Three factors which determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions:
(a) First of all the outcome depends on how people perceive their identities. If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. As long as people in Northern Ireland saw themselves as only Catholic or Protestant, their differences were difficult to reconcile. Most people in our country see their identity themselves as Indian as well as belonging to a state or a language group or a social or religious community.
(b) Second, it 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. The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and identity of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. 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 the how the government reacts to demands of different groups. If the rulers of Belgium and Sri Lanka, are willing to share the power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country. But if they try to suppress such a demand in the name of national unity, the end result is often quite the opposite. Such attempts at forced integration often sow the seeds of disintegration.

Social differences are mostly based on accident of birth. But some of the differences are based on our choice too.
(a) (i) The social differences are mostly based on accident of birth.
(ii) We belong to a community because we were born into it
(iii) We all experience social differences based on accident of birth in our everyday life
(iv) People around us are male or female, they are tall and short, have different complexions or have different physical abilities or disabilities. 
(b) (i) Social differences based on our choices.
(ii) For example some people are atheists. They don't believe in God or any religion.
(iii) Some people choose to follow a religion other than the one in which they were born.
(iv) Most of us choose what to study, which occupation to take up and which games to play or which cultural activities to take part in.
(v) All these lead to formation of social groups that are based on our choices. 

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.

(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 to be poor and landless. They often 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.

(a) Social differences divide similar people from one another, but they also unite very different people.
(b) People belonging to different social groups share differences and similarities cutting across the boundaries of their groups.
(c) Carlos and Smith were in one way (both were African-American) and thus different from Norman who was white. But they were also all similar in other ways - they were all athletes who stood against racial discrimination.

(a) 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.
(b) In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut across each other.
(c) Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich.
(d) The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Nothern Ireland, while they do not do so in the Netherlands.

(a) In this extract, Rev. Matin Luther King Jr. is talking about racism in USA.
(b) He is referring to the segregation policies adopted by the Whites towards the coloured people. He aspires for a country where there will be security for all; where racial abuse will not occur; and where everyone will be treated as equal irrespective of the colour of their skin.
(c) This speech and the incident at the Mexico Olympics are both part of a movement that wanted to heighlight the plight of the African-American people.

(a) A combination of social divisions and politics can be really dangerous.
(b) A democracy involves competition among various political parties.
(c) As their competition tends to divide society, if they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, then it can convert those social divisions into political divisions, which can lead to conflict, violence and even disintegration of the country.
(d) Northern Ireland is the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict.
(e) Its population is divided into two major sects of Christianity: 53 percent are Protestants, while 44 per cent are Roman Catholics.
(f) The Catholics were represented by Nationalist parties who demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with the Republic of Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country.
(g) The Protestants were represented by Unionists who wanted to remain with the UK, which is predominantly protestant.
(h) In Northern Ireland, hundreds of civilians, militants and security forces were killed in the fight between Unionists (represented the Protestants) and Nationalists (represented the Catholics) and between the security forces of the UK and the Nationalists.
(i) Political competition along religious and ethnic lines resulted in the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries.
(j) Social divisions affect voting in most of the countries. People from one community tend to prefer some party more than the others.
(k) Social division does not lead to disintegration of the country if it is respected and dealt with properly.
(l) However, the combination of social divisions and politics is not always negative.
(m) The political expression of social divisions allows marginalised and disadvantaged social groups to express their grievances and ask the government to rectify them.
(n) The system of reservation of seats in Indian legislatures for the socially disadvantaged has allowed such social groups to have an adequate representation in the decision making process.

(a) A combination of social divisions and politics can be really dangerous.
(b) A democracy involves competition among various political parties.
(c) As their competition tends to divide society, if they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, then it can convert those social divisions into political divisions, which can lead to conflict, violence and even disintegration of the country.
(d) Northern Ireland is the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict.
(e) Its population is divided into two major sects of Christianity: 53 percent are Protestants, while 44 per cent are Roman Catholics.
(f) The Catholics were represented by Nationalist parties who demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with the Republic of Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country.
(g) The Protestants were represented by Unionists who wanted to remain with the UK, which is predominantly protestant.
(h) In Northern Ireland, hundreds of civilians, militants and security forces were killed in the fight between Unionists (represented the Protestants) and Nationalists (represented the Catholics) and between the security forces of the UK and the Nationalists.
(i) Political competition along religious and ethnic lines resulted in the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries.
(j) Social divisions affect voting in most of the countries. People from one community tend to prefer some party more than the others.
(k) Social division does not lead to disintegration of the country if it is respected and dealt with properly.
(l) However, the combination of social divisions and politics is not always negative.
(m) The political expression of social divisions allows marginalised and disadvantaged social groups to express their grievances and ask the government to rectify them.
(n) The system of reservation of seats in Indian legislatures for the socially disadvantaged has allowed such social groups to have an adequate representation in the decision making process.

(a) A combination of social divisions and politics can be really dangerous.
(b) A democracy involves competition among various political parties.
(c) As their competition tends to divide society, if they start competing in terms of some existing social divisions, then it can convert those social divisions into political divisions, which can lead to conflict, violence and even disintegration of the country.
(d) Northern Ireland is the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict.
(e) Its population is divided into two major sects of Christianity: 53 percent are Protestants, while 44 per cent are Roman Catholics.
(f) The Catholics were represented by Nationalist parties who demanded that Northern Ireland be unified with the Republic of Ireland, a predominantly Catholic country.
(g) The Protestants were represented by Unionists who wanted to remain with the UK, which is predominantly protestant.
(h) In Northern Ireland, hundreds of civilians, militants and security forces were killed in the fight between Unionists (represented the Protestants) and Nationalists (represented the Catholics) and between the security forces of the UK and the Nationalists.
(i) Political competition along religious and ethnic lines resulted in the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six independent countries.
(j) Social divisions affect voting in most of the countries. People from one community tend to prefer some party more than the others.
(k) Social division does not lead to disintegration of the country if it is respected and dealt with properly.
(l) However, the combination of social divisions and politics is not always negative.
(m) The political expression of social divisions allows marginalised and disadvantaged social groups to express their grievances and ask the government to rectify them.
(n) The system of reservation of seats in Indian legislatures for the socially disadvantaged has allowed such social groups to have an adequate representation in the decision making process.

(a) When different social differences overlap, one particular social difference gains in prominence.
(b) This leads to the creation of social division and tension.
(c) For example, in Northern Ireland, the social differences of class and religion overlap each other.
(d) The catholics are usually the ones who are poor, while the protestants are the ones who are well off.
(e) The religious differences are accentuated by this overlap.
(f) As a result, there are conflicts between the two religious groups
(g) In other words, a social difference becomes a social division when it coincides with other social differences, which in turn serve to heighten the said difference. 

Three factors which determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions:
(a) First of all the outcome depends on how people perceive their identities. If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. As long as people in Northern Ireland saw themselves as only Catholic or Protestant, their differences were difficult to reconcile. Most people in our country see their identity themselves as Indian as well as belonging to a state or a language group or a social or religious community.
(b) Second, it 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. The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and identity of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. 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 the how the government reacts to demands of different groups. If the rulers of Belgium and Sri Lanka, are willing to share the power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country. But if they try to suppress such a demand in the name of national unity, the end result is often quite the opposite. Such attempts at forced integration often sow the seeds of disintegration.

Three factors which determine the outcomes of politics of social divisions:
(a) First of all the outcome depends on how people perceive their identities. If people see their identities in singular and exclusive terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate. As long as people in Northern Ireland saw themselves as only Catholic or Protestant, their differences were difficult to reconcile. Most people in our country see their identity themselves as Indian as well as belonging to a state or a language group or a social or religious community.
(b) Second, it 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. The demand for 'only Sinhala' was at the cost of the interest and identity of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. 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 the how the government reacts to demands of different groups. If the rulers of Belgium and Sri Lanka, are willing to share the power and accommodate the reasonable demands of minority community, social divisions become less threatening for the country. But if they try to suppress such a demand in the name of national unity, the end result is often quite the opposite. Such attempts at forced integration often sow the seeds of disintegration.

Overlapping; Cross cutting