There has been an increasing dynamic of , "either you are with us ,or you are against us" , and it is seeping into every aspect of life ; "all art is political". A good deal of this seems to flow from institutes of higher indoctrination where you learn you are either an oppressor or the oppressed , there is no middle ground, and group identity trumps individuals. For many people their identity revolves around their political commitment which then becomes the central focus of their lives. What I find mystifying are friendships that have gone on for years that are being broken over positions on issues like Gaza/Israel and gender identity. Some how these have become more important than the human connections. Solidarity becomes toxic.
A wonderfully nuanced, thought-provoking piece--Thank you. I will have to read it again and share it. Now, can you elucidate the forces driving these shifts (In what ? social psychological requirements)?
Thank you! If I’m understanding your question correctly and you’re asking what drives movements from building support around a particular cause toward expanding what solidarity with that cause requires…I don’t have a simple answer; however I do wonder whether part of it is that movements built around conflict can have difficulty knowing what to do with a middle ground once it appears, so the goalposts keep moving.
There has been an increasing dynamic of , "either you are with us ,or you are against us" , and it is seeping into every aspect of life ; "all art is political". A good deal of this seems to flow from institutes of higher indoctrination where you learn you are either an oppressor or the oppressed , there is no middle ground, and group identity trumps individuals. For many people their identity revolves around their political commitment which then becomes the central focus of their lives. What I find mystifying are friendships that have gone on for years that are being broken over positions on issues like Gaza/Israel and gender identity. Some how these have become more important than the human connections. Solidarity becomes toxic.
A wonderfully nuanced, thought-provoking piece--Thank you. I will have to read it again and share it. Now, can you elucidate the forces driving these shifts (In what ? social psychological requirements)?
Thank you! If I’m understanding your question correctly and you’re asking what drives movements from building support around a particular cause toward expanding what solidarity with that cause requires…I don’t have a simple answer; however I do wonder whether part of it is that movements built around conflict can have difficulty knowing what to do with a middle ground once it appears, so the goalposts keep moving.