Class 10 Democratic Politics

1. Democracy and Diversity

2. Racial Discrimination
 It refers to the ideology that discriminates
people on the basis of their skin colour.
The ‘whites’ consider themselves superior
than the ‘blacks’

3. Tommie Smith and John Carlos

4. A Story from Mexico Olympics
 1. The story depicts an important landmark in the
history of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE
UNITED STATES.
 2. The two men standing with clenched fists upraised
and head bowed are the US athletes, Tommie Smith
and John Carlos.
 3. The International Olympics Association held Carlos
and Smith guilty of violating the Olympic spirit by
making a political statement.
 4. Their medals were taken back.
 5. Back home, they were subjected to a lot of
criticism even Norman had also suffered a lot, he was
not included in the next Olympics.
 6. But their action gained attention for the Civil Rights
Movements in the US.

5. Action – international Olympic
association
The International Olympic Association
held Carlos and Smith guilty of violating
the Olympic spirit by making a political
statement.
Their medals were taken back. Back
home, they were subjected to a lot of
criticism.
Norman too suffered for his action and
was not included in the Australian team
for the next Olympic.

6. Origins of social differences
 1. These social differences are mostly based on an accident
of birth.
 2. We don’t choose to belong to our community.
 3. But all kinds of social differences are not based on our
birth.
 4. Some of the differences are based on our choices.
 5. For example, some people are atheists. They don’t
believe in God or any religion.
 6. Every social difference does not lead to social divisions.
 7. In the instances above, Carlos and Smith were similar in
one way and thus different from Norman who was white.
 8. But they were also all similar in another way – they
were all athletes who stood against racial discrimination.
 9. We all have more than one identity and can belong to
more than one social group.
 10. We have different identities in different contexts.

7. Overlapping differences
Social division 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 against.
In our country Dalits tend to be poor and
landless. They often face discrimination and
injustice.
Situations 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.

8. cross-cutting differences
 If social differences cross cut one another, it is
difficult to pit one group of people against the other.
 It means that groups that share a common interest
on one issue are likely to be in different sides on a
different issue.
 Consider the cases of Northern Ireland and the
Netherlands. Both are predominantly Christian but
divided between Catholics and Protestants.
 In Northern Ireland, class and religion overlap with
each other. If you are Catholic, you are also more
likely to be poor, and you may have suffered a history
of discrimination.
 In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut
across each other. Catholics and Protestants are
about equally likely to be poor or rich.
 The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had
conflicts in Northern Ireland, while they do not do so
in the Netherlands

9. Overlapping and cross-cutting
differences
Overlapping social differences create
possibilities of deep social divisions and
tensions.
Cross – cutting social differences are
easier to accommodate.

10. Homogeneous & Heterogeneous
society
Homogeneous society‘
A society that has similar kinds of
people without caste, religion, race,
economic ethnic differences.
Heterogeneous Society
A society which has different kinds of
people such as many caste, religion, race,
ethnicity, economic status

11. Range of outcomes
 In Northern Ireland, its population is divided into two
major sects of Christianity: 53 per cent are Protestants,
while 44 per cent are Roman Catholics.
 The Catholics were represented by Nationalist parties who
demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with the
Republic of Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country.
 Protestants were represented by Unionists who wanted to
remain with the UK, which is predominantly protestant.
 Hundreds of civilians, militants and security forces were
killed in the fight between Unionists (represented the
Protestants) and Nationalists (represented the Catholics)
and between the security forces of the UK and the
Nationalists.
 Political competition along religious and ethnic lines
resulted in the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six
independent countries.
 Social divisions affect voting in most of the countries.
People from one community tend to prefer some party
more than the others.
 However, social division does not lead to disintegration of
the country if it is respected and dealt with properly.

14. Three Determinants
Three factors decide the outcome of politics
of social divisions.
(i)It depends on how people perceive their
identities. If people see that their identities
are multiple and are complementary with the
national identity, then it becomes easy to
accommodate.
Northern Ireland saw themselves as only
Catholic or Protestant, their differences were
difficult to resolve.
A majority of Belgians now feel that they are
as much Belgian as they are Dutch or
German-speaking. This helps them to stay
together.

15. Three Determinants
(ii)Demands that are within the
constitutional framework and are not at
the cost of another community become
easier to accommodate.
The demand for ‘only Sinhala’ was at the
cost of the interest and identity of the
Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

16. Three Determinants
(iii)It depends on how justly the
government reacts to the demands of the
different groups.
The rulers are willing to share power and
accommodate the reasonable demands of
minority community, social divisions
become less threatening for the country.