Haryana State Board HBSE 10th Class Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 3 Democracy and Diversity Notes
Haryana Board 10th Class Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 3 Democracy and Diversity
→ Summary Of The Lesson
- Apart from language and region, people have distinct identities in the form of physical appearance, gender, cast, religion, class, tribe, etc.
- In this chapter, we are going to discuss how democracy responds to social differences, divisions and inequalities and how democratic politics is affected by these social divisions.
Democracy And Diversity Notes HBSE 10th Class
→ A Story from Mexico Olympics
- A 200 meters race in the 1968 Olympics was held at Mexico City. Afterward, there was a medal ceremony.
- During the medal ceremony, two men were standing with clenched fists upraised and head bowed, they were African-American athletes named Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
- Tommie and John won gold and bronze medals respectively. They received their medals, wearing black socks, and no shoes, to represent Black poverty.
- They tried to draw international attention to racial discrimination in the United States of America (it is also called USA or US).
- 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.
- The International Olympic Association held Carlos and Smith guilty of violating the Olympic spirit by giving a political statement. Their medals were taken back and they faced a lot of criticism.
- Peter Norman also suffered, as he was not included in the Australian team for the next Olympics.
- But, they succeeded in gaining international attention for the Civil Rights Movement. San Jose State University honoured them and installed their statue in the University campus.
→ Differences, Similarities, Divisions
- These athletes were responding to social divisions and social inequalities. However, this happens even in societies that do not have racial divisions, like in Belgium and Sri Lanka.
- In the case of Belgium, people who live in different regions speak different languages.
- In the case of Sri Lanka, linguistic, as well as religious differences are there.
- Thus, social differences can take different forms in different societies.
Class 10 Chapter 3 Political Science Notes HBSE
→ Origin of Social Differences
- We belong to a community as we are bom in it. The people around us have different physical qualities.
- Some of the differences are based on our choices.
- Every social difference does not lead to social division. Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
- For example, Carlos and Smith were similar in one way, as both were African-Americans, but different from Norman, who was white. But, the similarity was that they were all athletes who stood-up against social discrimination.
- We all have more than one identity in different contexts, such as religion, caste, wealth, poverty, etc.
→ Overlapping and Cross-cutting Differences
- Social division takes place when some social difference overlaps with other differences, such as the differences between the Blacks and the Whites in the United States of America (U.S.A.).
- In India, Dalits, who are poor and landless, often face discrimination and injustice.
→ This creates social division.
- In Northern Ireland and the Netherlands, the populations are predominantly Christian but divided between Catholics and Protestants. In Northern Ireland, Catholics are poor and have suffered a lot of discrimination.
- In the Netherlands, they are equally poor or rich. As a result, Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Northern Ireland, but not in the Netherlands.
- Social divisions exist in most countries, whether the country is small or big. India is a vast country with many communities, and Belgium is a small country with many communities. Germany and Sweden, once highly ‘Homogeneous’, are undergoing rapid change, as other people are coming to settle there.
- Migrants bring with them their own culture. They try to form a different social community. In this sense, most of countries are multi-cultural.
Democracy And Diversity Class 10 Notes HBSE
→ Politics of Social Divisions
- Democracy means competition among various political parties. This competition tends to divide any society.
- Wherever politics is mixed with social division, the result is always conflict, violence and disintegration of the country.
→ Range of Outcomes
- Northern Ireland, the region of the United Kingdom (U.K.), has been for many years the site of an ethnopolitical conflict. The 53 percent ‘Of protestants’ were represented by ‘Unionists’, while 44 percent Roman Catholics’ were represented by ‘Nationalist Parties.
- The Catholics demanded the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, while the Protestants wanted to remain with the U.K.
- After a lot of violence, at last a peace treaty (1998) was signed between the U.K. Government and the Nationalists.
- In contrast to Northern Ireland, the ethnopolitical conflict of Yugoslavia brought about the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries.
- In a democracy, political parties talk about social divisions and make different promises to different social divisions.
- Therefore, social divisions affect voting in most countries.
→ Three Determinants
- There are three factors for deciding the outcomes of politics of social divisions:
- (i) People’s perception about their identities : How people perceive their identities in singular or multiple terms. In singular, it becomes very difficult to accommodate.
- As long as people in Northern Ireland saw themselves as only Catholic or Protestant their conflict grew. Multiple identities are complementary with the national identity.
- For example, a majority of Belgians feel that they are as much Belgian as they are Dutch or German.
- (ii) Role of political leaders: How political leaders raise the demands of any community within the constitutional framework and not at the cost of another community. For example, the demand for ‘only Sinhalese’ was at the cost of the ‘Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
- (iii) Attitude of the government: How the government reacts to demands of different groups. If the rulers are willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority communities, social divisions become less threatening for the country.
→ Conclusion on Political and Social Division
- In a democracy, the political expression of social division is very normal and can be healthy. It allows various disadvantaged social groups to express their grievances.
- A positive attitude towards diversity is not an easy task.
- People who feel deprived and discriminated against have to fight against injustice. Generally, they put their demands in a peaceful and constitutional manner. They follow a democratic path and try to gain influence through elections.
- Sometimes, social differences can take the form of an unacceptable level of social inequality and injustice. The struggle against such inequalities, sometimes, takes the path of violence.
- The path of violence cannot be justified on any grounds. However, democracy is the best way to fight for recognition, and also accommodation of diversity.
→ Important Terms
1. Democracy: A government is formed by the representatives elected by the people. In other words, Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
2. Clenched: To holding something tightly and firmly.
3. Civil Rights Movement: This movement was started in the U.S.A. in 1954, and continued till 1968. It aimed at abolishing legal racial discrimination against African- Americans. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Junior, this movement adopted non-violent methods of civil disobedience against racial discriminatory laws and practices.
4. African-American: Afro-American, Black American or Black are the term used to refer mainly to the descendants of Africans, who were brought into America as slaves between the 17th century and early 19th century.
5. Black Power: A more militant anti-racist movement that started in the United States of America (U.S.A.) in 1966 and lasted till 1975.
6. Racism: The unfair treatment of people who belong to a different race.
7. Differences: Dissimilarity based on opinions in any field.
8. Social Division: It means division of the society on the basis of caste, race, religion, language, region, sex, etc.
9. Social Differences: These are the situations where people are discriminated against on the basis of social, economic and social inequality,.
It gives way to social division, which may be different from society to society.
10. Atheist: A person who does not believe in God or religion.
11. Discrimination: The practice of treating somebody or a particular group in society less fairly than others.
12. Overlapping Social Differences: Social differences which overlap other differences are called overlapping differences. For example, the
differences between the Blacks and the Whites became a social division in the United States of America (U.S.) because Blacks tend to be poor
and homeless and discriminated against. In our country, Dalits tend to be poor and landless.
13. Cross-cutting Differences: Social differences that cross-cut other ones. In such a situation, groups that share common interest on one issue, are likely to be on different sides on different issues.
14. Homogeneous Society: A society that has similar kinds of people, especially where there are no significant ethnic differences.
15. Migrant: Somebody, who shifts from one region to another region within a country or to another country, usually for work or other
economic gains.
16. Ethno-political Conflict: Disagreement or conflict that arises between people of different races and having different political views.
17. Grievance: A wrong or hardship suffered which forms legitimate grounds of complaint.
18. Multi-cultural Community: Social community formed on the basis of different cultures is termed as multi-cultural community.
Generally, this is the result of migration.
19. Disintegration: The process of breaking into small parts.
20. Minority: Communities, which are less than half of the total population of the country.