Dear Jide, I could not agree more. For a long time I've felt that identity politics actually makes it harder for people to have authentic relationships. The need for the govenment and institutions to prove that the policy decisions they make are just and fair to all members of society obviously is well intentioned, however, it leads a kind of bureaucractisation of human relationships, a spead sheet social justice, which is dehumanising. Genuine relationships develop over time and take some working at often, but the rewards are real, sometimes especially because of the differences between people. There are better ways of making this possible other than through bureaucratic means. I'm old, I know this is true. I tried to explain this recently to a young woman canvassing for the labour party. The moment I said I had reservations about identity politics her eyes glazed over. I didn't pursue my point because I could see she had written me off as a bigot and stopped listening. I found this ironic because it proved my point. For her the theory was more important than the reality of how its implementtion affects communities. Anyway, just to say Jide, I really enjoy reading your clear and well reasoned articles - they make me feel I'm not going mad after all. Keep going because your insights and observations are much appreciated.
Hello Valerie, thanks for your comment here, it is much appreciated. Your anecdotes shared exemplify what I’m trying to solve. And I think you’ve also ultimately captured the crux of the issue: that many are stuck in the abstract rather than the lived. I think we are losing the relational habits required to cultivate intimate relationships as a society. We also live in a society that lacks the patience to deal with the messiness of building relationships. The is the lived reality of community, not abstract theories. Many thanks for the support and encouragement. I definitely intend to tackle these matters.
Dear Jide, I could not agree more. For a long time I've felt that identity politics actually makes it harder for people to have authentic relationships. The need for the govenment and institutions to prove that the policy decisions they make are just and fair to all members of society obviously is well intentioned, however, it leads a kind of bureaucractisation of human relationships, a spead sheet social justice, which is dehumanising. Genuine relationships develop over time and take some working at often, but the rewards are real, sometimes especially because of the differences between people. There are better ways of making this possible other than through bureaucratic means. I'm old, I know this is true. I tried to explain this recently to a young woman canvassing for the labour party. The moment I said I had reservations about identity politics her eyes glazed over. I didn't pursue my point because I could see she had written me off as a bigot and stopped listening. I found this ironic because it proved my point. For her the theory was more important than the reality of how its implementtion affects communities. Anyway, just to say Jide, I really enjoy reading your clear and well reasoned articles - they make me feel I'm not going mad after all. Keep going because your insights and observations are much appreciated.
Hello Valerie, thanks for your comment here, it is much appreciated. Your anecdotes shared exemplify what I’m trying to solve. And I think you’ve also ultimately captured the crux of the issue: that many are stuck in the abstract rather than the lived. I think we are losing the relational habits required to cultivate intimate relationships as a society. We also live in a society that lacks the patience to deal with the messiness of building relationships. The is the lived reality of community, not abstract theories. Many thanks for the support and encouragement. I definitely intend to tackle these matters.