Identity functions - US, Russia
Oct. 9th, 2016 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timeletsOne way to discover identity functions in social systems is to see what people perceive as return to normal. For example, Trump's appeal to make America great again by building a wall on the border with Mexico or setting up barriers to free trade is not working. Therefore, we can see that isolationism is not an identity function for the US:
f: A -> B (America participates in globalization);
g: B -> C (America builds walls on the border and withdraws from globalization);
C ≠ A, therefore g º f ≠ 1A
Now, let's consider the discussion in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ivanov_petrov where people try to determine an identity function for a Russian, e.g. "Да, русский - это тот, кто знает Евгения Онегина и Пьера Безухова."
I think this is a "советская интеллигенция"-centric point of view, because for this social group only removing or adding great Russian-language literary works makes a difference. I'd argue that in the modern Russian culture television plays a much greater role. That is, replacing Eugene Onegin and War and Peace with "17 мгновений весны" и "Брат -1,2" would be greeted with applause by most students and the younger generation of educators.
On the other hand, Russia's successful return to authoritarianism indicates a much deeper identity shared across multiple social groups, up to 90% of the population (from Moscow to Chechnya to Vladivostok).
f: A -> B (Russia introduces democratic institutions);
g: B -> C (Russia introduces autocratic rule);
C = A, therefore g º f = 1A
We can say that a true Russian is the one who accepts autocratic rule as the normal state of affairs in the country.
upd:
f: A -> B (America participates in globalization);
g: B -> C (America builds walls on the border and withdraws from globalization);
C ≠ A, therefore g º f ≠ 1A
Now, let's consider the discussion in
ivanov_petrov where people try to determine an identity function for a Russian, e.g. "Да, русский - это тот, кто знает Евгения Онегина и Пьера Безухова."I think this is a "советская интеллигенция"-centric point of view, because for this social group only removing or adding great Russian-language literary works makes a difference. I'd argue that in the modern Russian culture television plays a much greater role. That is, replacing Eugene Onegin and War and Peace with "17 мгновений весны" и "Брат -1,2" would be greeted with applause by most students and the younger generation of educators.
On the other hand, Russia's successful return to authoritarianism indicates a much deeper identity shared across multiple social groups, up to 90% of the population (from Moscow to Chechnya to Vladivostok).
f: A -> B (Russia introduces democratic institutions);
g: B -> C (Russia introduces autocratic rule);
C = A, therefore g º f = 1A
We can say that a true Russian is the one who accepts autocratic rule as the normal state of affairs in the country.
upd:
