7 Signs Identity Politics May Be Dying
Bubba
04 Nov
The wave of progressive politics centered on race and identity, which looked so ascendant just a few years ago, appears to be waning. (NYT)
The end of diversity oaths: Fewer leading universities require diversity statements for faculty job applications, signaling a change from 2020 hiring norms.
Less coddling of college kids: Universities now penalize students for heckling speakers and taking over spaces; some students have been suspended for protests, a departure from prior leniency.
No market for “woke” reboots: Recent attempts at inclusive casting in Hollywood (e.g., all-female or diverse projects like "The Marvels" and "The Wonder Years") saw less viewership interest than expected, reflecting a potential shift in audience preferences.
Language-policing on the decline: Some publishers, including in the U.S., resisted making edits to classics like Roald Dahl’s books, even as publishers in other regions introduced changes like gender-neutral language and more inclusive descriptions.
The political vibes: Kamala Harris, who announced her pronouns and supported federally funded gender transition surgeries for prisoners and illegal immigrants in 2019, now avoids discussing similar progressive commitments, marking a tonal shift in her campaign.
Meanwhile, transgender speakers were glaringly absent at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
The elections: Progressive candidates in 2023 have underperformed, losing races even in solidly blue areas such as Oregon, where establishment candidates defeated progressive figures endorsed by leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Bye bye DEI: Corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and Environmental, Social and Governance investing trends have both declined.
New York Times national reporter Jeremy Peters:
It’s not that Americans have become more accepting of or inured to discrimination. … What seems to have shifted, according to scholars and political strategists who have closely watched how public views have evolved, is that people are now acknowledging that certain identity-focused progressive solutions to injustice were never broadly popular.
Bubba’s Two Cents
Most Americans agree we shouldn’t judge folks by their identity, but somewhere along the way, a small but vocal contingent twisted that idea to push some pretty weird and unpopular stuff. Unsurprisingly, this rubbed people the wrong way, eventually leading to backlash. Still, as Peters points out, even if “wokeness” seems to be cooling off, it’s still got a strong grip in a lot of places, with many institutions sticking to a more progressive view on gender and race.