(Gender) Identity as Problem and Solution: Theoretical Perspectives and Implications for Civic Education

Identity refers to individual as well as (seemingly) collective identities. From a critical theoretical perspective, identity can be both problem and solution, functioning as restrictive attribution and foundation for self-consciousness and empowerment (Mende/Müller 2016: 8). From the 1960s until the present, the construction of individual and collective gendered, especially female identities have been discussed respectively: Is a (shared) gender identity necessary for a critique of and political action against sexism or is it instead used to disguise inter- and intrapersonal differences and contradictions in favor of unity, consistency and standardization (Butler 1990/2008; Becker-Schmidt 2016)? Hence, there lies „disagreement [...] in whether identity should be developed, multiplied, deconstructed or abolished.“ (Mende/Müller 2016: 7, my translation). Against this backdrop, civic education is challenged to address identity in a reflexive manner. While binary approaches are possible, they tend to persist in a either-or-dichotomy that is unable to grasp the interdependence of both solution- and problem-oriented perspectives. In contrast, a non-binary reflexive approach is able to discuss the patterns of justification and implications for both social relations and subject constitution with regards to their potential for liberation and a critique of social domination (Müller 2019). Drawing from the examples of diverse gender, particularly trans* identities, the paper discusses identity neither as problem or solution but as both solution and problem. A discussion of theoretical perspectives is followed by implications for civic education: If identity is neither to be idealized nor dismissed, what could an identity reflexive civic education look like with regards to its conditions, basic principles, content, methods and interactions? Literature: Becker-Schmidt, Regina (2016): Einerlei statt Allerlei. Identitätslogische Konstruktionen in gesellschaftlichen Rationalisierungsprozessen und Identitätszwänge in Geschlechterordnungen. In: Müller, Stefan/Mende, Janne (Eds.): Differenz und Identität. Konstellationen der Kritik. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, 181-201. Butler, Judith (1990/2008): Gender Trouble. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge. Müller, Stefan (2019): Beyond a Binary Approach: Contradictions and Strict Antinomies. In: Lossau, Julia/ Schmidt-Brücken, Daniel/Warnke, Ingo H. (Eds.): Spaces of Dissension. Contradiction Studies. Springer VS: Wiesbaden. Müller, Stefan/Mende, Janne (2016): Weder getrennt noch eins. Identität, Differenz und die Frage der Freiheit. In: Müller, Stefan/Mende, Janne (Eds.): Differenz und Identität. Konstellationen der Kritik. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, 7-28.