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Question
How do democracies accommodate various social divisions? Explain with examples
Solution
Following are the ways in which democracies may accommodate social divisions amongst its citizens:
i) A democracy has to take into consideration the general will. Responsibility lies on the majority community in the society to accommodate the minority in the decision making process and making it truly representative of all the sections of population.
ii) Rule by majority community should not become a rule by majority on the basis of religion or race or linguistic identity. A true democracy is one in which every citizen gets to be in majority at some point of time. No individual should be barred from participating in a democracy on the basis of religion, caste, community, creed and other such factors.
iii) A good example of such democratic accommodation of a political conflict is the case of Ireland. After years of infighting and fratricide between the Irish Nationalists and Unionists, finally in the year 2005, a peace treaty was signed between the British government and the Unionists effectively ending the conflict.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Discuss three factors that determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions.
When does a social difference become a social division?
________________ social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. ________________ social differences do not usually lead to conflicts.
In dealing with social divisions which one of the following statements is NOT correct about democracy?
Consider the following three statements.
Α. Social divisions take place when social differences overlap.
Β. 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?
Arrange the following statements in a logical sequence and select the right answers by using the code given below.
Α. 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.
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'."
