What Am I? Humanism between Identity Politics and Universalism

What originally began as a protest against police violence in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has long since become...

What originally began as a protest against police violence in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has long since become a new cultural conflict. At its heart is the assumption that our society is permeated by latent racism. Instead of dealing with specific cases of racist hatred, activists focus on symbols. They place in the dock all manner of objects, names, traditions and linguistic practices that they perceive as discriminatory. The often selfrighteous, accusatory tone, as well as the strict distinction between blacks and whites, make this new antiracism seem authoritarian and censorious. As the essays in this volume demonstrate, however, activists by no means speak for ”all black people.“ A growing number of critics now point out that not only is BLM dividing society, but it is also based on questionable historical premises.

Enlightened politics must keep its focus on the citizens’ interests. It must secure individual freedoms and negotiate questions of justice....

Enlightened politics must keep its focus on the citizens’ interests. It must secure individual freedoms and negotiate questions of justice. But should it also take up the demands of activists who claim to articulate the needs and sensitivities of supposedly disadvantaged minorities? From men‘s rights activists and queer activists, to Catalan separatists and right-wing ”identitarians“, more and more groups are proclaiming victim status for themselves and demanding special treatment. But do we really need special women‘s or men‘s rights? Or the right to define our own gender? What is progressive about pigeonholing people according to sexual orientation, origin, culture or religion? The authors of this anthology, ”The Sorted Society“, have brought together the most important arguments against the rampant identity politics.

Racism is one of the greatest catastrophes in history. And because of its excessively long history, it affects even the...

Racism is one of the greatest catastrophes in history. And because of its excessively long history, it affects even the smallest contexts of global and local structures. In her powerful book, Susan Arndt analyses and confronts these power structures, from their beginnings to our present day, and shows us how to talk about racism without reproducing it. Fighting racism requires action and appropriate skills. This in turn calls for knowledge and arguments.

Although racism has an impact on all areas of German society, it is not easy to talk about it. No...

Although racism has an impact on all areas of German society, it is not easy to talk about it. No one wants to be racist, and many people shy away from the term. This book accompanies readers in a confrontation with racism, sometimes for the first time, and does so without pointing any fingers. Rather, it takes the readers on a critical journey around racism, not only sharing concrete knowledge with them about the history of racism and its impacts, but also supporting them in an emotional confrontation with the topic. In many places there are exercises and reading tips that enable readers to deal with a particular aspect in more detail. QR codes provide access to further articles, videos and images. The aim of the book is to develop a critical perspective on racism together with the readers, which they can really live in everyday life.

Hamed Abdel-Samad has bourne the brunt of racism. In Egypt he was denounced as a lightskinned crusader bastard; in Germany...

Hamed Abdel-Samad has bourne the brunt of racism. In Egypt he was denounced as a lightskinned crusader bastard; in Germany his skin is too dark for some, his name too Muslim for others. This book, rich with experience, is not a report about victimhood. It is an analysis of an issue thathas been fuelled – in this country too – by globalisation, migration and events in the USA. The radical nature of the debate, which in Germany goes far beyond the issue of racism to include questions of identity, belonging, freedom of speech and constraints on expression, threatens to divide society deeply. Abdel-Samad seeks to rationalise the confrontation and points to individualism as a way out of the debate on belonging with its obsessive fixation on identity.

Hardly a day goes by without the debate over identity politics and racism ratcheting up a notch. Where yesterday it...

Hardly a day goes by without the debate over identity politics and racism ratcheting up a notch. Where yesterday it was "old white men" who came under fire, today the arguments surround who is allowed to translate Amanda Gorman or who gets to play various characters in films and theatre. The tone is angry, aggressive, divisive. It long since stopped being a question of equality; it’s now rather about who has the sovereign right of interpretation. Who's in charge here and who has a say? Turkish-born journalist and author Canan Topçu says, "That's not my anti-racism." She sets out to trace the development of her own personal identity, while defending herself against prohibitions and taboos. Instead, she argues for dialogue, for civilised interactions and for not taking one's own opinion as the sole measure of all things.

Racism has no place in my family – almost all parents agree on that. But how do you actively tackle...

Racism has no place in my family – almost all parents agree on that. But how do you actively tackle prejudices while raising children, or prevent them from arising in the first place? With plenty of background information, examples and checklists, Olaolu Fajembola and Tebogo Nimindé Dundadengar help us recognise and overcome the pitfalls. Which words are hurtful? What symbolism is hidden in children‘s songs, books and games? As a white person myself, where am I being racist, even if I don‘t intend to be? As a black, indigenous or other person of colour, how can I protect and encourage my child? Whether in the family, the daycare centre or in school, this book – open, personal, and engaging – shows how much children and adults benefit from a diversitysensitive education that is critical of racism. It strengthens cohesion, fosters creativity and allows children to start their lives more fearlessly and open-mindedly.

The new right-wing nationalism is now well established in the political field and has successfully occupied the social question. Leftwing...

The new right-wing nationalism is now well established in the political field and has successfully occupied the social question. Leftwing forces seem to be powerless in the face of this. Not only do the genuinely socially disadvantaged seem to be running away from them, but the left has not yet managed to organise the kind of sounding box they need to help develop a political orientation.”Contradiction 69” discusses if and how the left needs to regain collective identities in order to address social questions again from the left. The essays and articles attempt to reveal approaches and problems in rethinking a leftwing “we“ in view of the delicate situation.

In German grammar you want to address people of all genders equally, but you don‘t know how to do that...

In German grammar you want to address people of all genders equally, but you don‘t know how to do that best? In this book, Lucia Clara Rocktäschel explains six ways of using gendered words: from doubled words to the gender gap, as well as the less inconspicuous approaches such as neutral wording or the principle of role distribution.

”Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Diverse“? What words can you use for texts, formulars, messages and conversations to ensure that...

”Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Diverse“? What words can you use for texts, formulars, messages and conversations to ensure that people who do not see themselves as women or men also feel included? What expressions exist, either written or verbal, for genderneutral greetings and salutations? How can formulars, invoices, cover letters and general everyday communication be designed without discriminating? How is it possible to name relationships without repeatedly invoking gender? These questions and many more are answered with specific wording suggestions, and illustrated with numerous examples. This guide helps formulation in German in 100 different everyday and professional situations – as a small reference book and as a perpetual source of inspiration, or for reflection and discussion with others.

What a scandal: Professor Saraswati is WHITE!...

What a scandal: Professor Saraswati is WHITE!

It couldn‘t be worse. Because till then, the professor of Postcolonial Studies in Düsseldorf had been the supreme goddess in all debates about identity – and she described herself as a person of colour. Thus, as if Sally Rooney, Beyoncé and Frantz Fanon were watching sex education together, begins a hunt for ”real“ belonging. While the Saraswati is hounded online and there are demonstrations calling for her dismissal, her student Nivedita asks her the intimate of questions.

Mithu Sanyal writes with delightful selfmockery and liberating knowledge. No one leaves the spin cycle of this novel as they entered it.

Jasmina Kuhnke is an unmistakable voice in the fight against racism in this country. In her first novel, she talks...

Jasmina Kuhnke is an unmistakable voice in the fight against racism in this country. In her first novel, she talks about what it does to you if you always stand out. The protagonist of her book, a black first-person narrator, grows up on the fringes of the Ruhr district, in the 1990s. At home, her violent stepfather rages; at school there is little support, but a lot of exclusion. At a child‘s birthday party, a doorbell prank leaves her face-to-face with a neo-Nazi. The protagonist knows what it‘s like to expect the worst every day, until the worst becomes a matter of course. Where doors open for others, they close more and more for her, until she becomes convinced that she has nothing to offer the world. She gets into an abusive relationship, cements the addiction with two pregnancies, and only at the last moment manages to liberate herself and her children.

Mathias grows up in the 1970s in a small town in Lower Saxony. When, aged five, he accidentally learns that...

Mathias grows up in the 1970s in a small town in Lower Saxony. When, aged five, he accidentally learns that he was adopted, it might explain his “exotic“ appearance but the story of his origins remains a great mystery. In various ways, he manages to hold his own against racist resentment and outright attacks. Even as an adult, he is confronted with absurd experiences, as he is used as a projection screen for xenophobic fears, prejudices or desires. Can the encounter with his corporeal origins help him out? Mathias Kopetzki tells this touching and exciting story with a great deal of humour, sensitivity and openness. He describes being a stranger and self-assertion, struggling and letting go, and the years-long search for identity.

Structural racism, white privilege and bringing change for vulnerable minorities – the debate in recent months has shown how strongly...

Structural racism, white privilege and bringing change for vulnerable minorities – the debate in recent months has shown how strongly these topics polarise society. Even if the awareness of inequality in our country has grown, racist thinking remains deeply rooted in all of us, though it is invisible to the white majority. In this book, Mohamed Amjahid aims to shed light on these blind spots. Not only does he describe how the system of white privilege works, he also shows in very real terms how we can unlearn our racism, so that, together, we can get closer to the goal of a peaceful, just and inclusive society.

Postcolonial studies are among the most influential critical interventions at the current time, which is not surprising given the enormous...

Postcolonial studies are among the most influential critical interventions at the current time, which is not surprising given the enormous impacts of colonialism. Postcolonial theory aims to analyse the different levels of colonial encounters, highlighting the socio-historical interdependencies and entanglements between the countries of the global ”South“ and ”North“. By critically debating the writings of the three most prominent postcolonial voices, Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, and Homi Bhabha, this introduction opens up the broad field that is the development of postcolonial theories. The updated third edition critically appraises the new writings of Spivak and Bhabha in particular, but also engages with contemporary debates on globalisation, religion, human rights and decolonisation.

Today, identity is a psychological as well as a political category. Both are the subject of this book, in which...

Today, identity is a psychological as well as a political category. Both are the subject of this book, in which the author questions psychologists and sociologists about what constitutes identity. There is consensus that it describes a modern requirement of subjects that have to establish relations with society. Individuals are required to design an identity, even if under neoliberal conditions short-term enactments have taken the place of a life-long plan. The work of identity is made more difficult for some sections of the population due to social disregard and marginalisation. Therefore, minorities struggle for recognition. This struggle, also called identity politics, is one of the book’s topics. Another consists of the identity propositions emanating from the nation state or from fundamentalist and extreme right-wing movements, especially the ”identitarians“, who perceive threats to a supposed ethnocultural identity of Germans or Europeans, something that leads them fanatically to reject migrants.