Chapter 2 Diversity and Discrimination

Inequality means that people are not equal on the terms of economic conditions and opportunities that have been given to them.
Discrimination is the process of separating one person from another on the basis of caste, creed and colour.
Prejudice is to judge negatively or to see them inferiorly. Example: we judge people on the basis of their languages.
Stereotype is, fix people into one image. Example: we create stereotype when we say anyone criminal.
Untouchable person means person engaged in excavation and in removal of dead animals.
India has more than 1600 languages as mother tongue and more than 100 folk dances. There are something around 80 major religions in the world and India practices single one of them.
There is a very common stereotype that Muslim girls are not well educated because there family background is not interested in teaching them. And, that is why they are able to attend the school and sometimes drop the year.
On the basis of castes, people have created a ladder in which they have created themselves as the upper caste and the lower caste. They had an orthodox mentality that upper caste people are inferior and the lower caste one are unworthy and are often called untouchables.
In early times the untouchables were not allowed to come in the temples of the villages and were force to work as garbage picker and in has to remove the skin of dead animals in the village.
Untouchable children were not allowed to sit with other children in the classroom.
Dr. BR. Ambedkar is the father of the Indian constitution and were the first person of his caste who completed his studies in college and went to England to study law and became a lawyer. He was born in Mahar caste. Later on he converted himself into Buddhism to search a religion in which where all people were treated equally. He fought for the dalits right.
Now, everyone has their own rights in our Indian constitutions and it is seen to be crime to have untouchability in the country and it has been legally abolished by the law.
India is secular country now and practices freedom. This is an important element of unity.

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Exercise 1 ( Page No. : 24 )

Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes. a. Two surgeons were sitting down to lunch when one of them made a call on the mobile phone 1. suffers from chronic asthma. b. The boy who won the drawing competition went to the dias 2. to become an astronaut which she did. c. One of the fastest athletes in the world 3. to speak with her daughter who had just returned from school. d. She was not that well-off but had a dream 4. on a wheelchair to collect his prize.

Ans:

a. Two surgeons were sitting down to lunch when one of them made a call on the mobile phone	3. to speak with her daughter who had just returned from school.
b. The boy who won the drawing competition went to the dias	4. on a wheelchair to collect his prize.
c. One of the fastest athletes in the world	1. suffers from chronic asthma.
d. She was not that well-off but had a dream	2. to become an astronaut which she did.

How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.

Ans:

The stereotype that girls are burden on their parents affect the lives of a daughter in following ways:
1. They are not taken care properly. The parents do not look after the daughter properly and asks her to manage her problems. They expect that the daughter will not share anything including her feelings in the society.
2. The parents get the daughter married early because they think she is burden on them and by making her bride they think that their burden will be less.
3. They are not allowed to attend school. Their parents think that there is no need of sending them to school and also thinks that it is a wastage of money and time as well.
4. They are engaged in household works. Their family members think that girls are only for handling household works like cooking, mopping and sweeping etc.
5. They are not allowed to play or go outside the house as well as they are not allowed to talk with boys. Parents and the other mates thinks that if girls will talk with boys, society will make fun of her family and this is a shameful thing if she play with any boy, the society creates stereotype against her. Hence, keeping this orthodox mentality in mind the parent does not allow girls to go outside the house.

What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is important for all people to be equal?

Ans:

With regards to equality, the constitution says “Every person is equal before the law”. It is important for all the people to be equal so that they do not have discrimination against each other. Then every citizen have equal rights and opportunities. There will be no creation of any type of stereotype or prejudice. If there will be no inequality then every person will be able to express his/ herself clearly in front of society without feeling uncomfortable or being reluctant in expressing their thoughts to others. The children will able to study and they will not face any problem in talking with other children whether they are rich or higher caste.

Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say something right then and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following situations: a. A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor. b. You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial comment about a particular religious community. c. Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person because they think she is dirty. d. Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community because of their accent. e. Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well as them. Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.

Ans:

(a) When a friend begin to tease a classmate because of his poorty then I will ask him/ her not to tease him. And, I will try to make my friend understand that every person is equal and we should not discriminate anyone or create any type of issue about their poorty. Instead of teasing him, we should help him and treat him equally like others. I will support the classmate and try to explain my friend that he/ she should support him, help him in studies and to encourage him. If he/she will tease him in any way then he will feel lack of confidence. I will make sure that from my words, no one get hurts neither my friend or nor my classmates. I would just try to make them understand that every person should be treated equally.

(b) If my family members make prejudicial comment about a particular religious community then I will stop them and will tell them that creating prejudice against any religion is insult of that religious community. Every religious community will only respect our religion when we will respect and support their religious community.

(c) If children of my class refuse to share their food with a particular person because of her dirtiness then, firstly I will share my food to her. And, then I will make them to say sorry to her and I will tell my classmates that no one is dirty. If someone is dirty, so that is you and your thinking.

(d) If someone makes fun of any community on the basis of their accent then, I will stop him/ her and tell them that every region has their own language and making fun of their language is equal to making fun of them and their region too. We should not make fun of any language and should always respect every language.

(e) If someone makes remarks that girls do not have capability to play with boys then I will make them understand that girls are not weak and can play with boys as well. And, I will ask them not to discriminate anyone on the basis of their gender. Everyone should have given equal rights and opportunities and the girls have equal rights to play with boys.

Chapter 2 Diversity and Discrimination

Exercise 1 ( Page No. : 24 )

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