Social cleavages and political conflict

Social Clevages & Political Quarrels

Social Cleavages - What are the main social cleavages that interest political scientists? Which have contributed to your views? Construct a 250-300-word respond to these questions.

For political scientists, social cleavage theory is a concept that explores the means by which society is divided into groups. Social cleavages are divisions within a society based on specific factors that describe the manner in which a group behaves; culturally, politically (voting, for instance), or using other social dynamics to explain group behavior. There are three conditions for this theory to work: 1) there must be a division based on a particular demographic, psychographic, or socioeconomic factor (class, ethnicity, religion, education, etc.); 2) People on one side of the social divide -- what we would call the cleavage -- need to be aware of why they are bonded together, and that bond must be exhibited in a willingness to act for the benefit of that group that is associated with that cleavage (e.g. A religious group must be willing to protest or act as a group to promote their own agenda); and, 3) for cleavage theory to work, there must be some type of institution in place that provides a structure, or template, to the interests of those groups (e.g. A church, an institution, a political party, etc.).

Major social cleavages include nationality and how that contributes to the way society organizes; political systems (e.g. types of government), class, geography, religion, urbanization (or amount or rural economic structure), and special interest groups. Depending on the country, these different cleavages may have greater or lesser importance. In a similar manner, the overall structure of a given society is often dependent on the level of political evolution that these cleavages hold. For example, poorer countries with a small upper class and large lower class tend not to have polarized political situations or active special interest groups, but do have volatile geographic and religious cleavages, and also tend to be more rural than urban. Marxism, one of the predominant ideas coming out of the Industrial Revolution, holds that class structure, and the various conflicts that arise between classes, are determiners of economic, political, social, and even cultural systems in the modern world (11-12). My views tend to classify modern societies first by their political system: socialist, democratic, representative, totalitarian, and then move more into demographics and psychographics.

1.2 Political Quarrels -Describe, in a 250-300-word post, one of the quarrels faced by the Britons or the French. Analyze the role of that country's history, geography, political institutions, and its culture in relation to the quarrel.

For centuries, Britain and France have been at odds with one another. This likely goes back to Medieval times, then progressed through the Age of Discovery, claims to colonies -- especially in the new world, and the age old rights to economic development of Europe and the oceans. Historically, in 1066 the Duke of Normandy led and invasion of England, defeating the English at the battle of Hastings. William, the Duke, had himself crowned King of England, but remained a vassal of the French King, which became humiliating to the Norman aristocracy. From then on, the English wished to be rid of French influence, and were often jealous of French power, position, and their unique ear to the Papacy. These conflicts were really based on economic power (trade, export of goods, lands to expand, etc.), but often used turmoil between the dynasties of both countries as an excuse for conflict. Too, because England was an island nation, it was regularly and constantly invaded (19-21).