Chair's Blog
What the What!
This year has been a doozy. From a global pandemic to global awareness of racial oppression to global effects of climate change. Through all of this, our leadership has divided people rather than brought us together. As a result, our tendency to call those who disagree with us “idiots” has grown.
I’m wondering if someone calling you an idiot has ever persuaded any of you to another opinion? It has not done so for me. In fact, rather than lean in to the other person’s view, I tend to just withdraw.
Calling others “idiots” or the like is not meant to persuade; it’s meant to draw identity boundaries: “I’m with this group and you’re not.” It creates a divided society where people in their groups feel connected to others in their groups, but where their attention is kept at the individual level rather than where it should be–on the systems that create the identity divide and the benefactors of those systems, the wealthiest and most powerful in our society.
Since the 1980s the U.S. government has continually created economic and social policy that has benefitted people in power. This is true regardless of political party. Income disparity has increased. Racial segregation tied to education and job opportunity has gotten worse. The Supreme Court has consistently allowed the powerful to concentrate wealth and translate that into political power (for example Citizen United). I could go on, but you get the picture.
For us everyday people the reward for this increased inequality is the “choice” to do such things as take on educational and consumptive debt, purchase goods we don’t need but that give us a short-term high, and increase our reliance on prescribed and non-prescribed anti-anxiety relief.
Yet, rather than take responsibility for the inequality they have created, those in power from both parties continually blame the least powerful groups for problems in the United States–from people on welfare or in prison to immigrants doing jobs nobody from this country is willing to do. While not original, that legerdemain tends to be effective. We want saviors, and the people in power promise to give us that, so we are willing to close our eyes to their sleight of hand.
Over 100 years ago, Robert Michels described the concept of oligarchy. The idea is that those in power, no matter how well-intentioned when they begin, will eventually use their power to stay in power rather than stay true to something more noble. That’s assuming those in power were attracted to their power for noble reasons. Most powerful people in this country are not so noble; they started off with power and want to make sure to keep it.
We’ve got to change our identity divide, but to do so, we cannot rely on calling each other “idiots” as a way to create change. We must change the systems that allow people in power to perpetuate their power, create inequality and divide us from each other.
Here are just a few ideas, but maybe you have more:
1) De-politicize science;
a. Climate scientists say Global Climate change threat is real.
b. Infectious disease doctors say COVID 19 threat is real.
2) Term limits on all political officials.
3) Limits on lobbying.
4) Limits on gerrymandering.
5) Limits on laws that prevent people from voting.
6) Universal health care.
7) Livable wages.
8) Alternatives to college as a way to create financial stability.
Since this is not the usual year, this will not be a usual newsletter. In it, you will find what some faculty and students have been doing to REDUCE divisions. We need each other.
Linda Markowitz, PhD
Chair and Professor
SIUE Department of Sociology
