Lecture 11 Flashcards
Power as Identity: Class, Ethnicity & Gender
Identity Groups
Politically significant associations of people who are identified by (against their will) or identify with one or more shared social markers (voluntarily)
Minority Groups
A disempowered group - less able to access positions of power, influence & resources
social minority =/= numerical minority
E.g. females, colonialism (Whites vs South Africans in apartheid)
Accorded similar rights in law =/= in practice
Descriptive representation
Political institutions should be representative of the demographic make up of society
Identity politics
Mobilisation - power way to mobilise individuals
Seen as dangerous
Seen to essentialise and force people into groups they do not agree with
Creates an “us” vs “them” mentality
Weaponised to clamp down on plurality of opinions
Substantive representative
Political elite is reflects the will of the people completely (neutral political consultation)
