Social Movements ch-8

Very Short Answer Type

Question 1.

What is a socio-reform movement?

Answer:

A movement that started to remove the existing social evils and

ills of the society is known as socio-reform movements.

Question 2.

What is the main aim of the socio-reform movement?

Answer:

The main aim of the socio-reform movement is to remove the

existing social evils from society and to make social life
progressive.

Question 3.

Why were tribal movements started in India?

Answer:
Tribal movements were started to save the tribal cultures so
that they could not be mixed with the cultures of other
societies.

Question 4.

What is Social Reform?

Answer:

When people of the society start a movement against the

existing evils of the society and tries to remove those evils then
it is known as social reform.

Question 5.

Why is mobility present in social reform?

Answer:

Mobility is present in social reform because the social reforms

are not the same in all ages and all societies. That’s why it is
mobile.

Question 6.

What is social welfare?

Answer:
All those organized social efforts are included in social welfare
with the help of which, all the members of the society receive
facilities to develop themselves in a proper way. Lower and
backward classes especially care in the works of social welfare
so that all-round development and welfare of the whole society
could take place.

Question 7.

What are the two objectives of social welfare?

Answer:

1. the First objective of social welfare is that the needs of

members of the society could be fulfilled.
2. To establish those social relations with which people
should be able to develop their abilities.

Question 8.

What is the difference between social welfare and social

reform?

Answer:

In social welfare, the work is done for the all-around

development of the lower classes and backward classes but in
social reform, efforts are made to change the society by
removing social evils from the society.

Question 9.

What is a Political Movement?

Answer:

The movement which aimed at achieving a political objective is

called a political movement. For example, the freedom
movement of India.

Question 10.

What is Cultural Movement?

Answer:

The movement which aims at the protection of its own culture

is called a cultural movement. For example, tribal movement.

Question 11.

Why were caste-based movements started before

independence?

Answer:
 1. Before independence, caste-based movements were
started to oppose the supremacy of Brahmins over the
other castes.
2. To uplift the social status of our own caste in a caste
hierarchy.

Question 12.

Why are reform movements known as social movements?

Answer:

The main objective of reform movements was to remove social

and religious evils from society and that’s why they are known
as social movements.

Question 13.

What is meant by Resource Mobilisation?

Answer:

Resource mobilization is a method in which any social

movement gets strength

by its political influence, wealth, reach of media, and

cooperation of the people.
Question 14.

What is meant by Redemptive Social Movement?

Answer:

A redemptive social movement is a movement that aims to

bring about a change in the personal consciousness and
actions of its individual members. For example, Narayana Guru
led the people of the Ezhava community in Kerala to change
their social practices.

Question 15.

What is meant by the Reformist Social Movement? (C.B.S.E.

2010)

Answer:

A reformist social movement is a movement that wanted to

change the existing social and political systems through
gradual and incremental steps. For example, the 1960’s
movement for the reorganization of the Indian states on a
linguistic basis and the recently launched Right to information
campaigns.

Question 16.
What is meant by Revolutionary Social Movement? (C.B.S.E.
2010)

Answer:

This is a type of social movement which attempts to radically

transform social relations, generally by capturing state power.
For example, the French revolution in 1789 and the Russian
revolution of 1917.

Question 17.

What is the theory of relative deprivation of social movement?

Answer:

According to the theory of relative deprivation, social conflict

arises when a social group feels that its condition is worse than
that of the others around it. Such conflict is likely to result in a
successful collective protest.

Question 18.

Why were Ecological movements started?

Answer:

More stress is being laid on the development in the modem age

because of which there was an unchecked use of natural
resources. It was a matter of concern and that’s why ecological
movements were started.

Question 19.

Why were peasant movements started before independence?

Answer:

The nature of every peasant movement was different which was

started before independence, but their main demand was the
removal of economic exploitation of farmers by the
moneylenders.

Question 20.

Why were worker’s movements started during colonial rule?

Answer:

Labour, during the early age of colonial rule, was very less
because the colonial government hardly made any laws
regarding the wages and working conditions of laborers. That’s
why the worker’s movement was started to save laborers from
exploitation from their owners.

Question 21.
What does the theory of resource mobilization tell us about
social movements? (C B.S.E. 2010)

Answer:

This theory was given by McCarthy and Zald. They argued that a
social movement’s success depends on its ability to mobilize
resources or means of different types. If a movement can
muster resources and can use them within the available
political structure, it is more likely to be effective.

Question 22.

Name any two women’s organizations of the early 20th century.

(C.B.S.E. 2010)

Answer:

1. The Women’s India Association (WIA)-1917

2. All India Women’s Conference (AIWC)-1926

Question 23.

Explain the theory of relative deprivation. (C B.S.E. 2012)

Answer:
According to this theory, social conflict arises when a social
group feels that it is worse off than others around it. Such
conflict is likely to result in a successful and collective protest.
This theory emphasizes the roles of psychological factors like
resentment and rage in inciting social movements.

Question 24.

What are distinctive modes of protest? (C.B.S.E. 2013)

Or

What are distinct modes of protest? (C.B.S.E. 2017 (D))

Answer:

Candle and torchlight processions, use of black cloth, street

theatres, songs, poetry, and Gandhian ways like ahimsa
picketing, use of Charkha and Satyagraha are few modes of
protest.

Question 25.

What were the main concerns of social reformers in the 19th

century? (C.B.S.E. 2013, 2017 (D))

Answer:
 ● The Muslim social reformers discussed a great deal
about the meaning of purdah and polygamy.
● The injustice suffered by the fourth caste and the issue
of gender oppression.

Question 26.

Distinguish between social change and social movement.

(C.B.S.E. 2015)

Answer:

Social movements are directed towards specific goals and

these movements involve long and continuous social efforts
and activities of the people.

Social change is a continuous and ongoing process that is sum

total of countless individuals and collective action gathered
across time and space.

Question 27.

In what ways do reformist and redemptive movements differ?

(C.B.S.E. 2015)

Answer:
The reformist movement wants to change the existing social
and political arrangement through gradual incremental steps
such as the RTI campaign. Redemptive movement brings about
a change in the personal consciousness and action of its
individual members.

Question 28.

What are counter-movements? (C.B.S.E. 2017 (D))

Answer:

Counter Movements – Counter movements arise in defense of

the status – quo when a social movement seeks to bring in a
social change.

Example-

The role of Dharma sabha as a counter to Raja Ram Mohan

Roy’s campaign against Sati.

Social Movements Important Extra Questions Short Answer Type

Question 1.

Which changes could be brought with the help of socio-reform

move¬ments?

Answer:
India is a welfare state in which everyone gets equal
opportunities. The main objective of the welfare state is to
make the life of the people happy. But this is possible if all the
existing beliefs and evils of society are removed. Only
socio-reform movements can remove them. But nothing can be
obtained only by making law. For this, reform is necessary for
society. For example, laws are present for child marriage, dowry
system, child labor, etc., but these things are common in our
country. All these things are obstacles to our country’s growth.
If we want to develop our society then socio reform movements
are necessary. That’s why socio reform movements are
necessary to bring changes in our society.

Question 2.

Give four features of social movements.

Answer:

1. Social movements are always anti-social.

2. Social movements are always planned and deliberate
efforts.
3. Their main objective is to bring about reforms in
society.
4. Collective efforts are required because one person
cannot bring changes in society.

Question 3.
What is the nature of social movements?

Answer:

1. Social movements are not institutions because

institutions are permanent and traditional and are
considered as a necessary aspect of the culture.
These movements come to an end after the
achievement of their objective.
2. Social movements are not associations, because
associations have their own constitutions. This
movement is generally informal, unorganized, and is
against traditions.
3. Social movements are neither pressure nor sectional
group because these movements demand changes in
social norms.

Question 4.

Why were socio-reform movements started in India?

Answer:

Socio reform movements were started in India due to the

following reasons:-

1. Social evils of Indian society were attached to religion.

 2. Society was divided on the basis of caste and caste
was made on the basis of religion. Breaking caste
rules was considered a sin.
3. The status of women was very low because of which
they had no importance in society.
4. The Indian society was full of illiterate people.
5. Many social evils were present in the Indian society
like caste system, Sati system, child marriage, child
infanticide, restriction on widow remarriage, etc.

That’s why social reformers decided to bring reforms in the

society and social reform movements were started in India.

Question 5.

Why were tribal movements started?

Or

Write a note on tribal movement with special reference to

Jharkhand. (C.B.S.E. 2012)

Answer:

Hundreds of tribes live all over India. They have their own
specific living style. They also have very limited needs. They are
very conscious about maintaining their culture and tribal
identity. If the tribal people observe that their culture is being
interfered with or their demands are overlooked or if there is any
danger in maintaining their tribal identity, then they generally
take the path of movement. Except this, the tribal people also
go for movement for a definite type of change due to the impact
of the other communities, religions, and classes. For example,
the tribal movement was started on the issue of the creation of
a separate state of Jharkhand for the tribals. Birsa Munda of
the Munda tribe started a movement against Christianity. Birsa
was known as the Birsa God in his Munda tribe. Just because of
his efforts, converted Christians of the Munda tribe came back
into the Hindu religion and started to perform Hindu practices
and customs.

Question 6.

What were the main features of social movements that started

before independence?

Answer:

1. the Main feature of social movements started before

independence was to re¬establish Hinduism rationally
because it took severe blows from Muslim rulers and
Britishers.
2. To uplift women, Harijans and exploited classes so
that they could also live a better life like other classes.
3. These movements wanted to remove the traditional
ideology and wanted to establish a new system.
 4. These movements wanted to break the chains of the
caste system and establish the feeling of equality and
brotherhood among the people.
5. These movements wanted to develop feelings of
sympathy, tolerance, brotherhood, etc. among the
Indian masses.

Question 7.

What are the features of Revolutionary movements?

Answer:

1. Revolutionary movements wanted to establish a new

system by removing the existing system.
2. Violent and suppressive measures are used in
revolutionary movements.
3. Revolutionary movements are initiated at a time when
there is a need to remove social evils.
4. Revolutionary movement always aimed at ending the
rule of the autocratic ruler.

Question 8.

What are the features of Reformist movements?

Answer:
 1. The reformist movement wanted to bring reforms to
the old social system.
2. The speed of the reformist movement is always slow.
3. Peaceful methods are used in reformist movements
and they are initiated for peaceful changes in society.
4. They generally exist in democratic countries.

Question 9.

Distinguish between New social movement and the Old social

movement.

Or

In what way the new social movements are different from the
old social movements. (C.B.S.E. 2017 (D))

Answer:

1. The old social movements functioned within the frame

of political parties but the new social movements were
not aimed at changing the distribution of power in the
society as they were about the quality of life issues like
having a clean environment.
2. Old social movements wanted to remove evils from
society and wanted to remove exploitation, but new
social movements were started with an aspiration of
better living standards.
 3. In the old social movements, the role of political
parties was central but modem movements are left
away by the formal political systems and they put
pressure on the state from the outside.

Question 10.

Explain something about the Chipko Movement.

Answer:

Chipko movement started in the hilly areas of Uttrakhand (U.P.

at that time) in 1070. Forests in those areas were the means of
livelihood for people living there. People used to collect things
from forests to live their lives. The Government gave these
forests to private contractors to earn revenue. When the people
went to the forests to collect wood and other things they were
stopped by contractors as they also wanted to earn money from
these forests. People of many villages stood against this and
collectively started to struggle against this. When the
contractors came to cut down the trees, villagers stepped
forward to hug the trees to prevent them from being felled.
Women and children actively participated in it. Prominent
Environmentalist Sundra Lai Bahuguna also joined the struggle.
As people used to hug the trees, this movement came to be
known as the Chipko movement. In the end, the movement was
successful and the government banned the cutting of forests of
the Himalayan region for 15 years.
Question 11.

What were the issues against which the leaders of the

Jharkhand movement were agitating? (C.B.S.E. 2010)

Or

Mention the issues which agitated the Jharkhand leaders.

(C.B.S.E. 2017 (O.D.))

Answer:

The issues against which the leaders of the Jharkhand

movement agitating were:

1. Acquisition of land for large irrigation projects and

firing ranges,
2. Survey and settlement operations, which were held up,
camps closed down, etc.,
3. Collection of loans, rent, and cooperative dues, which
were resisted,
4. Nationalization of forest produce which they
boycotted.

Question 12.

Bring out the differences between social change and social

movement. (C.B.S.E. 2017 (OD))
Answer:

Difference between social change and social movements-

1. Social change is continuous and ongoing.

2. Sum total of countless individual and collective
actions gathered across time and space.
3. Social movements are directed towards some specific
goals.
4. Involves long and continuous social effort and action
by people.

Question 13.

State the features of new farmer’s movements. (C.B.S.E. 2017

(OD))

Answer:

Features of New farmer’s movements

1. Movements were regionally organized

2. Involved farmer rather than peasants
3. Not involved with any party
4. The basic ideology of the movements was strongly
“anti-state and anti-urban”
5. Demands were “price and related ‘issues”
 6. Novel methods of agitation were used e.g., road and
railway blocks, refusing entry of
politicians/bureaucrats, etc.

Social Movements Important Extra Questions Essay Answer Type

Question 1.

What is meant by Social Movement? Explain its different types.

Answer:

When people of any society are dissatisfied with the prevailing

social circumstances of society and they want to bring about
change in it, then social movement comes into being. Social
movement always starts with an ideology. Sometimes social
movement develops to oppose any change. Earlier, sociologists
used to think that social change is an effort to bring change but
modern sociologists think that movement either brings social
change or stops any change. Different thinkers gave their views
about social movement and these are given below:

According to Merril and Eldridge, “Social movement is more or

less a conscious effort for change in the society.” According to
Hurston and Hunt, “Social movement is the collective effort for
bringing change or opposing in the society or in its members.”

According to Herbert Blunder, “Social movement can be called

as the collective effort to establish a new system of life.”
So on the basis of these views of different scholars, we can say
that social movement is the collective behavior of the members
of society, whose aim is to either change the prevailing culture
and social structure or to oppose that change. So social
movement can be understood in the form of the effort of social
action and collective effort.

Types of Social Movements: Hurton and Hunt were of the view

that the classification of social movement is not easy work. It is
seen because of the different nature of different movements.
Different scholars gave different classifications and the main
types of social movements are given ahead:

1. Special Social Movements: Objectives of special social

movements are pre¬determined and are pre-organized. These
movements are controlled by experienced leaders.
Revolutionary and Reformist movement come under this
category.

2. General Social Movements: General Social movements are

related to the prevailing cultural values of the society. This type
of movement develops due to those slow changes which are
included in cultural values. It is also because the changed
values, ideas, and beliefs are not clear when they are in their
earliest stage. Feminist movements and scheduled caste
movements come under this category.

3. Expressive Movements: The main objective of expressive

social movement is to express collective disagreement on any
subject. Herbert Blumer had divided these types of movements
into two parts and these are religious movements and linguistic
movements. ‘

4. Resistance Movements: Resistance movements are exactly

opposite to revolutionary movements. The main objective of the
resistance movement is to stop or remove change but the main
aim of the revolutionary movement is to bring change. Many
types of resistance movements took place in India during the
20th century.

5. Utopian Movements: Those movements come under utopian

movements that were started by great scholars or thinkers to
make an imaginative and ideal society. The Socialist movement
of Karl Marx and the Bhoodaan movement of Vinoba Bhave
come under this category.

6. Migratory Movements: Migratory movements occur due to

war, flood, famine, or any disease. People migrate from one
place to another under this type of movement. When people of
one area or country collectively decide to live in another country
then this type of movement takes place.

7. Revolutionary Movements: The main objective of the

revolutionary movement is to overthrow the existing system out
of power and to establish a new system. These are of two
types-violent and non-violent. These movements start due to
dissatisfaction, which prevails in society. The main feature of
revolutionary movements is their pace and violence. But many
times non-violence is also present.

8. Reformative Movements: The main objective of reformative

movements is to bring reforms in the society by removing evils
from the existing social system. Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj,
Ramakrishna Mission, and Prarthna Samaj come under this
category. They can develop only in a democratic set up because
the government, in democracy, itself is interested in bringing
reforms in the society.

Question 2.

What were the conducive conditions in India to start Social

reform movements?

Answer:

1. Western Education: When the Britishers started to rule over

India, then they started to spread western education. When
Indians came in contact with western education, they came to
know about science and reasoning. They came to know that the
prevailing customs of Indian society were useless and
baseless. That’s why enlightened Indians started social
movements.

2. Development of means of transport: Britishers developed

means of transport for their own convenience but Indians took
maximum advantage of these means. With the advent of means
of transport, Indians came in contact with each other.
Enlightened and educated Indians reached different parts of the
country and explained to the people that the prevailing customs
are useless for them. People . were already fed up with these
customs. They gave a good response to these requests and
conditions became conducive with the development of means
of transport.

3. Advent of Indian Press: Press started in India after the advent

of the British organizers of movements started to publish small
newspapers and magazines so that Indians could read them
and should understand that these evils are very harmful to the
society. It is necessary for them to overthrow these evils from
society. In this way, Indians came to know that it is necessary
for them to remove these social evils.

4. Increasing impact of Missionaries: When the Britishers came

to India Christian missionaries also came with them. They were
given help by the Britishers. The function of these missionaries
was to propagate Christianity but their way of propagating was
somewhat different. First of all, they worked for social welfare.
They solved the problems of the people and then used them to
propagate their religion. Gradually, people started to adopt
Christianity. When Indian social reformers came to know about
this thing, they also started reform movements in India. In this
way, these movements were started due to the impact of
Christian missionaries.
5. Evils of Indian Society: Most of the social reform movements
were started to remove the social evils of the society. Sati
Pratha, child marriage, restriction on widow remarriage, dowry
system, untouchability, etc. are examples of some of the social
evils of Indian society. People were fed up with social evils.
When these movements started the movement was welcomed
with open hands. That’s why these movements got what
conducive environment and social reform movements became
successful.

Question 3.

What changes in Indian society due to social movements?

Explain them.

Answer:

1. End of Sati Pratha Place: Sati System prevailed in Indian

society from the very beginning. Widows had to die with the
death of her husband. She had to sit alive on the funeral pyre of
her husband. This inhuman custom was started by higher
castes. Due to social movements, the British government
started to oppose this system and it passed a law called ‘Sati
Prohibition Act’ in 1829. This law declared Sati Pratha as illegal.
In this way, the custom of ancient times came to an end. All this
happened due to social movements.

2. End of Child Marriage: Child marriages were prevailing in

Indian society. Due to child marriage, parents used to marry
their children at the age of 4-5 years. It hardly mattered to them
whether the child even knew the meaning of marriage or not.
The British government fixed the minimum age of child
marriage due to social movements. British Government made a
law in 1860 and fixed a minimum age of 10 years for marriage.

3. Widow Remarriage: Widows in our society were not allowed

to remarry and this custom was going on from the very
beginning. They were not allowed to take part in family
functions. They had no right to live a happy life. Due to the
efforts of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the British Government
passed an act in 1856 called the ‘Widow Remarriage Act, 1856’
with which widows got permission to remarry. In this way, they
got the legal right to remarry and to live a happy life.

4. End of Purdah System: Purdah system prevailed among

Muslims. Females always had to live behind purdahs. They were
not allowed anywhere. Gradually, this system spread all over the
country. Social reformers raised their voice against the purdah
system. Even Sir Syed Ahmed Khan also raised his voice
against this system. In this way, this system started to decrease
and with the passage of time, it came to an end.

5. Change in Customs of Dowry System: Dowry is that which is

given by the father of the bride at the time of her marriage
according to his wish. But many problems also cropped up
along with it. Parents of the bridegrooms started to demand
dowry because of which parents of the girls had to face a
number of problems. Many movements were started against
this. That’s why the British government and later on in 1961, the
Indian Government declared it illegal.

6. End of Untouchability: The custom of untouchability was

prevalent in Indian society from the ages. In this, lower castes
were not allowed to touch the people of higher castes. So the
voice was raised in social movements against untouchability.
That’s why an atmosphere was created for declaring it illegal.
After independence, the Indian government passed an act with
which it was declared illegal.

7. Intercaste marriages: Intercaste marriages were not allowed

in Indian society. But inter-caste marriages were encouraged by
these social movements and they also received legal
permission after independence.

8. Caste System: The caste system was one of the important

bases of Indian society. But the caste system was weakened by
these movements. Almost all the movements raised their
voices against the caste system. Gradually, the caste system
lost its importance and it is now on the verge of its end.

9. Women Education: Almost all the social movements agreed

on one thing and that was women’s education. The status of
women was very low in our society. They had no rights. All the
social movements worked for women’s education with which
women’s education got encouragement. That’s why now she is
standing side by side with her husband.
So we can say that social movements were started in the 19th
century in India and many changes came in the Indian society
due to these movements.

Question 4.

Explain the peasant movements that started in India.

Answer:

Peasant movements are associated with the relations between

farmers and agricultural activities. When there is a lack of
coordination between agricultural workers and landowners, then
workers take the path of movement and peasant movement
starts to take place. Actually, these movements start because
of the exploitation of farmers. Its main base is class struggle
and it is different from worker’s movement. The important base
of these movements is the agricultural system. A different type
of structure has been developed among the agricultural classes
due to agriculture relations and the diversity of land systems.
This structure is different in different areas. Agricultural classes
of India can be divided into three parts-

1. Owner
2. Farmer
3. Laborer.
The owner is also known as a landowner. This class is the
owner of the whole land on which agricultural work takes place.
Farmers come after landowners. Small marginal farmers are the
owners of small pieces of land. They used to till their land
themselves. The third class is of laborers who earned money by
working in the agricultural field. They are generally landless and
very poor.

Peasant movements started because of different causes. As

the earning of agricultural laborers is affected by
industrialization, they opposed it with a movement. Except this,
there are certainly other reasons for initiating peasant
movements, like the demand for more value of their produces,
their exploitation by the officials, bonded laborers, opposition of
reducing farming subsidies, etc.

Beginning of Peasant Movement: These movements started in

the 19th century when the British government associated itself
with the agricultural system. The Santhal revolt took place in the
19th century against the British. In 1875, riots of money lenders,
Awadh revolt, and farmer’s opposition of money lenders in
Punjab took the form of the peasant movement. Gandhiji
adopted the way of nonviolence for farmers and workers in
1917-18. Farmer’s organization and peasant labor unions were
formed in 1923.

Farmer’s association was developed in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal,

and Punjab. The struggle between farmers and laborers started
in Gujarat during 1928-29 and 1930-31. The first struggle was
started under Sardar Patel and the government was forced to
accept their demands. Many movements started from 1937 till
1946 against zamindars, landlords, and landowners. Peasant
movements of Mysore and Travnkor were started against kings
and local landlords. In the same way, the movements of Odisha,
Udaipur, Gwalior, and Jaipur were important in the history of the
Indian Peasant Movement.

Even after independence, there was no reduction in the

problems of peasants and agricultural laborers and that’s why
the number of farmer movements increased all over the
country. The main objective of all these movements was the
protection of the interests of farmers. These movements also
aimed at removing farmer’s exploitation and providing
socio-economic justice to the farmers.