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To What Extent Is Scotland A Divided Society?

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To what extent is Scotland a divided society? We tend to think of Scottish society, or any modern society, as maintaining a social structure in which we live. This social structure is made up of a shared democratic process and political construction as well as common experiences. From the aspect of social policy, this view of society means that we also share the same benefits and responsibilities of living in a welfare state. However, this structure, being so socially and often culturally rigid, can be said as being fundamentally flawed. Although, as a society, there are many factors that unite the Scottish population, there are also numerous aspects that divide us. We have many different histories, traditions and lifestyles all of which result in different needs. Due to these different needs there is increased recognition within social policy debates that we live in a divided society (Platt 2011). Many social divisions exist in Scotland ranging from class to gender and sexuality. The social divisions explored in this essay will be race and ethnicity. The 2011 Scottish census showed that ethnic minorities make up 7% of the population. Despite this, there are a lot of different ethnic minority groups in Scotland and many of these groups are subject to discrimination and can often be disadvantaged in most, if not all, areas of their life. The Race Relations Act 1976 made it unlawful for employers to deliberately refuse employment on the grounds of race. Despite this

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