Social Science · Civics Polity

Social Inequality and Discrimination

1,938 Questions

Social inequality and discrimination involve the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities based on race, class, or gender. These concepts are frequently tested in UPSC, state PSC, and SSC exams. Practicing these questions helps clarify key sociological theories and structural challenges.

Environmental racism conceptsRacial prejudice strategiesWorkplace discrimination policiesMedia representation issuesSocial equality principles

Social Inequality and Discrimination Questions

Multiple choice

Which racial group is most likely to experience racial discrimination in housing?

  1. White

  2. Black

  3. Hispanic

  4. Asian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to a study by the National Fair Housing Alliance, Black people are 4 times more likely to experience racial discrimination in housing than White people, even though they make up only 13% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which racial group is most likely to experience racial discrimination in employment?

  1. White

  2. Black

  3. Hispanic

  4. Asian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to a study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Black people are 2.5 times more likely to experience racial discrimination in employment than White people, even though they make up only 13% of the population.

Multiple choice

Which racial group is most likely to experience racial discrimination in education?

  1. White

  2. Black

  3. Hispanic

  4. Asian
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, Black students are 3 times more likely to be suspended from school than White students, even though they make up only 13% of the population.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the practice of treating employees differently based on their membership in a protected class?

  1. Disparate treatment

  2. Disparate impact

  3. Affirmative action

  4. Reasonable accommodation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Disparate treatment is the intentional discrimination against an individual based on their membership in a protected class.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of disparate impact?

  1. Refusing to hire an applicant because of their race

  2. Paying women less than men for the same work

  3. Requiring all employees to have a high school diploma, even though the job does not require one

  4. Providing a reasonable accommodation for an employee with a disability
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Disparate impact occurs when a facially neutral policy or practice has a disproportionate adverse impact on a protected class.

Multiple choice

What is the legal principle that allows employers to take affirmative steps to address past discrimination?

  1. Strict scrutiny

  2. Affirmative action

  3. Disparate treatment

  4. Disparate impact
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Affirmative action is a legal principle that allows employers to take affirmative steps to address past discrimination.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the practice of providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities?

  1. Disparate treatment

  2. Disparate impact

  3. Affirmative action

  4. Reasonable accommodation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Reasonable accommodation is the practice of providing accommodations for employees with disabilities that allow them to perform their jobs.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the practice of retaliating against an employee for engaging in protected activity, such as filing a discrimination complaint?

  1. Disparate treatment

  2. Disparate impact

  3. Affirmative action

  4. Retaliation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Retaliation is the practice of retaliating against an employee for engaging in protected activity, such as filing a discrimination complaint.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the practice of using statistical data to identify and address disparities in employment outcomes?

  1. Disparate treatment

  2. Disparate impact

  3. Affirmative action

  4. Workforce analysis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Workforce analysis is the practice of using statistical data to identify and address disparities in employment outcomes.

Multiple choice

What is the term used to describe the practice of providing equal opportunities for employment and advancement to all employees, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age?

  1. Disparate treatment

  2. Disparate impact

  3. Affirmative action

  4. Equal employment opportunity
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Equal employment opportunity is the practice of providing equal opportunities for employment and advancement to all employees, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age.

Multiple choice

What is one way that criminal justice reform can address racial disparities in the criminal justice system?

  1. By eliminating mandatory minimum sentences

  2. By providing more funding for public defenders

  3. By increasing the diversity of the judiciary

  4. By all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

All of the above are ways that criminal justice reform can address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Multiple choice

What is the primary focus of Indian philosophy of race in the context of LGBTQ+ rights?

  1. Exploring the intersectionality of race and sexual orientation

  2. Examining the historical and cultural factors shaping race-based discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals

  3. Analyzing the impact of race on LGBTQ+ rights activism and advocacy

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Indian philosophy of race in the context of LGBTQ+ rights encompasses a comprehensive examination of the intersectionality of race and sexual orientation, the historical and cultural factors contributing to race-based discrimination, and the role of race in LGBTQ+ rights activism and advocacy.

Multiple choice

What is the term used in ancient Indian texts to refer to the process of racial segregation?

  1. Anuloma

  2. Pratiloma

  3. Vivāha

  4. Gotra
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The term 'Pratiloma' is used in ancient Indian texts to refer to the process of racial segregation, where a man of a lower caste marries a woman of a higher caste.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a common definition of race?

  1. A socially constructed category based on physical characteristics.

  2. A biological classification based on genetic differences.

  3. A cultural group with shared values, beliefs, and practices.

  4. A group of people who share a common ancestry.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

Race is a social construct, not a biological reality. While there are genetic variations among human populations, these variations do not correspond neatly to racial categories.

Multiple choice

What is the process by which racial and ethnic categories are created and maintained?

  1. Socialization

  2. Segregation

  3. Discrimination

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

Racial and ethnic categories are created and maintained through a combination of socialization, segregation, and discrimination. Socialization teaches us to see race and ethnicity as meaningful categories, segregation separates people into different racial and ethnic groups, and discrimination reinforces these divisions.