Comparing Alain Badiou and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's theories of Identity and Politics

What is it about?

A critical engagement with two short but important books released in 2022. Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's "Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)" & Alain Badiou's "A New Dawn for Politics". Examines how both scholars engage with the concepts of: identity, radical politics, and social change. I place these ideas in a larger context of ongoing academic and activist discussions on these topics.

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Why is it important?

The relationship between "identity [politics]" and social change are widely debated and discussed, in academia and activist circles. These two scholars' books were written with the intent of reaching a broad popular audience, but still maintained a robust engagement with social theory. This article shows how we can engage with the ideas of both scholars in academia, and in an applied way in the 'real world'.