What Am I? Humanism between Identity Politics and Universalism

A book about unconscious privilege and hidden racism – also in Germany – as seen by someone who faces it...

A book about unconscious privilege and hidden racism – also in Germany – as seen by someone who faces it every day. What is the experience of Germany for a person who belongs here, but who looks different to many Germans? As the son of Moroccan guest workers and, as a journalist for a German newspaper, an involuntary “role model for integration”, Mohamed Amjahid is confronted daily with the fact that he is not white. He holds up a mirror to the majority white society and shows that discriminatory behaviour and racist prejudice are faults not only of the hard right, but also of people who see themselves as enlightened and tolerant. In a pointed and self-deprecating way, he makes it clear that racism has a lot to do with privilege – especially when we are not aware of it.

At the end of the 1960s, little Florence, who was born in Hamburg to Nigerian parents, is taken into care...

At the end of the 1960s, little Florence, who was born in Hamburg to Nigerian parents, is taken into care by a single woman in Buxtehude. At the age of eight, her parents take her to Lagos, to a country whose language she does not speak and whose culture is foreign to her, to a family she does not know. Thanks to the spirited intervention of a teacher, she makes it back to Germany and follows her path there ...

In her autobiography, with a good dose of humour, the author recounts the experiences of a black woman in a white society, describing the fine line between amusing anecdotes and unpleasant everyday racism, between the challenges of building bridges and setting boundaries, between integration and the search for her identity, between working and motherhood as a single parent — in short, the life story of an impressive woman.

This handbook is the first to offer a comprehensiveand interdisciplinary overview of postcolonial theories and research in the context of...

This handbook is the first to offer a comprehensiveand interdisciplinary overview of postcolonial theories and research in the context of literary and cultural studies. It combines an introduction to the subject with a critical stocktaking of this international academic field. A theory section and a lexical presentation of basic postcolonial terms are followed by articles on the literary, cultural and media history of colonialism and postcolonialism in the cultural areas affected, as well as an appendix providing historical overviews of individual countries and further information. The handbook is aimed at academic readers and offers entry points for future research, but is also intended to provide students and interested nonexperts with a reliable basis for approaching European colonial history, its cultural resonances and its postcolonial reappraisal in literature and culture.

These days, faced not only by the notorious right-wing political encumbrance of ”identity“, humanism can only aim at a critically...

These days, faced not only by the notorious right-wing political encumbrance of ”identity“, humanism can only aim at a critically disarmed concept of identity. The history of humanism also suggests a concept of open and fragile identities framed by dialogue. On the one hand, this book highlights the problems of humanist identity as it is shaped today: forms of belonging, the potentialfor escalation posed by emphatic self-identification and the relationship between universalism and identity politics. On the other hand, it discusses the substance of this kind of identity: attitudes and preferences, human rights andcultural diversity, religious freedom and feminism, (digital) self-determination, humanistic approaches to mortality and death.

Our society is currently developing a new understanding of equality. Society and politics need to react to social inequity, while...

Our society is currently developing a new understanding of equality. Society and politics need to react to social inequity, while preventing discrimination and dealing with identity politics. But what connects and what distinguishes these dimensions of equality and inequality? The contributors to this volume argue that social inequality, anti-discrimination and identity politics should not be played off against each other. Rather, it is important to develop a multidimensional understanding of equality based on social recognition that avoids hierarchies of inequality and, above all, spirals of compensation.

Identity politics means defining oneself – and ideally also organising and asserting one‘s own rights – based on one‘s own...

Identity politics means defining oneself – and ideally also organising and asserting one‘s own rights – based on one‘s own identity. But while this form of identity politics has formed the basis of countless social movements, more recently it has been radically questioned by queer and postcolonial theory, and rejected as homogenising and exclusive. However, this act of relating to identity categories is not only fiercely challenged in theory, it is now also sharply criticised in left-wing circles as downright counter-revolutionary. Identity politics is detrimental to the class struggle, so the argument goes, because the struggle for the recognition of cultural differences can only distract from the central and universal struggle against social inequality. From the theoretical-historical roots of the term “identity” to the debates on identity politics on the left following Trump‘s election as US president, this book offers an undogmatic overview of the discourses and history of left-wing identity politics.

Globalisation is revealing a new face, with the disappearance of borders for terror and fundamentalist identity politics. Samuel Huntington‘s theorem...

Globalisation is revealing a new face, with the disappearance of borders for terror and fundamentalist identity politics. Samuel Huntington‘s theorem regarding the clash of civilisations as the defining characteristic of the 21st century is increasingly proving itself to be not an explanation of culturally based conflicts, but one of their causes. The thesis of cultural clash should not be seriously considered as an attempt to interpret recent developments, but rather as an arsenal for trite arguments in the struggle between supposed cultural identities for power and recognition. In this volume,Thomas Meyer analyses the social, economic, cultural and political factors that underpin the success of fundamentalist identity politics today. Empirical findings and analyses of the structure of different cultures raise our awareness of common basic values, as well as of the scope and limitations of the difference between cultures and religions. The book shows conclusively that it is not the cultural differences themselves that enrich or alienate us, but how we use them.

Since the violent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, Germany too has seen open, controversial and heated debates...

Since the violent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, Germany too has seen open, controversial and heated debates surrounding racism. How does racism work, whom does it serve and to what end? This book provides an overview of the concept, the history and the present of this formative, hostile ideology of power. Recent developments and discourses are examined and catalogued. How do you define racism, when did it originate, how has it changed up till today? How can you tell if an action or statement is racist? What is the difference between structural and institutional racism – and why do we need to know? How is racism perceived by those it affects? What responsibilities do educational institutions have?

The authors of this volume set out to find traces of interpretations and their contexts. They take global historical, post-colonial...

The authors of this volume set out to find traces of interpretations and their contexts. They take global historical, post-colonial and decolonised perspectives to achieve a novel approach to binarisms, dichotomies and partisan ideas in historical and current contexts, and they explore theoretical and empirical possibilities of other readings. In doing so, they do not follow ontologising logics and derivations, but ask about the backgrounds of interpretations. The contributions show how (anti-Muslim) racism is interwoven with other racisms, both historically and in today‘s world, and how it derives from forms of religionisation, racialisation, culturalisation, orientalisation and colonisation.

Yes, there have always been adoptions and appropriations of techniques, skills, motives etc. in arts and culture throughout history. Cultural...

Yes, there have always been adoptions and appropriations of techniques, skills, motives etc. in arts and culture throughout history. Cultural exchange is not the same as cultural appropriation. Lars Distelhorst writes about a subject that is as omnipresent as it is inadequately theorised, and with an extraordinary potential to polarise as well. Ethnic party-costumes or dreadlocks, white soul music or yoga – are those cultural appropriations? Distelhorst demonstrates how the macro and micro level of cultural appropriation are connected. He discusses various definitions of the term. He analyses three dimensions of cultural appropriation: looted art and artefacts from colonised people, the unasked-for representation of other cultures, and the consumption of culture as commodity. Finally, Distelhorst relates cultural appropriation to anti-racist and anti-capitalist perspectives to use it in fighting against persisting systems of power and domination.

Coronavirus and climate change are forcing us to reconnect profoundly with nature. In a brilliant treatise, the philosopher Christoph Türcke...

Coronavirus and climate change are forcing us to reconnect profoundly with nature. In a brilliant treatise, the philosopher Christoph Türcke shows how disastrous is the belief that nature is merely an amalgam, subject to our own devices. Constructivism and deconstructivism alike have promoted the belief that nature is only what we make of it. They are pseudo-critical offshoots of a high-tech mania for feasibility. Gender is already considered a construct for which there is only one criterion: personal sense of belonging. In the process, we’re losing sight of the fact that we humans ourselves are merely natural beings. If we want to shape nature as we please – including our own – and if we ignore its obstinacy, it will strike back at us all the more violently.

In the media, identity politics has become a battle cry. A verbal club, it doesn’t contribute to our understanding of...

In the media, identity politics has become a battle cry. A verbal club, it doesn’t contribute to our understanding of minorities, but prods at emotions. This book aims to contribute greater objectivity to the identity debates. It identifies the potential for a pluralism of identities without defamation and at the same time points out the limits. Thus Scheller pleads for a politics of potentiality. Liberalism must be rethought and individuals must have the chance to reinvent themselves again and again. Because if, beyond the business of

identifying hard realities, we forget that people are also stubborn, creative beings, then the rule should be: no identification without imagination.

Identity politics is at a dead end: empowerment has been reduced to gender-appropriate language and avoiding the N-word. Everywhere, minorities...

Identity politics is at a dead end: empowerment has been reduced to gender-appropriate language and avoiding the N-word. Everywhere, minorities need protection from possible insult – in university seminars, art and fashion, on the internet and at public events. For those who don‘t occupy politics with their own victimhood, the debate is closed. Those who can‘t keep up with the demanding compulsory reading are out. Criticising such excesses out of solidarity has become a source of dilemma in an age when rightwingers are agitating against unisex toilets and ”marriage for all“ – and when left-wingers see it as the reason for ”Pipi fax“ or for the rise of Trump. Between defence and isolation, this volume looks at the pitfalls of identity politics and searches for alliances beyond the world of blame and victim competition.

Few issues are currently polarising the general public as much as so-called identity politics and the associated “cancel culture.“ Is...

Few issues are currently polarising the general public as much as so-called identity politics and the associated “cancel culture.“ Is it a legitimate strategy to give validity to groups previously discriminated against and marginalised, and to promote their concerns? Or does this end up exacerbating the divisions in society? In this book, Jan Feddersen and Philipp Gessler do not deny the existence of racism and traditions of disadvantage, or of language that discriminates against and ignores people. However, they suggest that people who exaggerate group identities serve to undermine solidarity. If it is only the people who are directly affected by an issue that are entitled to speak about it, it is hardly possible to hold important debates in democracy – especially not when any open discourse is curtailed by references to injustice. So the authors plead for a return to the universalism that was once a left-wing project. They call on us to respect each other as individuals in our respective differences, and they make suggestions for a more constructive culture of debate.

If you want to fight racism, you have to want change – and that starts with yourself. “Can I touch...

If you want to fight racism, you have to want change – and that starts with yourself. “Can I touch your hair?“ “Can you get sunburned?“ “Where are you from?“ People who ask these questions usually don‘t mean any harm. But they are racist all the same. White people often don‘t want to know why that is.

Alice Hasters explains it anyway. She describes powerfully yet patiently how racism shapes her everyday life as a black woman in Germany. She makes it clear that racism is not just a problem on the right-wing fringe of society. And confronting one‘s own racism is painful at first, but the only way to overcome it.

In school we learn that all people are equal. But at the same time we learn “general knowledge“ that dates...

In school we learn that all people are equal. But at the same time we learn “general knowledge“ that dates back to colonial times. In clear terms and with profound humour, the well-known artist and activist Noah Sow exposes the commonplace racism that we encounter in Germany every day. For example, she shows how even UNICEF advertising uses racist clichés, and why few things are worse than to finish reading “The White Maasai“. Fighting racism means first of all understanding it. This process will not be entirely painless, even for members of the societal majority. But as Noah Sow‘s book makes clear, it will always be worth it, and for everyone. Since its first publication by C. Bertelsmann Verlag in 2008, “Deutschland Schwarz Weiß“ has become a standard work for teaching and discussing structural racism in Germany, and has lost none of its topicality to this day. There have been numerous subsequent editions, as well as an audio version.

While some people don‘t have to do much to get themselves heard, others have to shout as loud as they...

While some people don‘t have to do much to get themselves heard, others have to shout as loud as they can because society is not interested in their fate. That is more or less why the book ”Hello, Can Anybody Hear Me?“ came to be written. Sibel Schick is an astute commentator on contemporary society. Like no one else, she knows how to put her finger on the wound, while taking new approaches to the important discourses of our age – clear, rousing and universally understandable. ”Hello, Can Anybody Hear Me?“ is a collection of Schick‘s columns and commentaries on racism, classism, sexism, identity, and language, written from her unique inside-outside perspective, which is too little appreciated in the media. Anyone who wants to understand Germany has to read Sibel Schick‘s book.

More than ever before, we are busy readjusting the limits of what is reasonable. Where is the limit of what...

More than ever before, we are busy readjusting the limits of what is reasonable. Where is the limit of what can be said? Svenja Flaßpöhler takes a step back to shed light on the conflict’s glowing core: the increasing sensitisation of the self and of society. In human history, sensitivity equals progress: People protect each other in their vulnerability, become more sensitive to their own and others' feelings and fates. But there is a downside to this development: rather than connecting us, this sensitivity is fragmenting society. Svenja Flaßpöhler tells the story of the sensitive self from a philosophical perspective. Resilience is considered the enemy of sensitivity because still today it is associated with cold entrenchment. But is that true? "Sore Subjects" is a highly relevant, philosophical yet entertaining book.

Paintings are taken down from the walls, sculptures destroyed, film heroes erased: a mighty cultural conflict is spreading through museums,...

Paintings are taken down from the walls, sculptures destroyed, film heroes erased: a mighty cultural conflict is spreading through museums, cinemas and theatres. Does it threaten the end of artistic freedom, as some believe? Is that censorship from below? Or is it about time, as others believe, that the culture world follows the Me Too movement and demands more parity? Hanno Rauterberg reveals what is hidden behind the debate on morality and aesthetics: What is so threatening about images? Is political correctness endangering the autonomy of the artist? And why is the quarrel about such issues taking place at this moment in history? An essay on the most important debate affecting art for a long time, which reveals a lot about the crisis of liberalism and the new taboos of a changing society.

Queer stands for a self-consciously perverse rejoinder to heterosexual manias and hostility to otherness. At the height of the AIDS...

Queer stands for a self-consciously perverse rejoinder to heterosexual manias and hostility to otherness. At the height of the AIDS crisis, queer activism was understood as self-assertion: the perverse and nonconformist – gays, lesbians, and trans people – looked after each other and fought together. Queer theory of the 1990s took up their critique academically, with an emancipatory aim. Queerness has undergone a significant shift in recent years. Queer activism often operates with concepts such as “critical whiteness“, “homonormativity“ and “cultural appropriation“. Often, such activism creates the appearance of a dogmatic political sect. Not infrequently the goal is the destruction of the social life of those attacked. In the anthology ”Beißreflexe” (Biting Reflex), 27 authors address this form of queer activism and its theoretical context from a perspective that connects to the self-confident responses of queer that have been partially forgotten or disowned.