What is overlapping and cross-cutting differences? give examples.
Answers
i. 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. - ii. In our country, Dalits tend to 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. iii. 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. iv. 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. v. In the Netherlands, class and religion tend to cut across each other. Catholics and Protestants are about equally likely to be poor or rich. The result is that Catholics and Protestants have had conflicts in Northern Ireland, while they do not do so in the Netherlands. vi. Overlapping social differences create possibilities of deep social divisions and tensions. Crosscutting social differences are easier to accommodate.