politics of displacement

A detailed Summary of politics of displacement

Jean Elshtain, Chp.2 "Democracy and the Politics of Displacement"

In the excerpted chapter titled "Democracy and the Politics of Displacement", Jean Elshtain discusses the concept of 'politics of identity'. In discussing the 'politics of identity', Elshtain argues there is an emerging social phenomenon, wherein society is turning the private affairs of our lives into public discourse. The Western World has become a public pool, in which the information mediums and venues of society are overflowing with confessions and apologies. We have made the private affairs of our lives, into a booming business. Society has witnessed a proliferation of self - help groups, 'twelve- step' programs, anger management programs, television shows broadcasting a 'tell all' theme and Internet chat groups designed for people to post the confession and/or apology of the day. Inherently, it has not only become socially acceptable, but socially encouraged to "air our dirty laundry." We are actively creating an 'Apologizing Society.'

Elshtain argues that as the boundary separating the private and the public becomes increasingly hazed, a new social identity emerges. Elshtain argues that as this new social identity emerges,

Through the process of class discussion, it was realized, that as the quality of being a victim enters the public lime- light, there emerges a social accumulation of victims and victimizers. The social accumulation of victims emerges as a result of two factors: 1) as the quality of being a victim becomes more public, it's definition and defining characteristics begin to broaden. Thereby, accumulating and embracing a variety of 'victims,'that otherwise, may never have come to view themselves as having been victimized; 2) as the definition of being a victim becomes more broad in the public sphere, it simultaneously becomes glorified and popularized. That is to say, society begins to credit a great deal of sympathy to, and focus a lot of attention on, those who have been victimized. As a result, a social phenomenon emerges, wherein everyone wants to be a 'victim.'As a final note, the social accumulation of victims continues, as some victims feel compelled to engage in the public service of sharing their experience with the world. For example, we often hear victims injecting society with notions of victimization through injunctions such as, "My experience will have served a purpose, if I can help one person to understand that they are not alone." Essentially, there is a collective engagement among victims, to 'accumulate' more victims.

there arises a 'politics of identity.'Our social identity is no longer composed of "differentiated spheres of human act

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Approximate Word count = 994
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics