Political Science

SOCIAL SCIENCESTD:XPOLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIT:3DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY

DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY

People identify themselves and relate with others on the basis of • religion• language• class• gender• tribe•physical appearance etc.

Can Democracy respond to such social differences, divisions and inequality?

HOW DOES SOCIAL DIVERSITY

ORIGINATE?

ORIGINS OF SOCIAL DIVERSITY

Social differences based on birth

Social differences based on choices

Social differences based on birth

-Everyone experiences social differences based on birth. -we belong to it simply because we are born in it

-Parents ,caste ,class ,language group ,gender religion ,social relationships all come with birth.-nobody can exercise any choice in this matter.

SOCIAL GROUPS BASED ON PERSONAL CHOICESwe choose what to study.which occupation to take.which cultural activities to take part in.

•people choose to be believe in God (theists) or do not believe in God (atheists)

•follow religion other than the one in which they are born.

Every Social difference does not lead to social division.

Social Division ,Divide people from one another but they also Unite very different

people.

Thus we all have more than one identity and can belong to more than one social group

Son, husband , father, brother , friend

Guide , publisher social activist

TYPES OF

SOCIAL

DIFFERENCES

Over lapping Cross cutting

1.Cross cutting social differences2.Over lapping social differences

CROSS CUTTING In spite of differences the social groups

tolerate each other and live peacefully

N.IRELAND & Netherland are predominantly Christian societies.But, they are divided into Protestant & Catholics

N.IRELAND- class and religion overlaps each other.Catholic are more likely to be poor, suffered same historyIN NETHERLAND - Class and religion cross cut each other and live peacefully

OVERLAPPINGWhen some social differences

overlap with other social difference.

Blacks in America tend to be poor ,homeless and discriminated

Dalits in India tend to be poor and landless ,face discrimination and injustice

1968 Olympics incidentThese 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 the American 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 UnitedStates. The black-gloved and raised clenched fists were meant to symbolise BLACK POWER. The silver medalist, white Australian athlete, Peter Norman, wore a human rights badge on his shirt during the ceremony to show his support to the two Americans.

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Incident of Mexico olympic-1968

•An important landmark in the history of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

•Should Carlos and Smith have raised an internal matter of American society in an international forum? •Would you say that what they did was political? •Why do you think Peter Norman, who was neither Black nor American, joined in this gesture of protest? •If you were in Norman’s place what would you do?

Think over …

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The Speech By Martin Luther King Jr.

Agitation by the blacks

Rosa parks ,who was not allowed to sit on the seat reserved for the whites .

Agitation by students

Conclusion

•Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions.

•Cross cutting social differences are easier to accommodate social diversities.

There are two viewpoints about:Politics and social divisions.

1. Social division and politics form a deadly

mix.

2. Social differences & political powers can

lead to a strong democracy.

Politics and social tensions

•Democracy involves competition among political parties.•Competition divides any society.•It plays upon the social divisions and supports the affected social group to launch movements in their cause. •This may result in conflict ,violence or even disintegration of the country.

NORTHERN IRELAND

• E.g.: N.Ireland in Uk had experienced violent and bitter ethno-political conflict. Hundreds of civilians ,militants and security forces lost their lives.• In 1998, the conflict was solved.

• In Northern Ireland, the community to which you belong is very much part of your identity.  •"Catholics and Protestants deal with each other not simply as individuals but as representative members of communities".  • People establish the religion of others on acquaintance, often by using signifiers such as their name ,place of living.

YUGOSLAVIA

Political and social differences in 1990s lead to several independent countries. These eight federal units were the six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia ,Montenegro , Serbia, and two autonomous provinces within Serbia: Kosovo and Vojvodina.

OUTCOMES OF POLITICS OF SOCIAL DIVISIONS

Factors that determine these outcomes

Peoples perception of their identities.

Perception of the political leaders.

Reactions of the Government.

Peoples Perception of their Identities

--if people see their identities in singular terms, it becomes difficult to accommodate them.

--but if they see their identities in as a part of a larger society, it helps them to stay together.

Perception of Political Leaders

--it is easy to accommodate demands that are within the constitutional frame work and are not at the cost of another community.

Reactions of the Government

-if the ruling party is willing to share power and accommodate reasonable demands of minorities, social division becomes less threating to the country.

-but if they try and suppress such a demand in the name of national unity ,the end result is disintegration of the country.

•Thus ,in a democracy political expression of social division is very normal and can be healthy.

•But a positive attitude towards diversity and a willingness to accommodate it does not come easily.

•History shows that democracy is the best way to fight for recognition and also to accommodate diversity .

THANK YOU !!

Sulbha Dave www.udgamschool.com