{"id":34765,"date":"2024-01-10T17:59:18","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T01:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=34765"},"modified":"2024-01-10T17:59:18","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T01:59:18","slug":"all-flesh-shall-see-it-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/all-flesh-shall-see-it-together\/","title":{"rendered":"All Flesh Shall See It Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c. . . identity synthesis may likely lead to a society that fundamentally violates his most fundamental values and his most ardent aspirations for the future. The lure that attracts so many people to the identity synthesis is a desire to overcome persistent injustices and create a society of genuine equals but the likely outcome of implementing this theology is a society in which an unremitting emphasis on our differences pits rigid identity groups against each other in a zero-sum battle for resources and recognition – society in which all of us are, whether we want to or not, forced to define ourselves by the groups into which we happen to be born. that’s what makes identity synthesis a trap.\u201d [1]<\/span><\/p>\n

When I started reading the book, I was drawn to the initial narrative author Yascha Mounk shared about the events at Mary Lin Elementary School.\u00a0 As I read, my heart sank because a similar situation took place in a local elementary school.\u00a0 When working on class placements for the following school year, a teacher assigned three incoming students of the same race to his\/her own classroom for the upcoming year. It was asserted that the teacher of the same race would understand them and relate to them best. Does this incident, like the one Mounk shares early in the book, represent movements of segregation? Mounk seems to relate that the likely outcome of implementing this theology is a society in which an unremitting emphasis on our differences pits rigid identity groups against each other in a zero-sum battle for resources and recognition – a society in which all of us are, whether we want to or not, forced to define ourselves by the groups into which we happen to be born. [2]\u00a0 Is it possible that the more we focus on our differences, the more polarized we become?<\/span><\/p>\n

Several years ago, when I was a Kindergarten teacher, teaching in an urban public elementary school outside of Detroit, a strange social phenomenon happened in my classroom around January\/February.\u00a0 Year after year, I would notice that my sweet \u201cbabies\u201d eyes would be opened to the differences in their skin color around the middle of January in a way that caused conflict and division in the place of their previously playful interactions.\u00a0 Divisions between kindergarten classmates started to ruminate as more and more emphasis and conversations were being had involving differences particularly related to skin color.\u00a0 Other early childhood classrooms in the building reported similar stories.\u00a0 When this social phenomenon was happening (January\/February), another factor to consider was taking place.\u00a0 Historically, this is often the time in a school year when classrooms focus instructional attention on learning about the Civil Rights Movement, the abolition of slavery, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\u00a0 (content that should be incorporated all year long).\u00a0 There was question among staff about the developmentally appropriateness of the concentrated content being delivered and the alignment of the outcomes with the intended benchmarks for instruction.\u00a0 Again I wonder, is it possible that the more we focus on our differences, the more polarized we become?\u00a0 Mounk states, \u201cin a growing number of schools all across America, educators who believe themselves to be fighting for racial Justice are separating children from each other on the basis of their skin color\u201d. [3]<\/span><\/p>\n

The Identity Trap<\/span><\/i> by Yascha Mounk discusses potential problems with identity politics, highlighting its aptitude to exclude and polarize. The book offers a critical analysis of the contemporary political landscape, raising important questions about the balance between individual rights and collective identities. Mounk advocates for a more balanced approach that preserves individual rights and promotes a common purpose among diverse individuals.\u00a0 The author tackles the challenges and potential hazard associated with the growing emphasis on group identities in contemporary society.\u00a0 The book urges readers to critically examine the implications of an excessive focus on group identities, advocating for a balanced approach that preserves democratic values. By fostering nuanced dialogue and embracing the richness of individual identities, Mounk suggests a path forward that acknowledges the importance of addressing historical injustices while avoiding the pitfalls of an identity trap. He states, \u201cWe all have a moral duty to listen to the stories of our compatriots very carefully.\u201d [4]\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we read, we see that these challenges extend themselves into even the youngest members of society. . . kindergarteners.\u00a0 While I would like to respond with, \u201cwhy can\u2019t we just all love one another, as Jesus first loved us\u201d, I realize that there is much work to be done as we strive towards what is ahead, a dream of the coming King as penned by Dr. King, <\/span>\u201cI have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.\u201d [5]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1] <\/span>Mounk, Yascha,<\/span> The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time.<\/span><\/i> (New York: Penguin Press, 2023), <\/span>16.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Ibid,16.<\/span><\/p>\n

[3] Ibid,1.<\/span><\/p>\n

[4] Ibid, 213.<\/span><\/p>\n

[5] King, Dr. Martin Luther. \u201c<\/span>I Have a Dream.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>August 28, 1963.\u00a0 Lincoln Memorial; Washington, D.C.(16:05) <\/span>https:\/\/www.americanrhetoric.com\/speeches\/mlkihaveadream.htm; <\/span><\/i><\/a>(Isaiah 40:4-5 KJV)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c. . . identity synthesis may likely lead to a society that fundamentally violates his most fundamental values and his most ardent aspirations for the future. The lure that attracts so many people to the identity synthesis is a desire to overcome persistent injustices and create a society of genuine equals but the likely outcome […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2310],"tags":[2978],"class_list":["post-34765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-doctor-of-leadership-3","tag-mounk-dlgp02","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34765"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34768,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34765\/revisions\/34768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}