Globalization in Identity and Violence

As the concept of Globalization melds into disparate parts of human life, economics is often the most turbulent of its impact. Where many economists are seen as lacking compassion, Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen “Gives economists a good name,” said Ian Goldin, a Vice President at the World Bank. As the developing world taps the intellectual world of economists such as Sen and Jeffrey Sachs, the numbers tossed about in economic theories are taking shape as the people they represent.

In Amartya Sen’s latest book, Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny, the world’s divisions can influence both good and bad within humankind. Whether learning from other cultures or by holding stereotypes, ones identity is formed by what they call themselves and by other people’s perception of them. Citizenship, Gender, Race, Religion and heritage are all instruments of language to help define who we are, but have a negative connotation when used against the individual. This is especially true with stereotypes that form prejudices that continually pass through generations and get reinforced through Mass Media. Sen is optimistic that “we’re not doomed to have an identity imposed on us by others…” in explaining the book’s subtitle in an interview with Dr. Moira Gunn.

At a talk hosted by the World Bank's InfoShop, Amartya Sen shared some insights into his much anticipated new work. Attempting to understand tension between identity is on the minds of many as waves of violence corrupt life in the Middle East. Identity has become a large factor in the “sectarian” conflicts erupting in Iraq, but also throughout Africa and South Asia. Sen emphasizes that what is needed most in the middle-east today is “cultivation of a civil society.” Rightly so as this can harvest a greater unity between cultures with a common ground that will expand the groundwork of peaceful activity.

Book Cover of Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny

Credit: W.W. Norton

Copyright: W.W. Norton