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Flip to reveal answersWhy is identity called a 'double-edged sword'?
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All 11 Flashcards — Identity, conflict and cohesion
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Question
Why is identity called a 'double-edged sword'?
Answer
Because the same belonging that can bind people into a peaceful community can also tear a society apart — identity can both unite and divide.
Question
Why can identity drive conflict?
Answer
It turns difference into an existential 'us vs them': disputes become about a group's survival, minorities get scapegoated, and leaders can weaponise the divide for power.
Question
What is ethnic or sectarian conflict?
Answer
Violence organised around ethnic, religious or communal group identity, which is hard to resolve because it is about recognition and survival, not just resources.
Question
What is identity-based populism?
Answer
Politics that mobilises 'the real people' of one identity against elites and outsiders, fusing grievance with a clear enemy and often vilifying minorities.
Question
What is social cohesion?
Answer
The bonds of trust and shared belonging that hold a society together, enabling cooperation across a diverse population.
Question
How can identity build cohesion?
Answer
A shared sense of belonging generates trust, solidarity and cooperation, and can be built across group lines as an inclusive shared identity.
Question
Why are ethnic conflicts so hard to resolve?
Answer
Because they are about recognition and survival rather than dividing resources, so the stakes feel existential and resist compromise.
Question
How does identity-based populism work?
Answer
It fuses a sense of grievance and lost status with a clear enemy, offering belonging and someone to blame, but tends to exclude and vilify minorities.
Question
What determines whether identity divides or unites?
Answer
Whether the identity is inclusive or exclusive, how leaders use it, and how the state manages diversity — a matter of political choice, not fate.
Question
Is identity itself the problem?
Answer
No — exclusive, weaponised identity drives conflict, while inclusive identity built across groups is part of the solution; the task is to manage diversity, not abolish identity.
Question
How should a state manage diversity for cohesion?
Answer
Guarantee equal rights and minority protection, build shared institutions and an inclusive identity, and resist leaders who scapegoat and divide.
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Identity
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