Identity Politics – has it reached it’s end?

Identity politics has paved way to ground breaking insights that have impacted the society we live in today. Although a lot of people have embraced this concept with open arms, others simply become inured to it, no longer seeing it a catalyst for change.

The twentieth century welcomed the emergence of large-scale poltical movements such as feminism, Black Civil Rights, and the LGBTQ+. These movements were created by a philosophical body of literature that takes up numerous questions about how our current society is currently run. Identity politics is connected to the idea that some social groups are oppressed, making them vulnerable to cultural imperialism, violence, and other injustices.

There are two kinds of identity politics – one being beneficial and one being extremely bad. There have been multiple debates as to whether or not identity politics is beneficial to society. Especially during these past few years where presidents such as Donald Trump, have extreme views on the different societal groups that make up their countries.

The Philippines has implemented legislative reforms that aim to make more effective, efficient, and responsive laws in order to cater to the needs of its citizens. In 1997, the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) was established. This aims to uphold the rights of indigenous people to their ancestral land and domain. But some individuals believe that this type of politics does not benefit the betterment of the whole country.

Now has it gone too far?

Essentially, I believe there is nothing wrong with allowing one’s identity to shape or change our political views. Negligence can lead to problems when we discredit the identities of others in favor of our own. By examining the history of the world, people in dominant groups do- have the ability to create destructive generalizations against those of the weaker groups. Those of the marginalized groups can easily be disregarded, their voices getting drowned out by the majority.

This topic can be extended and debated on for hours but what is essential to keep in mind is that no matter what gender, class, or race you have, we are all equally humans. All we hope to achieve is to create community where one feels equal. By joining forces we will be able to rewrite the narratives that society has brought upon us.