Identity Politics

                                 
   The term 'identity' is derived from the Latin root 'idem,' which includes sameness and continuity. Identity defines how and for what an individual, society, or any organized structure is. (Dalbay - Avcı, 2018) Identity is very important for a person and society. Identity politics combines the concepts of identity and politics and has a very important place in modern politics. Also, it's quite a contested term. Columnist Carlos Lozado supports this with the following sentence "a term so contested that even writing it down can be exhausting." (Atchison, 2021, p.404) As a definition, identity politics refers to organizing around the specific experience or perspective of a given group as well as organizing that has identity visibility as a goal. (Whittier, 2017) Identity politics began to be seen for the first time in the post-1945 period with the post-colonial theories that emerged from the collapse of European empires. (Heywood, 2013, p.160) In this article, I will examine identity politics under three different headings; race and ethnicity, gender, and religion.

 Firstly, a race categorizes humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. (Schaefer, 2008) Racism, caused by different races seeing other races as inferior to them, is a long-standing social problem. This was first seen in the attempt to establish the dominance of the ‘white’ races of Europe and North America over the ‘black’, ‘brown’ and ‘yellow’ peoples of Africa and Asia. ((Heywood, 2013, p.162) Arthur de Gobineau used the following sentence in his Essay on the Inequality of Human Races: "The two lower breeds of our species, the black race, the yellow race, the white race, are coarsely ground, cotton and wool, which the secondary families of the white race soften by mixing their silks, while the Aryan group entwines their fine threads.'' In the 20th century, the Jewish people were tried to be destroyed with the ‘Final Solution' in Nazi Germany. The "Final Solution" was a culmination of increasingly violent, discriminatory, anti-Jewish actions by the Nazis. Today, the Dictionary's "Final Solution" View is used synonymously with the Holocaust of the Jews of Europe. ("Final Solution," 2020)

The second principle is gender politics. Biologically, everyone is born as a male or female and takes place in society accordingly. Ann Oakley explained in Sex, Gender and Society, published in 1972, gender refers to the socially unequal division between masculinity and femininity. (Vatandaş, 2007) In connection with this, Feminism advocates gender equality, that women are discriminated against because of their gender, and this discrimination should be eliminated. (Delmar, p.16) Although feminist theory includes different approaches, it's against the forces that restrict women and expose them to oppression and obstacles. 

Finally, I would like to discuss the relationship between identity politics and religion. One of the most discussed issues throughout history is the relationship between Religion-State-Politics. By using religion in politics, societies are tried to be controlled. (Aygen, 2019) Church-state conflicts in Europe lasted for many years. In the Islamic world, Islamism comes to the fore. In Islam, religion is the defining element of Muslim identity. Other dimensions of identity formation, such as class, gender or national affiliation, are considered secondary to religion. (Ismail, 2004, p.616) The Islamic State of Iran, established by Ayatollah Khomeini after the 'Islamic Revolution' in Iran, is an example of this situation. Although it has different reasons, like every revolution, economic problems are the most important reasons for the ‘Islamic Revolution’. In October 1977, Ayatollah Khomeini's exiled son, Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini, was killed in Najaf, and the people took to the streets to protest this assassination. Demonstrations intensified in January 1978 when a newspaper insulted Ayatollah Khomeini. On February 11, 1979, the last institutions and buildings of the monarchy were occupied, and the Islamic Revolution succeeded. (Cülük, 2018) And then, with the constitution adopted on March 31, 1979, with 98.2% of the vote, Khomeini became the most authoritative person in the country.14 Initially, the Islamic Republic of Iran benefited all segments of society. However, it later came under the control of the Shia clergy. It started as a revolution and turned into a problematic mechanism under the control of the Shia clergy. (Tabriz, 2004) 

In summary, Identity politics is a political approach wherein people of a particular race, nationality, religion, gender, or other identifying factors develop political agendas based on these identities. (Bernstein, 2005) It is also very important to modern politics, although it is a contested term.

References

• Atchison, Amy L. (2021). Political science is for everybody. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p.403-408.

• Aygen, Murat (2019). About Relationship Between Religion, State, and Politics. Avrasya Uluslararası Araştırmalar Dergisi, 7, p.516-536.

• Bernstein, Mary (2005). Identity Politics. Annual Review of Sociology, 31, p.47-74

• Cülük, Ahmet (2018). Iranian Islamic Revolution and The Victory of Shia Clergy. Turkish Journal of Security Studies, 20, p.88-101.

• Dalbay, Saim - Avcı, Nazmi (2018). Basic Approaches Towards Identıty Construction and Their Reflections on Turkey.

• Delmar, Rosalind. What is Feminism?. Simon Fraser University. p.9-21

• Heywood, Andrew (2013). Politics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p.160-162

• Ismail, Salwa (2004). Being Muslim: Islam, Islamism and Identity Politics. p.614-620.

• Schaefer, Richard T. (2008). Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. New York: SAGE Publications. p.1091-1093.

• Tabriz, Asghar Alam, (2004). Aydınların, Dini Liderlerin ve Esnafın İran`ın Yakın Dönem Toplumsal Hareketlerindeki ve Devrimlerindeki Rollerinin İncelenmesi. Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara.

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Final Solution. 8/12/2020, "Final Solution": Overview | Holocaust Encyclopedia (ushmm.org)

• Vatandaş, Celalettin (2007). Toplumsal Cinsiyet ve Cinsiyet Rollerinin Algılanışı.

• Whittier, Nancy (2017). Identity Politics, Consciousness Raising, and Visibility Politics.