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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Two concepts of politics : the private group/the public person Hughes, Robin Laurence David
Abstract
As a result of mis-founded paternalism and policies of assimilation, the latter half of the twentieth century in Canada, and elsewhere, was marked by the emergence of a politics of fear between minority groups and governments, minority groups and majority groups and between individual members of these groups. This environment selected for the emergence of a model of politics that focused on group solidarity and fraternity within minority groups and called for the preservation of group differences. This concept of politics can be termed the private group. There are three main problems with the private group. Firstly its claims boil down to a defense of value relativism when all the evidence points to the fact that this is not the case. Secondly, and somewhat ironically, the private group accentuates distances between people and in so doing exacerbates the politics of fear. Finally defenders of the private group overstate the necessity of membership in a particular group. Born out of fear of a larger group, the private group model is apt to lead to internal cruelty and further inter- and intra-group fear. The alternative is a model of politics based on the public person. The public person is characterized by reciprocity, civility and openness. Perhaps most importantly, differences are not viewed as existing in fixed terms between groups, but rather in relational terms between individuals. These qualities are likely to be selected for in the twenty-first century as not only states, but also individuals become more multicultural. The public person suggests viewing politics in a new manner, not as a contest but rather as a collaboration. This will alter the political system and suggests that rather than voting for MPs based on party platforms, people will vote for candidates based on their personal qualities. Governance will be carried out by a series of shifting alliances on particular issues. In the end an emphasis on the politics of the public person is likely to be more just than a mode of politics which is inclined toward the private group. A step towards accepting the model of the public person is likely to enable reconciliation between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals and ultimately strengthen civil society in Canada.
Item Metadata
Title |
Two concepts of politics : the private group/the public person
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2001
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Description |
As a result of mis-founded paternalism and policies of assimilation, the latter half of the
twentieth century in Canada, and elsewhere, was marked by the emergence of a politics of
fear between minority groups and governments, minority groups and majority groups and
between individual members of these groups. This environment selected for the
emergence of a model of politics that focused on group solidarity and fraternity within
minority groups and called for the preservation of group differences. This concept of
politics can be termed the private group. There are three main problems with the private
group. Firstly its claims boil down to a defense of value relativism when all the evidence
points to the fact that this is not the case. Secondly, and somewhat ironically, the private
group accentuates distances between people and in so doing exacerbates the politics of
fear. Finally defenders of the private group overstate the necessity of membership in a
particular group. Born out of fear of a larger group, the private group model is apt to lead
to internal cruelty and further inter- and intra-group fear. The alternative is a model of
politics based on the public person. The public person is characterized by reciprocity,
civility and openness. Perhaps most importantly, differences are not viewed as existing in
fixed terms between groups, but rather in relational terms between individuals. These
qualities are likely to be selected for in the twenty-first century as not only states, but also
individuals become more multicultural. The public person suggests viewing politics in a
new manner, not as a contest but rather as a collaboration. This will alter the political
system and suggests that rather than voting for MPs based on party platforms, people will
vote for candidates based on their personal qualities. Governance will be carried out by a
series of shifting alliances on particular issues. In the end an emphasis on the politics of
the public person is likely to be more just than a mode of politics which is inclined
toward the private group. A step towards accepting the model of the public person is
likely to enable reconciliation between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals and ultimately
strengthen civil society in Canada.
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Extent |
5361795 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-07-30
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0090051
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2001-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.