Civics Democracy and Diversity Class 10 Notes Chapter 3

Democracy and Diversity Class 10 Notes – This chapter talks about how democracy responds to social differences, divisions and inequalities.

Civil rights movements – refers to a set of events and reform movements aimed at abolishing legal racial discrimination against afro Americans.

Led by Martin Luther King jr.

Black power – movement emerged in 1966 and lasted till 1975, an anti-racist movement, to end racism in the U.S.A.

Differences, similarities, divisions-

Social differences – are based on the accident of birth and individual choices

Origin of social differences –

Social differences are mostly based on accident of birth.
Some differences are based on our choices / individual choices.

Social division –

A situation when there are deep conflicts among various sections of the society.

Every social difference doesn’t lead to social division. It may divide the same people from one another but they also unite a very different person.

E.g. – athletes, profession

Overlapping differences –

Social divisions take place when some social differences overlap with one another difference.

E.g. – Dalit tend to be poor and landless

Cross-cutting social differences –

Cross-cutting of social differences Means groups that share a common interest on one particular issue are likely to be on different sides.

E.g.- a case study of northern island and Netherlands. Both are Christians but in Ireland, they are divided into Catholics and protestants. Catholics were poor and suffered discrimination whereas in Netherlands Catholics and protestants both were likely to be poor and rich thus reducing conflicts.

Politics of social division –

Democracy involves competition among political parties.

Competition tends to divide society.

Ultimately leading to conflict, violence.

Political divisions –

If political parties started competing in terms of existing social divisions it makes social division into ‘political division’.

Three determinants of social division

First – the outcome depends on how an individual understands their identities.

Second – depend on how political leaders raise the demand of any community.

Demands are easier to accommodate if they are within the constitutional framework.

Third– depend on how the government reacts to demand of different groups.

If rulers share control and oblige sensible requests of minority social division to become less compromising.

Advantages of politics of social divisions –

All minority and disadvantaged groups to express their needs to government.
Expressing social division in politics often results in reducing their intensity which lead to strengthening of democracy.

We hope that the given notes of Civics Democracy and Diversity Class 10 Notes Chapter 3 will help you in understanding the concepts more easily.