R-E-S-P-E-C-T! That is what Identity means to me.
"We have an inner self that deserves respect and dignity, and the rest of society does not appreciate it, and the rest of society needs to change".
- Francis Fukuyama, Bristol Festival of Ideas, 2018
What happens to our perception of identity and self-worth when society does not give it the respect we demand? This was one of the many topics of Francis Fukuyama’s 2018 Festival of Ideas talk last weekend. Individual identity is what defines our place in the world around us. How we present ourselves to others, the people we surround ourselves with, and the decisions we make, all link back to this perception of how we see ourselves in society. In democracies, we vote for the particular candidate who respects the needs of our individual dignity and identity. In instances where we do not receive the respect we deserve, we challenge the structures of society until they are no longer able to ignore us. Such was especially the case in the 1960s, with the Civil Rights movement, LGBT rights, and the rise in feminism, or, for a more contemporary example, the “Me Too” movement, fighting for the respect of victims of sexual harassment and/or assault. Without these movements, the world as we know it today would not exist.
However, a decade of an increasingly right-wing political spectrum has shed light on, what I would argue to be, a regressive form identity politics. Fukuyama draws especially on the dangerous rise of populism, evident through shocking revelations such as Donald Trump’s election as US president, and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Such events can be attributed to the dark side of identity: nationalism.
"I alone understand your problems. I alone can fix them. I am your voice."
- Donald Trump, Republican National Convention, 2016
Nationalism first emerged as a concept out of the French Revolution, which united all from farmers to workers under a single, French national vision. Don’t get me wrong, this concept of belonging to, and feeling pride in, our “nation” is a serious component of our individual identity. However, any individual who exhibits extreme national devotion inevitably does so at the cost of undermining others. As Fukuyama puts it: the demand for individual dignity evolves into the demand for superior dignity. The notions of “you’re-not-one-of-us” that cultivate in these ideological climates allow for the rise of extremism, as in France with Marie LePenn, and Germany’s “Alternative für Deutschland”, both which reflect these nationalistic sentiments.
Exclusive identity politics are an equally pressing issue in liberal circles, where the domination of minority and women’s identities has led to an epidemic of self-victimisation by those “left behind”. Left-wing parties, which used to represent the needs of the working class, have shifted their focus towards the needs of minorities, leaving their previous voters to either move to the right or find other means of gaining recognition. Can people not see that the demand for exclusive respect, at the downfall of others, especially those who have always – consciously or not – been recipients and beneficiaries of this respect, is incredibly dangerous. It appears all of society has turned against the privileged, evil white, middle class, heterosexual (I could go on) man, simply because history has shaped society to suit their needs above that of minorities. Whilst this, by all means, is in due need to change, we cannot simply completely exclude them from future developments and expect a world of rainbows of equality.
Division and exclusivity will not lead to social progress. Instead, we need a middle ground of tolerance, in which different identities with different views can discuss as civilised individuals.
And for that, we need to give a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
by: Alex