📚 Class 10 Political Science – Chapter 3
💠 Democracy and Diversity 💠
🏅 A Story from Mexico Olympics (1968)
🔹 In Mexico Olympics 1968, two African-American athletes Tommie Smith (Gold) and John Carlos (Bronze) raised a black-gloved clenched fist ✊🏿 during the US National Anthem.
🔹 This gesture symbolised Black Power ✊ (काले लोगों का अधिकार आंदोलन).
🔹 Aim – To draw international attention to racial discrimination (नस्लीय भेदभाव) in the USA.
🔹 This was an important landmark in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.
⚖️ Differences, Similarities & Divisions
🔹 Social divisions exist in many forms → regional, linguistic, religious differences.
🔹 Society has both similarities & differences that unite/divide people.
🌱 Origins of Social Differences
1️⃣ By Birth (accident of birth)
- Male/Female
- Tall/Short
- Skin colour (complexion)
- Physical ability/disability
2️⃣ By Choice (पसंद से)
- Belief in God or Atheism (नास्तिकता)
- Occupation / Studies / Games & Activities
👉 Social differences may divide people, but they can also unite across groups.
🔀 Overlapping vs Cross-Cutting Differences
✴️ Overlapping Differences
- When one difference overlaps another, leading to inequality & discrimination.
- Example: In India, Dalits → poor + discriminated caste.
- Result → division & social conflict.
✴️ Cross-Cutting Differences
- When groups differ on one issue but are together on another.
- Example: Northern Ireland & Netherlands → both Christian, but divided into Catholics & Protestants.
- Result → Less danger of conflict.
🏛️ Politics of Social Divisions
🔹 Democracy involves party competition, but if based on social divisions → conflict, violence, even disintegration.
⚡ Examples:
- Northern Ireland → Catholics (wanted union with Ireland 🇮🇪) vs Protestants (wanted to stay with UK 🇬🇧).
- Yugoslavia → Politics along religious/ethnic lines → Disintegration into 6 countries.
👉 Not all social divisions lead to disasters, but they influence voting & politics in many countries including India 🇮🇳.
✨ Exam Tip: Always write examples like Mexico Olympics, Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia to score extra marks in descriptive answers.
🔑 Three Crucial Factors
1️⃣ Perception of Identity
- If people see their identity in a single and exclusive way, it becomes very difficult to resolve conflicts.
- Example: If one only considers religious or caste identity → leads to tensions & conflict.
2️⃣ Role of Political Leaders
- The way political leaders raise the demands of communities is very important.
- Demands within the constitutional framework and not against other communities can be easily accommodated.
3️⃣ Government’s Response
- The way the government reacts to the demands of different groups decides the outcome.
- Fair & positive response → brings unity and stability.
- Biased or harsh response → may lead to conflict & division.
🌟 Democracy & Social Divisions
- In a democracy, political expression of social divisions is normal and healthy.
- It allows disadvantaged & marginalized groups to express their grievances.
- This helps the government to address issues and promote inclusiveness.
✨ Exam Tip: Remember in short → Identity – Leaders – Government Response ✅
