CBSE Class 10 Social Science Democracy Diversity Worksheet

Question : Point out why the Mexico Olympics of 1968 was depicted as a landmark in the history of the Civil Rights Movements in the United States of America .
Answer : 
1. The US athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were AFRICAN-AMERICANS. They had won the gold and bronze medals respectively.
2. They received their medals wearing black socks and did not wear shoes, this was done to represent Black poverty. With this gesture, they tried to draw international attention to racial discrimination in the United States.
3. The black-gloved and raised clenched fists were meant to symbolize 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

Question : What are the origins of social difference? 
Answer : 
1. The social differences are mostly based on accident of birth. Normally we don‟t choose to belong to our community. We belong to it simply because we were born into it.
2. We all experience social differences based on accident of birth in our everyday lives. People around us are male or female, they are tall and short, have different kinds of complexions, or have different physical abilities or disabilities.
3. But all kinds of social differences are not based on accident of birth. Some of the differences are based on our choices. For example, some people are atheists. They don‟t believe in God or any religion. Some people choose to follow a religion other than the one in which they were born.

Question : When does a social difference become a social division? 
Answer : 
1. Situations of racial discrimination and economic inequality produce social divisions; at the same time when one kind of social difference becomes more important than the other, people start feeling that they belong to different communities.
2. 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.
3. Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Cross-cutting social differences are easier to accommodate.
(Eg: Catholics and Protestant rich and poor of Northern Ireland and Netherlands)

Question : “Every social difference does not lead to social division”. Explain with suitable example. 
Answer : 
1. Every social difference does not lead to social division. Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
2. People belonging to different social groups share differences and similarities cutting across the boundaries of their groups
3. Example: Carlos and Smith were similar in one way (both were African-American) and thus different from Norman who was white. But they were also all similar in other ways – they were all athletes who stood against racial discrimination

Question : How does social division affect politics? Give 2 examples. 
Answer : 
1. At first sight, it would appear that the combination of politics and social divisions is very dangerous and explosive.
2. Democracy involves competition among various political parties. Their competition tends to divide any society.
3. If they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, it can make social divisions into political divisions and lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country. This has happened in many countries.
Example: Unionist and Nationalist Parties in Ireland, Yugoslavia was divided into six independent states. 

Question : Discuss three factors that determine the outcomes of politics of social differences. 
Answer : 
1. First of all the outcome depends on how people perceive their identities. If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. It is much easier if the people see that their identities are multiple and are complementary with the national identity. A majority of Belgians now feel that they are as much Belgian as they are Dutch or German-speaking.
2. Second, it depends on how political leaders raise the demands of any community. It is easier to accommodate demands that are within the constitutional framework and are not at the cost of another community. In Yugoslavia, the leaders of different ethnic communities presented their demands in such a way that these could not be accommodated within a single country.
3. Third, it depends on the how the government reacts to demands of different groups. Examples of Belgium and Sri Lanka, if the rulers are willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country. But if they try to suppress such a demand in the name of national unity, the end result is often quite the opposite. Such attempts at forced integration often sow the seeds of disintegration.

Question : How do we have different identities in different contexts? Explain with suitable examples. 
Answer : 
1. It is common for people belonging to the same religion to feel that they do not belong to the same community, because their caste or sect is very different.
2. It is also possible for people from different religions to have the same caste and feel close to each other.
3. Rich and poor persons from the same family often do not keep close relations with each other for they feel they are very different. Thus, we all have more than one identity and can belong to more than one social group. We have different identities in different contexts.

More Answers Questions

Question. Discuss three factors that determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions.
Answer : Three factors which determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions:
• The people’s perception of their identities: When this is singular, the accommodation of other identities becomes difficult.
• Representation of a community by political leaders: While representing a community, if politicians raise demands that are constitutional, then it is easier to accommodate those demands.
• The government’s reaction: If the reasonable demands of a community are suppressed by the government, then it leads to social divisions, which in turn threaten the integrity of the country.

Question. When does a social difference become a social division?
Answer : A social difference becomes a social division when it overlaps with some other social difference. For example, the Whites were rich and powerful and the Blacks were poor and homeless and discriminated against. When one kind of social difference becomes more important than the other, then it leads to division.

Question. How do social divisions affect politics? Give two examples.
Answer : In politics, there is competition between political parties. If these political parties use this competition in support of some social divisions, it can lead to political divisions. This can lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country.
• One example is of Northern Ireland where religious divisions led to ethnopolitical conflict. Two major sects of Christianity : 53% Protestants and 44% Catholics dominate the country. The Catholics wanted Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland and the Protestants wanted to remain with UK. This led to years of violence where thousands were killed. Only in 1998, peace returned when the UK government and the Nationalists reached a peace treaty and stopped all violence.
• The second example is of Yugoslavia where the political parties refused to accommodate each other. Each ethno-religious group wanted to dominate the other. Result – disintegration of Yugoslavia into seven independent countries.

Question. ________________ social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. ________________ social differences do not usually lead to conflicts.

Answer : Overlapping/Cross cutting 

Question. In dealing with social divisions which one of the following statements is NOT correct about democracy?
(a) Due to political competition in a democracy, social divisions get reflected in politics.
(b) In a democracy it is possible for communities to voice their grievances in a peaceful manner.
(c) Democracy is the best way to accommodate social diversity.
(d) Democracy always leads to disintegration of society on the basis of social divisions.

Answer : D

Question. Consider the following three statements.
A. Social divisions take place when social differences overlap.
B. It is possible that a person can have multiple identities.
C. Social divisions exist in only big countries like India.
Which of the statements is/are correct?
(a) A, B and C
(b) A and B
(c) B and C
(d) Only C

Answer : B

Question. Arrange the following statements in a logical sequence and select the right answers by using the code given below.
A. But all political expression of social divisions need not be always dangerous.
B. Social divisions of one kind or the other exist in most countries.
C. Parties try to win political support by appealing to social divisions.
D. Some social differences may result in social divisions.
(a) D, B, C, A
(b) D, B, A, C
(c) D, A, C, B
(d) A, B, C, D

Answer : A

Question. Among the following, which country suffered disintegration due to political fights on the basis of religious and ethnic identities?
(a) Belgium
(b) India
(c) Yugoslavia
(d) Netherlands

Answer : C

Question. Read the following passage from a famous speech by Martin Luther king Jr. in 1963.

Which social division is he talking about? What are his aspirations and anxieties? Do you see a relationship between this speech and the incident in Mexico Olympics mentioned in this
chapter?
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Let freedom ring – 
when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children – back men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics – will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
‘we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal’.”
Answer : There is mention of racial discrimination in the speech of Martine Luther King Jr in USA. He is referring to the segregation policies adopted by the Whites towards the Coloured people. He aspires for a country where there will be security for all; where racial abuse will not occur; and where everyone will be treated as equal irrespective of the colour of their skin. This speech and the incident at the Mexico Olympics are both part of a movement that wanted to highlight the plight of the African-American people.