Question Discussion & Solution

Social science is the branch of science devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. 

Key PointsMain objectives of teaching social studies at the primary level are - 

• The teaching of social studies is aimed at helping learners to develop greater awareness of themselves to clarify and examine their values and to establish a sense of self-identity.
• The teaching of social studies helps promote learners' concern for the development of an understanding and acceptance of others in the society with different values and lifestyles.
• Social studies teaching helps provide learners with an understanding of past events and persons and their roles in shaping present day lives and a visualisation of future changes.
• Social studies teaching helps provide learners with a knowledge of human systems in areas of economics, government, and culture, and how they are part of this society.
• Social studies teaching helps provide learners the skills necessary to carry out an independent investigation of problems and to react critically to the solutions posed by others.
• Social studies teaching aims at providing learners with an awareness of possible situations and their possible roles in shaping the future.
• Social studies helps provide learners with an appreciation of people's efforts to improve human conditions through creative expression and problem-solving.
• Social studies teaching provides learners with an understanding of the decision-making processes involved in human interaction and with the skills necessary to become effective decision-makers. 

Therefore, from the above points, it is clear that to keep record of crimes in society is not an objective of teaching social studies at the primary level.

Social stratification can be defined as the arrangement of groups of individuals in hierarchical positions based on criteria like wealth, prestige, ethnicity, gender, and power. Because of the similarity of their positions in the social structure they develop a consciousness of who they are, what their common problems are, and what should be done to remove these problems. A social class is a group of individuals who have more or less similar wealth. 

Important Points

Class: Most modem societies have class-based stratification.

• However many features of traditional stratification may be observed in modem societies such as elements of the caste system and feudalism found in India.
• But with economic development, class-based stratification is becoming increasingly imminent.

Caste: Caste is a much-debated topic in India. The word 'caste refers to the Spanish word 'Casta' which means 'breed' in Spanish.

• In the Indian context, it represents caste and its related social practice.
• The caste system influences the social life of the Indian in several ways, as it assigns ascribed status to its members.
• According to the Rig Veda, the oldest and most important of all the four Vedas, four Varnas are placed in a hierarchical order-the Brahmans, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Shudras.
• The profession of brahmans is that of priests and teachers. The Kshatriyas are warriors and rulers. The Visayas(Vis)are traders and other common people. The Shudras occupy the lowest position in the hierarchy and perform menial tasks.
• According to some historians, there is a fifth Varna, the untouchables, and they are not considered as a part of society. The tribes and people of other religions are also considered outside the Varna system

Gender: The unequal access to resources, opportunities, and rewards, and rights between men and women are legitimized by patriarchy across societies and cultures.

• Status inequality between men and women is not a new phenomenon that is reinforced through patriarchy and its institutions, gendered division of labor, and social institutions like marriage, dowry, property, and inheritance, and subordination.
• Women’s value is defined by their reproductive abilities rather than by their productive activities.
• Bridewealth is considered as compensation to the bride's parents or her kin for the productive and reproductive rights of the bride; dowry as a form of inheritance provides a bride with land and other wealth and helps her to attract a husband.

Religion: Another important aspect of the pluralism of India and at times cause a social conflict is a religion. As is well known, India is home to many religions. Almost all major religions in the world have followers in India.

• These include Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and several others in small numbers.
• Hindus constitute 79.8% of the population and are present in almost every part of the country.
• Islam is the second most dominant religion, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists are comparatively small in numbers yet are an important part of India’s diversity. Sikhs constitute a majority in the state of Punjab, Muslims constitute a majority in Jammu and Kashmir, and have a significant presence in the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Assam.
• Christians also are spread all over India with a significant population in North Eastern States, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• At the Social level, in general, there is harmonious co-existence and respect for each other’s religion.
• However, some vested interests particularly for political support, exploit the religious sentiments of the masses to keep them divided. That at times causes conflicts and growth of communalism.

Hence, we conclude that social stratification in India is mainly based on caste, class, religion, and gender.

Jean Piaget, a swiss psychologist, is famous for his work on child development. He made a systematic study of cognitive development in his theory that is categorized in four stages.

Key Points

Piaget used 'Schemas' for 'Organised packets of information stored in long term memory' as according to Piaget:

• Schemas are mental representations of how information is organized and interpreted.
• schemas refer to a small packet of information that is used to organize and store information.
• Schemas are specific psychological structures, constructed in organized ways to make sense of experience.

Hence, it could be concluded that Piaget used 'Schemas' for 'Organised packets of information stored in long term memory'.

Additional Information 

Other key Concepts of Piaget Theory:

• Accommodation: It is the modification of an existing schema to suit the new experience.

• Assimilation: It is the addition of a new concept or experience into an already existing schema.
• Equilibration: It refers to the process to find a balance between existing schemas and new information.

An intellectual disability that is also known as mental retardation (M.R.) is the most common disability found among children with special needs. It is considered a substantial limitation in present functioning.

• It starts before the age of 18, the intellectual functioning level of a child becomes below average and that can be measured by the standardized tests used for measuring the intelligence quotient.

Key Points

• The mentally retarded are those whose normal intellectual growth is arrested before birth, during the birth process, or in the early years of development.
• They learn slowly and through imitating their peers or teachers. They have a short memory and forget things easily.
• They have problems in communication, social interaction, managing their daily tasks, speech disturbances. They show immaturity in different social situations.
• Mental retardation may vary in different individuals, ranging from mild to profound. They require special care and supervision for their welfare and for the development of their capacities.​

Hence, it could be concluded that the ability to generalize is not a learning characteristic of a mentally retarded person.

Ever since 1986 when the National Policy on Education was approved by Parliament, efforts to redesign the curriculum have been focused on the creation of a national system of education.

National Curriculum Framework (NCF):

• NPE proposed a national framework for curriculum as a means of evolving a national system of education capable of responding to India’s diversity of geographical and cultural milieus while ensuring a common core of values along with academic components.
• The NPE (1986) entrusted NCERT with the responsibility of developing the National Curriculum Framework and reviewing the framework at frequent intervals.
• The National Curriculum Framework 2005 is an official document laying down the needs of the school system of India envisioning the Constitution of India upholding all its tenets.
• The main purpose was to reduce the curriculum load, remove the anomalies in the system and to create a consensus with the help of new syllabi in the form of a thematically organized body of knowledge. 

Hence, it is clear that the National Curriculum Framework was developed by the NCERT.

The Five Basic Tenets of the NCF 2005:

• Connecting knowledge to life outside the school.
• Ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods.
• Enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks.
• Making examinations more flexible and integrating them with classroom life, and
• Nurturing an overriding identity informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country.

• University Grants Commission (UGC): It came into existence on 28th December 1953 and became a statutory Organization of the Government of India by an Act of Parliament in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE): The NCTE, as a statutory body came into existence in pursuance of the National Council for Teacher Education Act on the 17th August 1995. The main objective of the NCTE is to achieve planned and coordinated development of the teacher education system throughout the country.
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): It was reconstituted in the year 1962. The main objectives were to serve the educational institutions more effectively, to be responsive to the educational needs of those students whose parents were employed in the Central Government and had frequently transferable jobs.