FREE ESSAY ON POLITICS OF DISPLACEMENT

POLITICS OF DISPLACEMENT

Jean Elshtain, Chp.2 Democracy and the Politics of Displacement
Response to Question 1:
In the excerpted chapter titled Democracy and the Politics of Displacement, Jean Elshtain
discusses the concept of 'politics of identity'. In discussing the 'politics of
identity', Elshtain argues there is an emerging social phenomenon, wherein society is
turning the private affairs of our lives into public discourse. The Western World has
become a public pool, in which the information mediums and venues of society are
overflowing with confessions and apologies. We have made the private affairs of our
lives, into a booming business. Society has witnessed a proliferation of self - help
groups, 'twelve- step' programs, anger management programs, television shows broadcasting
a 'tell all' theme and Internet chat groups designed for people to post the confession
and/or apology of the day. Inherently, it has not only become socially acceptable, but
socially encouraged to air our dirty laundry. We are actively creating an 'Apologizing
Society.'
Elshtain argues that as the boundary separating the private and the public becomes
increasingly hazed, a new social identity emerges. Elshtain argues that as this new
social identity emerges, there arises a 'politics of identity.'Our social identity is no
longer composed of differentiated spheres of human activity, but rather it has become a
dichotomous social relationship involving those who are victims and those who are
victimizers. Moreover, it is the quality or character of being a 'victim' that becomes
public discourse. In turn, this quality of being a victim becomes an individual's primary
or dominant identity: it defines their entire being. 
Through the process of class discussion, it was realized, that as the quality of being a
victim enters the public lime- light, there emerges a social accumulation of victims and
victimizers. The social accumulation of victims emerges as a result of two factors: 1) as
the quality of being a victim becomes more public, it's definition and defining
characteristics begin to broaden. Thereby, accumulating and embracing a variety of
'victims,'that otherwise, may never have come to view themselves as having been
victimized; 2) as the definition of being a victim becomes more broad in the public
sphere, it simultaneously becomes glorified and popularized. That is to say, society
begins to credit a great deal of sympathy to, and focus a lot of attention on, those who
have been victimized. As a result, a social phenomenon emerges, wherein everyone wants to
be a 'victim.'As a final note, the social accumulation of victims continues, as some
victims feel compelled to engage in the public service of sharing their experience with
the world. For example, we often hear victims injecting society with notions of
victimization through injunctions such as, My experience will have served a purpose, if I
can help one person to understand that they are not alone. Essentially, there is a
collective engagement among victims, to 'accumulate' more victims. 
Response to Question #2:
Elshtain argues that the 'politics of displacement' are essentially bound up in the
politics of identity, as the private self become increasingly more public, and therefore,
the public begins to 'displace' the private self within society. Moreover, Elshtain
argues that the politics of displacement are circumvented by two paradoxical connections,
wherein: 1) everything private becomes public and 2) everything public becomes private.
Through the course of class discussion, it was realized, that although Elshtain argues
that everything public become private, she does not mean this, in its literal sense.
Elshtain, merely presents the paradox to create the necessary juxtaposition, in which her
politics of displacement can be clearly articulated. For Elshtain, the politics of
displacement remain emphatic of the increasing disappearance of the boundary separating
the private from the public spheres of social life.
Elshtain further argues, that the politics of displacement are increasingly cutting away
the social space necessary for society to maintain conventional politics. Elshtain
concedes, that conventional politics have now become bound up in the politics of
displacement and inherently, the politics of identity. Hence, this new social identity of
being a 'victim,'which was discussed in the above response, has increasingly billowed
over into conventional politics. For example, conventional or traditional politics did
not encourage politicians to disclose information and details about their personal life,
in contemporary society, 'telling all' is the best approach to political campaigning.
There has been a paradigm shift, wherein the current widely held beliefs maintains, that
nothing should be kept from the public audience, this belief is perpetuated within
society by social- political injunctions such as the people have the right to know.
Conventional politics was concerned with the notion of 'keeping up appearances', whereas
contemporary politics focuses and hones in on painting a picture of the politician, to
which the people can relate. Essentially, the aim is to manufacture politicians and to
make their social identity, one which, the average Tom, Dick or Harry can identify with,
therefore it become essential to turn the private into the public. 
Response to Question #3:
Elshtain briefly discusses the implications for a society, in which the boundary
separating the public and private spheres of life becomes hazed or disappears. Elshtain
argues, that with the disappearance of the private, the quality or characteristic of
shame, also disappears. Without the line drawn between the two spheres there is no longer
a boundary from which to judge, those issues that should remain private affairs and those
issues that become free for public discourse. Thus, there is no longer any essence of
shame attached to our wrong doings. The proliferation of talk shows such as Jerry
Springer, in which it boasts a 'tell all' theme, exemplifies the loss of shame. It has
becoming increasingly more common- place for people to speak out about the private
affairs of their lives within a public forum. It has become so popularized to 'speak out'
within the media industry, that people are no longer revealing a sense of shame or even
dignity.