanded reforms. It targeted oppressive landlords in Hyderabad, seeking land rights for peasants. The Communist Party led this revolutionary movement. It exemplified struggles for economic justice and equality.
9. What were the main concerns of Dalit movements?
Answer : Dalit movements focused on eradicating untouchability and caste oppression. They sought recognition as equals and emphasized dignity and self-confidence. Movements ranged from religious conversions to educational and social reforms. They highlighted both cultural and structural aspects of discrimination.
10. How did women participate in early Indian social movements?
Answer : Women actively joined movements like the nationalist struggle and tribal revolts. Organizations like the AIWC worked for women’s rights and welfare. Post-independence, women addressed violence, dowry, and workplace issues. These movements brought lasting changes in laws and societal attitudes.
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