Police Psychology:  Identity Politics

by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D, AABP

This is one of those terms that many people in the media throw around, but few in real life understand.  Let me describe it simply as far as what is going on in the media.

Basically, it is about the power of the voice.  The straight white American male has the least voice and sits as the baseline.  Now above the baseline are any persons who belong to a group that can claim they are victimized, or oppressed, or have effects of being victimized or oppressed in the past.  Basically, the white American female makes claim to being victimized because of sex and can be seen as above the American male.  The same is for people of color — Black, Hispanic, Indian, West Indian, etc.  Basically, they are rank ordered even further within this category and depending on how loud they get at the time.  Now if you are a member of more than one identity group you have even more power.  So, a Hispanic female has even more power in identity politics than a Hispanic male.  Now further, sexual orientation gives you a bigger voice in some political circles, so if you are a gay white male you have a larger voice in political identity that the straight white American male.  Religion plays a large role also.  The Muslim is probably first on the identity power list, but Jewish people have a good case because of the Holocaust.  If you are a gay Jewish female Hispanic you have a pretty powerful voice.  Although a Muslim Hispanic female transgender would even trump the voice of the Jewish gay.  Geez, why is this so complicated.  That’s the tongue-in-cheek approach to what is meant by identity politics.  Now let’s apply it to policing…. (more…)