Effects of Identity Politics in Global Politics Research - 1375 Words

Effects of Identity Politics in Global Politics (Essay Sample) Content: Effects of Identity Politics in Global PoliticsNameUniversityEffects of Identity Politics in Global PoliticsIdentity politics has varied effects on global politics including middle-class radicalization, policy making as well as peoples integration. Identity politics divides people along lines such as race, social class, age, gender identity, as well as the level of education. It affects peoples integration as everyone does not fit into the clearly outlined groups. People tend to socialize in the groups in which they feel accepted. In politics, younger people are likely to recommend the election of young, upcoming leaders as opposed to the aged. This is because they believe that older leaders do not represent their interests, for example. Older people may feel that middle-aged candidates are eligible for the job since they are more experienced as compared to upcoming leaders. In terms of gender identity, women may prefer to elect a female legislator because they feel t hat she understands their issues and will therefore represent them well as compared to a man. Global politics seeks to study the relationships that exist between the divergent groups that lay the foundation for identity politics and unite these groups so as to reach collective decisions. (Jan-Erik Lane, 2006). It is inevitable for conflicts to arise as some groups may feel that their interests are not well represented. Nevertheless the leaders must enforce the new policies that are binding to everyone regardless of the group they are in. This paper looks at the effects of identity politics on global politics.Identity politics is well expressed in the theory of New Social Movements. The proponents of this theory argue that some movements that are against exploitation and oppression are the agents of change in the society. They dismiss the opinion that any force in the society counts as the agent of transformation in the society. Identity politics is tied to this theory since it is a fruit of the various movements that come into being to fight oppression and exploitation. People in the society keep on taking up new social identities. This makes the formation of different groups necessary as the members can identify with each other and with the problems that they face. In olden times, a clear distinction existed between workers and capitalists (Laclau, Ernesto, 1983. P 231).Workers toiled while the capitalists benefitted from their hard work. In recent times, however, these new social identities serve as the dominant mode of politics. This is because it has come to the realization of the people that they do not have to be identified only as workers. They have other identities in the society such as women, atheists, queer, among others. The proponents of New Social Movements Theory also argue that workers have other identities as mentioned above. Therefore, they should not only be identified in terms of their social class (Wood, Ellen Meiksins, 1986). They can fig ht for their rights as citizens of America, the handicapped, as members of a given race, among others, instead of as workers. This is because when they fight as workers they end up defending the status quo instead of challenging it. The Theory of New Social Movements, therefore, expresses identity politics very well. In policy making, identity politics affects global politics in that majority of political decisions that affect a large population are made by a small fraction of the population. This means that leaders who are affiliated to political groupings pass legislations that are only favorable to the groups they represent. They also tend to reject laws that they do not view as benefitting to them whereas they could be the ones needed most by the whole population. For example, in a state made up of people from various races, there are usually smaller groups within. The distribution of members is usually along racial lines and therefore whenever new policies are to be made, the d ecision mainly lies with the larger group. This is because, in most cases, the overall leader of the state comes from the larger group and, therefore, influences a relatively large population. In case the states people are called upon to vote, the majority wins and, therefore, the decision on which policy should be implemented entirely rests on them (Brown, Wendy, 1995).Identity politics also affects global politics in that in the making of policies, all groups of people in the state must be considered. For instance, in every society, there exist people with different medical conditions, religions as well as sexual orientations. In the making of national policies, opinions and suggestions from the representatives of each of these groups regarding the group must be heard and acted upon. This means that the people in question must come out and identify themselves as members of the groups they belong to (Weeks, Jeffrey, 1977). For example, members from the LGBT have for a long time pre ssured the government of the United States of America to legalize same-sex marriages. This has seen the United States of America come up with legislation that supports same-sex marriages in 2015. It is an example of how identity politics affects global politics in policy making. Not everyone in the United States of America belongs to the LGBT community. However, the government, which represents global politics came up with legislations that protect the rights of a minority group, which is concerned with identity politics.Identity politics has an effect on global politics in terms of peoples integration and unity. For political stability to be achieved in a state, its citizens must be united. Identity politics encourages divisions within a state. This is because people usually form groups according to their religious affiliations, gender, sexual orientation as well as the level of education. In most cases, this brews differences between the people. For instance, staunch Christians ma y feel that the Jews are in the wrong faith and, therefore, look down upon them. On the other hand, atheists may bear an opinion that both Christians and Jews are lost. This brews contempt between them and, therefore, the peoples integration, is affected. This affects global politics in that people prefer to interact within a particular group instead of socializing beyond the groups, which in turn fosters national unity. In case leaders fail to unite these groups, it is very possible for political instability to occur. For example, wars have been known to erupt in nations in which several religions are found, such as Nigeria.In cases where people bear different ideologies, identity politics also have an effect on global politics. National unity is usually threatened if the individuals with various ideologies fail to respect their opponents opinion. For example, in a state where the politicians view the working class as good-for-nothing fellows, a conflict occurs. This is because the politicians ascended to their various offices with the help of the electorates. The voters end up feeling as though their leaders take them for granted due to their power and national unity becomes threatened. A state consisting various ethnic groups, a specific community may view itself as the better community and in this case division between the two communities is imminent. In such a situation, identity politics threatens global politics by that the citi...