Identity in global politics

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The sense of who a person or group is — the belonging (national, ethnic, religious, racial, gendered) they see as defining themselves and their political interests.

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Politics organised around the shared identity and interests of a particular group, used to demand recognition, rights or power.

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National, ethnic, religious, racial and gendered — each providing a form of group belonging that shapes political behaviour.

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Because people act as members of groups they identify with: identity defines 'us vs them', shaping trust, loyalty and who people mobilise for or against.

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A dispute framed as a threat to a group's identity feels existential, so it is harder to compromise on and easier for leaders to mobilise than a dispute over resources.

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Everyone belongs to many groups at once — national, religious, gendered, class — and which identity becomes politically important depends on the context.

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Identities are made and remade by history, myth, education, media and politics — nations are 'imagined communities' and ethnic/racial boundaries shift over time.

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To those who hold them, identities feel rooted in birth, family, language and ancestry — deep, unchosen and permanent — so people are willing to die for them.

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An identity can be socially made and still be utterly real and powerful in its effects, so it cannot simply be argued away.

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The shared belonging that binds a group together also defines outsiders, so the same force that mobilises solidarity can sharpen an 'us vs them' divide.

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If identity is made, it can be reshaped — toward inclusion or toward hatred — which places real responsibility on leaders and institutions.