The identity trap : a story of ideas and power in our time
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 295-383) and index.

For much of history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. It is no surprise that many who passionately believe in social justice came to believe that members of marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity to resist injustice. Over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minority groups has transformed into a counterproductive obsession with group identity in all its forms. Mounk believes a new ideology aiming to place each person's matrix of identities at the center of social, cultural, and political life has become influential, but it stifles discourse, vilifies mutual influence as cultural appropriation, and insists that the way governments treat their citizens should depend on the color of their skin. This identity trap will ultimately make it harder to achieve progress toward the genuine equality we desperately need.