CBSE 6 Social Science Chapter 2 Diversity and Discrimination Notes

Diversity and Discrimination Notes

What is Diversity and discrimination?

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What is Diversity?What is Discrimination?
Diversity means having different kinds of people together in one place. These differences can be in how people look, where they come from, what they believe, and how they think.Discrimination is when someone treated worsen because of gender, race, disability, colour, nationality, religion and age.

Difference and Prejudice

DifferencePrejudice
Difference is the variation in the use of language, status, religion, educational background, etc.Prejudice means to judge other people negatively or see them as inferior.  
Sometimes when we meet people who are very different from us we may find them strange and unfamiliar. People also form certain attitudes and opinions about others who are not like them.For example, if we think English is the best language and other languages are not important, we are judging these other languages negatively. As a result, we might not respect people who speak languages other than English.
All of these differences are influenced both by the geography and history of the place where we live.We can be prejudiced about many things: people’s religious beliefs, the colour of their skin, the region they come from, the accent they speak in, the clothes they wear etc.

Some points about differences.

  • There are eight major religions in the world. Every single one of them is practiced in India.
  • We have more than 1600 languages that are people’s mother tongues, and there are more than a hundred dance forms.
  • However, the diversity is not always celebrated. This is because we feel safe and secure with people who look, talk, dress and think like us.
  • Sometimes villagers as ignorant and see people in cities as money-minded and lazy. When our opinions about certain people are always negative – seeing them as lazy, then these become prejudices that we carry about them.

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Creating Stereotypes

  • When we fix people into one particular image we create a stereotype.
  • When people say that those who belong to a particular country, religion, sex, race or economic background are “stingy,” “lazy,” “criminal” or “dumb,” they are using stereotypes.
  • As children grow up, boys and girls are taught to do certain types of tasks. Such as
Boys and MenThey do not cry.
Girls and WomenThey are soft spoken and gentle.
  • Stereotypes stop us from looking at each person as a unique individual with his or her own special qualities and skills that are different from others.
  • Stereotypes affect all of us as they prevent us from doing certain things, that we might otherwise be good at.

Inequality and Discrimination

  • Discrimination happens when people act on their prejudices or stereotypes. If you do something to put other people down.

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Ways of discrimination

  • If you stop someone from taking part in certain activities and taking up jobs.
  • If you stop them from living in certain neighborhoods.
  • If you prevent them from taking water from the same well or hand pump.
  • If you are not allowed them to drink tea in the same cups or glasses as others.

Reasons of Discrimination

  • Discrimination can take place because of several reasons.
  • People belong to different religions. This is an aspect of diversity. However, this diversity can also be a source of discrimination.
  • Groups of people who may speak a certain language, follow a particular religion, live in specific regions etc., may be discriminated against as their customs or practices may be seen as inferior.
  • Some people may experience both kinds of dis-crimination. They are poor and they belong to groups whose culture is not valued. Tribal some religious groups and even particular regions, are discriminated against for one or more of these reasons.

Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the greatest leaders of India is considered the father of the Indian Constitution and is also the best-known leader of the Dalits. Dr Ambedkar fought for the rights of the Dalit community. Dr Ambedkar was the first person from his caste who completed his college education and went to England to become a lawyer. He encouraged Dalits to send their children to school and college. He also urged Dalits to take on different kinds of government jobs in order to move out of the caste system. He led many efforts of Dalits to gain entry into temples. Later in life he converted to Buddhism in his search for a religion that treated all members equally.Dr Ambedkar believed that Dalits must fight the caste system and work towards a society based on respect not just for a few but for all persons.

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Striving for Equality

  • When India became a nation in 1947 our leaders too were concerned about the different kinds of inequalities that existed.
  • Writers of the constitution of India were aware of the ways in which discrimination has been practised in our society and how people had struggled against this.
  • Many leaders of these struggles such as Dr Ambedkar had also fought for the rights of the Dalits. So these leaders set out a vision and goals in the Constitution to ensure that all the people of India were considered equal.
  • This equality of all persons is seen as a key value that unites us all as Indians. Everyone has equal rights and opportunities.
  • The Constitution also placed responsibility on the government to take specific steps to realise this right to equality for poor and other such marginal communities.
  • The writers of the Constitution also said that respect for diversity was a significant element in ensuring equality.
  • They felt that people must have the freedom to follow their religion, speak their language, celebrate their festivals and express themselves freely.
  • They said that the government must treat all religions equally.
  • This is seen as an important element of our unity – that we all live together and respect one other.

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