NMAT Social Sciences Practice Test

In sociology, a minority group is identified by social disadvantage and exclusion in society, not simply by being numerically small. The key idea is that prejudice and discrimination, along with shared social traits that mark the group, place members in a subordinate position and limit their access to power and resources. That’s why the statement describing them as defined by prejudice and discrimination and social traits fits best. The other ideas miss this core dynamic. Being numerically smaller isn’t required for minority status, since a group can be a numerical majority in a region yet still face discrimination and hold less power. Saying they control most resources contradicts the typical pattern of minority groups lacking power. And claiming they have no subculture ignores that many minority groups maintain distinctive cultural practices or identities, even if that isn’t universal.