Unit 3 Ch 3 : Democracy and Diversity — Social Studies STD 10 — Question

Overlapping difference happens when some social differences overlap other differences. 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. Overlapping differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. For example.

1. The difference between the Blacks and Whites in the US becomes a social division because the Blacks tend to be poor and landless, and often face injustice and discrimination.
2. In our country, Dalits tend to be poor and landless and often face injustice and discrimination.

If social differences cross-cut one another, it is difficult to pit one group of people against the other. It means those groups that share a common interest on one issue are likely to be in different sides on a different issue. Cross-cut social differences are easier to accommodate. For example, Northern Ireland and Netherlands both are predominantly Christians but divided between Catholics and Protestants. In Northern Ireland class and religion overlap each other. Catholics tend to be poor and have suffered discrimination whereas in the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cross-cut each other and both are equally likely to be rich or poor. It means they have conflict in Northern Ireland but it is not so in the Netherlands.