In praise of identity politics: book presentation and discussion

Identity politics is seen by many as a divisive force in society. Political scientist Karsten Schubert defends it as a democratic promise in his new book "In Praise of Identity Politics". He will present it at the FRIAS Freiburg Horizons on 28.05.2025.

Whether gender equality, racism or cultural participation - identity politics has become a tense point of contention in social and political debates. While critics see it as a new tribalism, Berlin political scientist and former FRIAS Fellow Dr Karsten Schubert sees it as an attempt to realize the democratic promise of equality and freedom for all in a more concrete way.

On May 28, 2025 at 8:15 pm, Schubert will present his theses as part of the FRIAS Freiburg Horizons. He will present central arguments from his book "Lob der Identitätspolitik" (C.H. Beck, 2024) and discuss the opportunities, limits and misunderstandings of identity politics approaches with the audience. Schubert was a research assistant at the Department of Politics at the University campus Freiburg and a fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) until 2023. He is currently a researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Moderation: Dr. Arndt Michael (Head of the Colloquium politicum)