Abstract
The question of Identity has engaged philosophers and scholars over the last two millennia and more. An inherent component of Identity is Greek philosopher Plato’s conceptualisation of Thymos (spirit), which craves recognition. Thymos is that part of the human psyche that helps one in the judgement of worth. One is always judged by one’s peers and others in society. People feel pride if they receive positive judgement about their worth and dignity. Conversely, a negative judgement makes them feel anger or shame. This negativity about one’s identity may lead to resentment.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau took the argument a step further to differentiate between an individual’s inner self and the constraints put up by society, which demands conformity to its rules. This is an important constituent of individual identity.
Another important dimension of identity is the evolving concept of dignity. It is no longer the sole preserve of political, cultural or social elites but something fundamental to every human being’s lived experience. In his recent work Identity: Contemporary Identity Politics and the Struggle for Recognition (2019), Francis Fukuyama describes how identity politics shape modern conflict. Going beyond the classical Marxist explanation of seeing political struggles as a reflection of economic conflict, Fukuyama diagnoses recent conflicts as the ‘politics of resentment’. Much of this resentment is centred around a ‘humiliated group’ which seeks reparations for its humiliation or which feels its dignity has been disparaged or damaged.
Politics in the last century was defined mainly by a Left–Right spectrum on contentious economic issues. The Left advocated better working conditions, social protection and economic redistribution. The Right, on the other hand, was interested in reducing the size of the government and ensuring a bigger role for the private sector.
Over the last decade, identity issues have become more predominant on the contemporary political turf. The Left has concerned itself more with the interests of marginalised groups—minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ, indigenous groups and others. On the other hand, the Right has devoted itself to patriotism, nationalism and national identity, often linked to ethnicity and religion.
Questions of identity and identity politics have found space in popular culture artefacts and have dominated the contemporary discourse on social media and other platforms.
In many ways, the five articles in this volume—although diverse—address the issues of Identity, Dignity and Recognition at its core.
The first article, ‘From Stepmonsters to the Family’s Saving Grace: Viewer Perceptions of Stepfamilies, Stepfathers, and Stepmothers in Media’, looks at the portrayal of foster families, which for several complex reasons, are seen as the marginalised Other.
The second article, ‘Desire to be a Social Media Influencer: Desire for Fame, Materialism, Perceived Deprivation, and Preference for Immediate Gratification as Potential Determinants’, lists the dynamics of an essential component of identity in the digital ecosystem.
The third article, ‘Understanding the Binge-watching Phenomenon on Netflix and Its Association with Depression and Loneliness in Egyptian Adults’, articulates how consumption of digital media content is an essential element of the Identity constitution. In addition, this article explicitly discusses the social pathologies of this identification process with the Popular.
The fourth article, ‘Sex Positivity of Satyajit Ray’s Women: Their Cinematic Journey towards the Ancient Indian Heritage’, highlights the construction of gendered identity in movies and juxtapositions it with classic notions of gender in the context of Indian culture.
The fifth article, ‘Representation of Hijras in Bollywood Movie Laxmii: The Loss of Reality’, addresses the question of transgender people in Indian popular culture artefacts.
The broadening of the notion of dignity as a universal phenomenon applicable to all sections of society is an extremely important component of the modern political project. We hope the unique articulations in the present volume will contribute meaningfully to the contemporary debate on Identity, Dignity and Recognition.