(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) 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.