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Social Differences
Social differences are social identities based on caste, religion, race, ethnicity, economic status,
etc. Every country has social differences and social differences do not lead to any danger.
Social divisions
Social divisions are conflicts based on social inequalitiessuch as caste, religion, race, ethnicity,
economic status, etc. This may lead to disaster and disintegration of a country.
Every social difference does notlead to social division. Socialdifferences divide similar
people fromone another, but they also unite verydifferent people.
1. People belonging todifferent social groups sharedifferences and similarities cuttingacross the
boundaries of their groups.
2. In the instance above, Carlos and Smith were similar in one way and different from Norman. But
they were also all similar inother ways – they were all athletes whostood against racial
discrimination.
3. It is also possible forpeople from different religions to havethe same caste and feel close to
eachother.
1. Social division takes place when somesocial difference overlaps with otherdifferences.
2. If social differences cross cut oneanother, it is difficult to pit one groupof people against the
other.
3. InNorthern Ireland, class and religionoverlap with each other. If you areCatholic, you are
minority and also more likely to bepoor, and you may have suffered ahistory of discrimination.
4. In theNetherlands, class and religion tend tocut across each other. If you areCatholic, you are
minority but more likely to be rich, and you may not have suffered ahistory of discrimination.
5. The result is thatCatholics and Protestants have hadconflicts in Northern Ireland, whilethey do
not do so in the Netherlands.
Homogeneous society:
Heterogeneous Society
A society which has different kinds of people such as many caste, religion, race, ethnicity,
economic status
1. Northern Ireland region ofthe United Kingdom has been for manyyears the site of a violent and
bitterethno-political conflict. Its populationis divided into 53 % Protestants and 44% Roman
Catholics.
2. The Catholics wererepresented by Nationalist parties whodemanded that Northern Ireland
beunified with the Republic of Ireland. Protestants were represented byUnionists who wanted to
remain with the UK.
3. Hundreds of civilians,militants and security forces were killedin the fight between Unionists
andNationalists and between the securityforces of the UK and the Nationalists.
4. Yugoslavia had six ethnic groups and all the six ethnic groups were represented by six different
political parties.
5. In Yugoslavia, the story did not have ahappy ending. Political competitionalong religious ending
ethnic lines ledto the disintegration of Yugoslaviainto six independent countries.
Expressionof social divisions in politics does notlead to such disasters.
1. In ademocracy it is only natural thatpolitical parties would talk about social divisions.
2. Political Parties make different promises to different communities.
3. Political Parties look after duerepresentation of various communitiesand make policies to redress
thegrievances of the disadvantagedcommunities.
4. Social divisions affectvoting in most countries. People fromone community tend to prefer some
other party.
5. In manycountries there are parties that focusonly on one community. Yet all thisdoes not lead to
disintegration of thecountry.
These represent the medal ceremony of the 200 metres race in the 1968 Olympics held
at Mexico City. The two men standing with clenched fists upraised and heads bowed,
while theAmerican national anthem was played, are the US athletes, Tommie Smith and
John Carlos. They are AFRICAN-AMERICANS. They had won the gold and bronze
medals respectively. They received their medals wearing black socks and no shoes to
represent Black poverty. With this gesture, they tried to draw international attention
to racial discrimination in the United States. The black-gloved and raised clenched fists
were meant to symbolise BLACK POWER. The silver medallist, white Australian athlete,
Peter Norman, wore a human rights badge on his shirt during the ceremony to show
his support to the two Americans.Differences, similarities, divisions The athletes in the
example above were responding to social divisions and social inequalities.