Identity Crisis: Identity Politics vs Identitarianism

In Episode 51, we discuss Black American English, also known as AAVE, as a way to consider some of the differences between identitarian and identity politics approaches. Black American English is minority dialect in the United States of America. The identitarian approach to protecting Black American English typically involves appropriation discourse and the restriction of who can use Black American English on the basis of racial idenity. We offer another approach, one based in identity politics, which treats Black American English as a minority language deserving of legal protection and recognition. This approach does not restrict who can learn or...