Us vs. Them, by Ella Shohat

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Recommended: The importance of identity in society

In human history, war has been part of our lives; it has almost become a natural occurrence. Humans have experienced different types of war from internal and external wars. During times of war, our notion of security is threatened because an incident disrupts what we consider as normal. According to Ella Shohat, war creates binaries where people are unable to occupy multiple identities. However, we see that this is the nature of human society especially during times of “crisis”. During such times, society creates the binary notion of “us vs. them”; “us” are people who identify with the norm and are not seen as deviants, where “them” are people who are seen as “the others”, those who do not conform to our societal expectations. The others are seen as a national threat to the security of the nation state. To understand Shohat’s perspective as a victim of binarisms, analysis of the creation of “us vs. them” is critical in comprehending the oppressions that binaries create. Furthermore, we must explore what and who are threats to norms of society especially when the nation-state declares a “state of emergency”. Lastly, the ideas of borders are important to comprehend binarism and the notion of security. By addressing such issues, one is able to have a better grasp of oppressions created by nation-state especially during war times. The master utilizes these tools to create and reproduce oppression in the nation state.

In Guetner Lewy’s literature, The Nazi: Persecution of the Gypsies, the usage of the concept of “us vs. them” is evident. Gypsies were seen as a threat to the biological security of the German state. Lewy notes that Germans believed that Gypsies were nuisance and later on were seen as a problem. According to Lewy ...

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...states of emergencies have become a norm that it is no longer a temporary status. It has almost become a part of the social norm. Finally, we see that borders create a sense of security by having a physical wall that does not allow unwanted people to enter the nation state. Pictured identification is crucial to maintain the purpose of the border for it tells people you are welcomed in the nation state. Those who do not posses identification are seen as possible threat to the security of the nation. The physical space of the border creates a binary identity of being welcomed or being unwanted. By utilizing the label of “us vs. them”, having the ability to create states of emergencies, and having borders, the master is able to maintain power. To understand the oppression of people, we must look at these entities to comprehend the power dynamics of society.

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