When does a Social Difference become a social Division?

A social difference means the difference in a group of people due to their race, religion, language, or culture. It becomes a social division when some social differences are joined by another set of social differences.

In other words, when two or more social differences join together, it turns into a social division. For example, the difference between the Blacks and the Whites in America is due to their different race which is a social difference.

It becomes a social division when, say, the income factor is also seen. The Blacks tend to be poor, homeless and the Whites tend to be rich and educated. This creates a divide in the people making them feel that they belong to different communities.

Do Social Differences happen only in big countries like India?

No, it is wrong to say that social divisions happen only in big countries like India. Social divisions happen due to various social differences based on race, religion, culture, or language. It depends on the social diversity of the population of a country.

A small country like Belgium is very diverse since it has Dutch speakers as well as French and German speakers in its population. Sri Lanka is also diverse in respect of religion and language since it has the majority of Sinhala speakers and a minority of Tamil speakers.

Is it Possible for a Person to have Multiple Identities? Yes, it is possible for a person to have multiple identities. Identity means a differentiating factor in respect of religion, language, or culture.

People belonging to the same religion are from different communities due to their different castes. Also, people from the same family may not keep close relations due to differences in their income status. Thus, a person can belong to different groups at the same time depending on the context that is used to classify them.

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