Identity Politics

The phrase “identity politics” came into being in the second half of the twentieth century. The term can be found in a vast body of literature relating to feminism, post colonialism, nationalism, and other social or class movements. Identity politics differs from mainstream political discourse: it contains political attitudes and positions that solely concern social groups, identified on the basis of gender, race, ethnic or social orientation. Political entities involved in identity politics seek to secure the political freedom of a particular social group that is marginalized or has limited representation in society.