Tuesday, August 25, 2015

QUESTION AND ANSWERS----- DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY

 IMPORTANT QUESTION AND ANSWERS DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY
Q. 1 How do social divisions affect politics?

Ans. Negative Impact1. It would appear that the combination of politics and social divisions is very dangerous and explosive.
2. Democracy involves competition among various political units/parties. Their competition tends to divide the society.
3. If they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions it can make social division into political divisions and lead to conflict, violence or even disintegration of a country.

Positive Impact
1. At the same time every expression of social divisions in politics does not lead to such disasters because wherever social divisions exist, they are reflected in politics.
2. In democracy political parties would talk about these divisions, they make different promises to different communities, look after due representation of various communities.
3. Social divisions also affect voting in most countries. People from one community tend to prefer some party more than others.

Q. 2. What are the three determinants to accommodate social divisions in politics?
Ans .
1. Role of Identity:- Outcome depends on how people perceive their identities. If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate.
2. Role of community and culture:- The outcome 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.
3. The role of political party and government:- In another way political outcome of social divisions depends on how the government reacts to demands of different groups. This is very much observed in Belgium and Sri Lanka. If the rulers are willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions becomes less threatening for the country.

Q. 3. Explain the overlapping and cross-cutting differences.
Ans. Overlapping differences1. These social divisions take place when some social differences overlaps with many other differences.
2. The difference between the Blacks and Whites becomes a social division in the United States because historically most of the Blacks are poor, homeless and discriminated.
3. In India, the Dalits tend to be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice.
4. These kinds of situation produce social divisions which are harmful for democracy, and weaken the basic foundation of democracy.
5. When one kind of social difference become more important than any other, and people start feeling that, they belong to different communities then this can lead to the disintegration of the country.

Cross-cutting differences
1. Under cross cutting differences, people share common interest on one issue but are likely to be on different side on another issue.
2. Cross-cutting social differences are easier to accommodate.
3. Netherland and Northern Ireland are Christian countries divided into Catholics and Protestants.
4. In Netherland class and religion tend to cut across each other. This means Catholics and the Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich.

Q4. What are the bases of social differences?

Ans. Social Differences are based on two main factors:
1. On the basis of accident of Birth
2. On the basis of our choices.

Differences on the basis of Birth
1. Normally we don’t choose to belong to our community. We belong to it simply because we are born into it.
2. People around us, have different physical abilities or disabilities.

Differences on the basis of choices
1. Some people are atheists. They don’t believe in god or any religion.
2. Some people choose to follow a religion other than the one in which they are born.
3. Most of us choose what to study, which occupation to take up and which games or cultural activities to take part in.
Q 5. ARE SOCIAL DIVISIONS  DANGEROUS OR NORMAL & HEALTHY?In a democracy political expression of the social divisions is very normal and can be healthy as….
--It allows various disadvantaged and marginal social groups to express their grievances and get govt. to attend to these.
--The expression of various kinds of social divisions in politics often result in cancelling one another out and thus reducing their intensity. This leads to strengthening of a democracy.
--People who feel marginalized, deprived and discriminated have to fight against the injustices and such fights often takes the democratic path, voicing their demands in a peaceful & constitutional manner and seeking a fair position through the elections.
--sometimes these social differences can take a form of the unacceptable level of social inequality and injustice. The struggle against such inequalities sometimes take the path of violence and defiance of state power.
Q6. Why did Tommie & Smith wear black socks & no shoes?
--To represent Black poverty.
Q. What did their clenched fists &black gloves represent?
--They meant to symbolize the Black Power.
Q. What did the two players intend to do with this kind of gesture?
They wanted to draw the international attention to racial discrimination in the United states.
Q7. What was the result of their action?a) The International Olympics Association held Carlos & Smith guilty of violating the Olympic spirit by making a political statement.
b)their medals were taken back.
c) back home they were subjected to lot of criticism.
d) Norman too suffered for his action & was not included in the Australian team in the next Olympics.
e) but their action did succeed in getting international attention for the Civil Rights Movement in the US.

DEMOCRACY AND DIVERCITY CLASS 10



DemocracyandDiversity
Civil Rights Movement

It refers to a set of eventsand reform movementsaimed at abolishing legalracial discriminationagainst African-Americans. It was led by Martin LutherKing Jr., this movementpracticed non-violentmethods of civildisobedience againstracially discriminatorylaws and practices.

The Black Power

It was an anti-racist movement advocating violence to end racism in the USA

Social Differences

Social differences are social identities based on caste, religion, race, ethnicity, economic status, etc. Every country has social differences and social differences do not lead to any danger.

Social divisions

Social divisions are conflicts based on social inequalitiessuch as caste, religion, race, ethnicity, economic status, etc. This may lead to disaster and disintegration of a country.

Origins of social differences

1.      These social differences are mostlybased on accident of birth.
2.      Some ofthe social differences are based on ourchoices.

Every social difference does notlead to social division. Socialdifferences divide similar people fromone another, but they also unite verydifferent people.


1.      People belonging todifferent social groups sharedifferences and similarities cuttingacross the boundaries of their groups.
2.      In the instance above, Carlos and Smith were similar in one way and different from Norman. But they were also all similar inother ways – they were all athletes whostood against racial discrimination.
3.      It is also possible forpeople from different religions to havethe same caste and feel close to eachother.

Explain Overlapping and cross-cuttingdifferences with Examples

1.      Social division takes place when somesocial difference overlaps with otherdifferences.
2.      If social differences cross cut oneanother, it is difficult to pit one groupof people against the other.
3.      InNorthern Ireland, class and religionoverlap with each other. If you areCatholic, you are minority and also more likely to bepoor, and you may have suffered ahistory of discrimination.
4.      In theNetherlands, class and religion tend tocut across each other. If you areCatholic, you are minority but more likely to be rich, and you may not have suffered ahistory of discrimination.
5.       The result is thatCatholics and Protestants have hadconflicts in Northern Ireland, whilethey do not do so in the Netherlands.

Homogeneous society:

A society that has similarkinds of people without caste, religion, race, economic ethnicdifferences.

Heterogeneous Society

A society which has different kinds of people such as many caste, religion, race, ethnicity, economic status

How do these social divisions affectpolitics? OR What does politics do to thesesocial divisions? OR How is combination of politicsand social divisions very dangerousand explosive?OR Why do politics and social divisions must not be allowed to mix?

1.       Northern Ireland region ofthe United Kingdom has been for manyyears the site of a violent and bitterethno-political conflict. Its populationis divided into 53 % Protestants and 44% Roman Catholics.
2.      The Catholics wererepresented by Nationalist parties whodemanded that Northern Ireland beunified with the Republic of Ireland. Protestants were represented byUnionists who wanted to remain with the UK.
3.      Hundreds of civilians,militants and security forces were killedin the fight between Unionists andNationalists and between the securityforces of the UK and the Nationalists.
4.      Yugoslavia had six ethnic groups and all the six ethnic groups were represented by six different political parties.
5.      In Yugoslavia, the story did not have ahappy ending. Political competitionalong religious ending ethnic lines ledto the disintegration of Yugoslaviainto six independent countries.
Expressionof social divisions in politics does notlead to such disasters.

1.      In ademocracy it is only natural thatpolitical parties would talk about social divisions.
2.      Political Parties make different promises to different communities.
3.      Political Parties look after duerepresentation of various communitiesand make policies to redress thegrievances of the disadvantagedcommunities.
4.      Social divisions affectvoting in most countries. People fromone community tend to prefer some other party.
5.       In manycountries there are parties that focusonly on one community. Yet all thisdoes not lead to disintegration of thecountry.


Three factors that determine outcome of politics of socialdivisions.

1.      First outcomedepends on how people perceive theiridentities. If people see their identitiesin singular and exclusive terms, itbecomes very difficult toaccommodate. If the people see that their identities are multiple and arecomplementary with the nationalidentity.
2.      Second outcomedepends on howpolitical leaders raise the demands ofany community. It is easier toaccommodate demands that are withinthe constitutional framework and arenot at the cost of another community.
3.      Thirdoutcomedepends on how thegovernment reacts to demands ofdifferent groups. If the rulers are willing to share powerand accommodate the reasonabledemands of minority community,social divisions become lessthreatening for the country.


LIST OF MAP ITEMS FOR CLASS IX SA-1








TERM-I
List of Map Items
(For Identification and Locating and labelling on
the political outline map of India)

CHAPTER 1: India - Size & Location
For locating and labelling :
Tropic of Cancer, Standard Meridian of India, Southern most
point of India, Southern most point of mainland of India, Northern most point of India, Eastern
most meridian of India, Western most Meridian of India.

CHAPTER 2 : Physical Features of India
(a) For locating & labelling
(i) Mt. peaks :
K2, Kanchenjunga, Nanda Devi, Anai Mudi and Nanga Parbat
(ii) Passes : Bomdi-La and Shipkila.
(iii)Hills :  Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Naga Hills, Mizo Hills and Nilgiri
(b) For identification :
(i)Mountain ranges :
The Karakoram, Zaskar, Shivaliks, Aravali, Vindhya, Satpura,
Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats,
(ii)Plateaus : Deccan plateau, Chotanagpur plateau and Malwa plateau.
(iii) Coastal strips : Coromandel, Northern Circar, Malabar and Konkan.
Chapter 3 : Drainage (a) For Locating & labelling :
(i)                  Lakes :  Chilka, Pulicat, Kolleru, Vembanad and Sambhar.
(b) For identification : (i) Rivers :
Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Satluj, Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.

The map question will consist of
(1) Two items for identificaton. and
(2) Two items for locating and labelling to be marked in the same map
Note :
Items for locating and labelling may also be asked for identification.