Global HL - Identity

Identity

Distinct set of characteristics, values, cultures, and traditions that distinguish people and groups from others

Identity and human rights

Human rights should apply to everybody regardless of their identity (sex, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation)

Universal human rights act as a protection for minorities

1 billion people around the world do not have a legal identity – 81% of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (The World Bank)

But the UDHR for example can clash with different cultures and values (religious)

cultural relativism = norms and ideas should reflect cultural practices and traditions rather than universal principles (arguments used by states to justify their action)

Identity and justice

The rights of minority groups are sometimes not protected by the law or discrimination is part of the law

Identity and legitimacy

Question of the legitimacy of some groups

Marginalized groups, such as Indigenous communities, were and some still are not recognized and legitimized by governments (unfair treatment)

Case studies

-            The Rohingya community (see case studies file)

-            Lgbtqi+ rights (gay marriage for example)

-            Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia – Sharia law (interpreted + against hr)

-            Mexico* – identity as a human right

National identity

people’s belonging to a nation

lack of national identity because of statelessness or seeking a new national identity, we can have multiple

national identity as a political tool for control and manipulation (gathering people under a common “enemy”)

Othering

The phenomenon that defines individuals as not fitting with certain norms = discrimination

-            Uganda’s anti-homosexuality law

-            Gender-based discrimination and sexism in Saudi Arabia (marriage, divorce, child custody)*

Global identity

the idea of citizens of a culturally diverse and interdependent world (young people) that comes with globalization (additional layer)

Political identities

how a person or group of persons think of themselves in relation to the politics and government of a country

Cultural identity

ideas, values, traditions (you can only share some traits, not all)

Ethnic identity

Ethnic identity – ethnic groups you belong to (Latinos, Hispanic)

Gender identity

refers to the sex/gender someone associates with

new perspectives on the traditional binary genders

structural violence towards women that impacts their identity

Religious identity

someone’s religious affiliation

some argue that the importance of religious identity is increasing in global politics

Professional identity

set of specific characteristics, which were developed during professional experiences