Auld Crabbits

**Chirs** · 18th July 11, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by Cowher

This is off topic regardless…
You take no power out of it. If I was to walk up to your group in a pub and said "hey! Look at all these micks over here!!! How ya doin? Ya bunch of Micks!!!" I would most likely be knocked out.

If I may: identity is a complex issue. Broadly, identity can be seen as assumed and imposed. An imposed identity may or may not be demeaning while an assumed identity may or may not be empowering. However, should a person choose to identify him/herself using the n-word, m-word, b-word, g-word or d-word (or any other _-word) it is most certainly dis-empowering to deny them that. So, if you think that using the m-word in a pub filled with m-people would get you into trouble, what do you think would happen if you told them all that they cannot use it?

**Cowher** · 18th July 11, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by Chirs

If I may: identity is a complex issue. Broadly, identity can be seen as assumed and imposed. An imposed identity may or may not be demeaning while an assumed identity may or may not be empowering. However, should a person choose to identify him/herself using the n-word, m-word, b-word, g-word or d-word (or any other _-word) it is most certainly dis-empowering to deny them that. So, if you think that using the m-word in a pub filled with m-people would get you into trouble, what do you think would happen if you told them all that they cannot use it?

TELLING them would be offensive. Your right on that one.

I guess I look at things differently.

**Bugbear** · 18th July 11, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Chirs

If I may: identity is a complex issue. Broadly, identity can be seen as assumed and imposed. An imposed identity may or may not be demeaning while an assumed identity may or may not be empowering. However, should a person choose to identify him/herself using the n-word, m-word, b-word, g-word or d-word (or any other _-word) it is most certainly dis-empowering to deny them that. So, if you think that using the m-word in a pub filled with m-people would get you into trouble, what do you think would happen if you told them all that they cannot use it?

That's an interesting point. I keep pondering the tension between the group and the individual identities that could cause a group to turn on itself when the group does not have outside challenges. In other words, sometimes a group is together partly because the "enemy" poses a greater threat to each individual than the other members of the group; even the thread of subverting the individual's identity to the group identity.. I'm thinking along the line of complexity theory and thresholds, but I'm sure there's other models.

**Burly Brute** · 18th July 11, 01:30 PM

Pointless post, deleted.

**Mael Coluim** · 18th July 11, 01:39 PM

A Rule 2 post violation has bee received on this thread and as it appears the thread is being egged on where the OP asked where it should not go, it is being moved to the cooling off corner.

Mael for the Forum Staff

EDIT: The moderators have determined the post is not in violation of Rule 2 and has returned to the thread.