CHAPTER 3 - DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY (CIVICS -SOCIAL SCIENCE CLASS 10)

How does a social difference become a social division?

Race is a biological division. Caste is a social division. These social differences are mostly by birth. We belong to a community simply because we are born into it. People belonging to the same religion to feel that they do not belong to the same community, because their caste or sect is very different. Rich and poor persons from the same family often do not keep close relations with each other for they feel they are very different. Thus, people have more than one social group. Social group takes place when some social difference overlaps with other differences. The difference between the blacks and whites becomes a social division in the US because the blacks tend to be poor, homeless and discriminated.

In India Dalits tend to be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice. Situation of this kind produce social divisions. When one kind of social difference becomes more important than the other and people start feeling that they belong to different communities.

How do social divisions affect politics?

Democracy involves competition among various political parties. Their competition tends to divide any society. If they start competing in terms of same existing social divisions it can make social divisions into political divisions and lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country. The island of Ireland comprises the Republic of Ireland which is sovereign country and Northern Ireland which is a part of united kingdom. The protestant majority and catholic minority in northern Ireland were in conflict. Population is divided into 53% protestants and 44 percent roman Catholics.

In 1998 the UK government and the Nationalist party of Ireland signed a peace treaty and Northern Ireland choose to be with UK till today.

How do people who are marginalized and deprived voice their demands?

Sometimes social difference can take the form of unacceptable level of social inequality and injustice. The struggle against such inequalities sometime takes to the path of violence and defiance of state power . But people who feel marginalised and discriminated have to fight against injustice. Such a fight should take a democratic path, voicing their demands in a peaceful and constituted manner and seeking a fair position through elections. History shows that democracy is the best way to fight for recognition and also to accommodate diversity.