(i) In a democracy, political expression of social divisions is very normal and can be healthy.
(ii) This allows various disadvantaged and marginal social groups to express their grievances and get the government to attend to these.
(iii) Expression of various kinds of social divisions in politics often results in their cancelling one another out and thus reducing their intensity.
(iv) This leads to strengthening of a democracy.

Three factors are crucial in deciding the outcome of politics of social divisions.
(a) First of all the outcome depends on how people perceive their identities.
(i) If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. eg. Northern Ireland.
(ii) It is much easier if the people see that their identities are multiple and are complementary with the national identity. eg. Belgian
(b) Secondly it depends on how political leaders raise the demands of any community.
(i) It is easier to accommodate demands that are within the constitutional framework and are not at the cost of another community.
(ii) The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and identity of the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka.
(iii) 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.
(c) Third it depends on how the government reacts to demands of different groups.
(i) If the rulers are willing to share power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country
(ii) But if they try to suppress such a demand in the name of national unity, the end result is often quite the opposite. 

(i) Civil Rights movement in the USA took place between 1954 and 1968.
(ii) It refers to a set of events and reform movements aimed at abolishing legal racial discrimination against African-Americans.
(iii) It was led by Martin Luther King Jr.
(iv) This movement practiced non violent methods of civil disobedience against racially discriminatory laws and practices.

The Black Power movement emerged in 1966 and lasted till 1975, which was a more militant anti-racist movement, advocating even violence if necessary to end racism in the US.

(a) Northern Ireland is the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict.
(b) Its population is divided into two major sects of Christianity: 53 percent are Protestants, while 44 percent are Roman Catholics.
(c) The Catholics were represented by Nationalist parties who demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with the Republic of Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country.
(d) The Protestants were represented by Unionists who wanted to remain with the UK, which is predominantly protestant.

(a) Social differences by birth: We all experience social differences based on accident of birth in our everyday lives. We belong to a community simply because we were born into it. People around us are male or female, they are tall and short, have different kinds of complexions, or have different physical abilities or disabilities.
(b) Social differences by choice: Some of the differences are based on our choices. For example, some people choose to follow a religion other than the one in which they were born. Most of us choose what to study, which occupation to take up and which games or cultural activities to take part. All these lead to formation of social groups that are based on our choices.

(a) Social division takes place when some social difference overlaps with other differences. The difference between the Blacks and Whites becomes a social division in the US because the Blacks tend to be poor, homeless and are discriminated.
(b) In our country, Dalits tend tie be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice. 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.
(c) If social differences cross cut one another, it is difficult to differentiate 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
(d) In Northern Ireland, class and religion overlap with each other. If you are Catholic, you are also more likely to be poor, and you may have suffered a history of discrimination.
(e) In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut across each other.
(f) Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich. (g) The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Northern Ireland, while they do not do so in the Netherlands.
(h) Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Crosscutting social differences are easier to accommodate. ​​​​​

(a) Social division takes place when some social difference overlaps with other differences. The difference between the Blacks and Whites becomes a social division in the US because the Blacks tend to be poor, homeless and are discriminated.
(b) In our country, Dalits tend tie be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice. 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.
(c) If social differences cross cut one another, it is difficult to differentiate 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
(d) In Northern Ireland, class and religion overlap with each other. If you are Catholic, you are also more likely to be poor, and you may have suffered a history of discrimination.
(e) In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut across each other.
(f) Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich. (g) The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Northern Ireland, while they do not do so in the Netherlands.
(h) Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Crosscutting social differences are easier to accommodate. ​​​​​

(a) Social division takes place when some social difference overlaps with other differences. The difference between the Blacks and Whites becomes a social division in the US because the Blacks tend to be poor, homeless and are discriminated.
(b) In our country, Dalits tend tie be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice. 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.
(c) If social differences cross cut one another, it is difficult to differentiate 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
(d) In Northern Ireland, class and religion overlap with each other. If you are Catholic, you are also more likely to be poor, and you may have suffered a history of discrimination.
(e) In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut across each other.
(f) Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich. (g) The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Northern Ireland, while they do not do so in the Netherlands.
(h) Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Crosscutting social differences are easier to accommodate. ​​​​​

Differences in overlapping and cross-cutting differences are
Overlapping Social Differences
These differences happen when some social differences overlap other differences. It becomes a social division when some social differences are joined by another set of social differences. For example, the difference in the Blacks and the Whites in America is due to their different race which is a social difference. It becomes a social division when, the income factor is also added in that. The Blacks tend to be poor and homeless, while the Whites tend to be rich and educated. This creates a division in the people, making them feel that they belong to different communities.
In our country, Dalits tend to be poor and landless. They often face discrimination and injustice. Situations of this kind produce social division.
Cross-cutting Social Differences
Cross-cutting differences happen when one type of social difference is weakened by another set of social differences. Then, it becomes difficult for group of people into a single category because they are going to have different opinions and views on different matters.On some matters, their might be agreement on a particular issue, but there might be disagreement on another issue. For example, people in the Netherlands are predominantly Christian, but divided between Catholics and Protestants. Here class and religion cross-cut each other. Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich and they do not have conflict between them.