Understanding The Self

Module # 11
THE POLITICAL SELF
Name: Jullien L. Villegas
PCBET 18-102A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The National Identity
Politics awareness
The Need for Inclusion and Differentiation
References
What is National Identity?
1.National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one state or to one
nation.
2. It is the sense of "a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive
traditions, culture, and language.
3. National identity may refer to the subjective feeling one shares with a group of people
about a nation, regardless of one's legal citizenship status.
4.National identity is viewed in psychological terms as "an awareness of difference", a
"feeling and recognition of 'we' and 'they

National identity has been pivotal to the fortunes of modern states. When channeled in
the form of an exclusive and intolerant ethnonationalism, it can drive acts of persecution
and aggression. Yet national identities can also be built around liberal and democratic
political values, and around the shared experiences of diverse communities. Contrary to
arguments that the concepts of national identity and state sovereignty have become
outmoded, such an inclusive sense of national identity remains critical to maintaining a
successful modern political order. National identity not only enhances physical security,
but also inspires good governance; facilitates economic development; fosters trust
among citizens; engenders support for strong social safety nets; and ultimately makes
possible liberal democracy itself.

Having a clear national identity is important and unites all citizens into one in-group. A
common identity defines citizens’ membership in a country and places them in relation
to other persons who are also citizens, or other persons from other countries.
Especially in a diverse society, where members of many different cultural, ethnic, socio-
economic, and language groups are all citizens; a clear national identity is needed to
unite all citizens. An example is the United States. The original 13 colonies were
diverse and pluralistic. At the country’s founding, Americans were a multiethnic,
polyglot mix of English, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, French, Swedish, Italian, German, Greek,
and many other nationalities.
What is Political Awareness?
Political Awareness is being informed about what is going on in politics, how it impacts
you and your community, and what the ramifications are for the world as a whole. So
many people focus on “how does this impact me” instead of “how does this impact
everyone.” Political awareness is knowing and understanding all sides to the story.
By politics we of course typically mean human society. Whether other species have
politics is as yet a very theoretical question. However, there might be value in such a
question as a practice, as engaging in it might illuminate what we mean by the word.
But I leave that for others.

By politics, we of course typically mean the observations and participation relating to

decision-making, relating to the moderations of “meaningful participation”, and of
dealing with questions of social moderation and innovation. Herewith a very important
point must be established for there to be a subject that can be called Politics: Politics
must always be about the relation between an individual and the various forms of
society. The tensions belonging to this relation and to no other is the proper basis of
politics. Without it, there is lacking a subject that we can call “many.” Without it, there is
no politics, unless we want to include in the discussion talk about including mobs of
fools and so on. [the word ‘politics’ is from Greek and means ‘pertaining to the “many”.

Humanity and human beings being what we are, politics is never about “ruling over”
anybody— except in a minimal way, the exception being obvious to anyone. The
exception which I don’t feel it necessary to name, has evolved out of strong necessity.
Putting it a little more clearly, and perhaps in the best way, it happens on many
occasions that Society fails to explain itself to some individuals and out of such
weakness must the participatory role be suspended, of various individuals, hopefully
few, the implied agreement of citizenship status having failed to germinate and
propagate. The valid politics, looking backward, if we need to, is a politics of
participation that is open to creation as needed; it must also be a politics structured by
good will and the arts of moral cultivation. Again, politics is and always must be about
the mutual relationship of any individual and the Many. Every citizen must adopt a
discipline that engages and reflects and responds to the requirements of the various
mutual relationships. That may sound like a bit too much trouble. But we simply need to
remember that political traditions are already ready-made for us, having evolved for us
like clothes on the rack at the clothing store. But, again, if we need to understand ‘what
politics is’ (and we DO!), to know what is encompassed by the word, we need to think
about this basic relationship at the heart of it. ALL OF US NEED TO DO THIS!
Inclusion and Differentiation

Political Inclusion
Political inclusion is the right to political participation and to political representation
of migrants on the same legal basis as host populations thus developing a notion of
membership to a city’s population. This can be done by extending voting rights for
local elections or creating advisory councils of diverse migrant communities.

Political inclusion measures the extent to which all members of a society

are able to access the institutions of democracy.

Differentiation that leads to more variation allows for better responses to the
environment, and also for faster evolution (or perhaps sociocultural evolution), which is
defined sociologically as a process of selection from variation; the more differentiation
(and thus variation) that is available, the better the selection.
Reference:

NATIONAL IDENTITY:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity
https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/why-national-identity-matters/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/constructive-
controversy/201909/need-national-identity%3famp

POLITICAL AWARENESS :
https://www.quora.com/What-is-political-awareness
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_Philippines
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/political-awareness.html

Inclusion and Differentiation :

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/urban-
development/migrants-inclusion-in-cities/good-practices/political-inclusion/
http://citiesofmigration.ca/building-inclusive-cities/political-inclusion/