On identity and inclusion

Michael Winkler

Summary:   This contribution examines the very lexically interesting concept of identity, and addresses some associated issues. The author begins by discussing the difficulties arising from the inevitable obscurity and ambiguity of the concept, and touches on the contemporary history and the development of the concept of identity. Although there has long been pedagogical renouncement of the concept, education is nevertheless connected to issues of identity, particularly with regard to whether it can encourage individuals to preserve their identity within changing social and cultural circumstances and expectations. The task is becoming ever more challenging, as modern societies require distinct notions of identity while at the same time questioning its possibilities. The most recently introduced formula of inclusion affirms and intensifies this development, no longer allowing any material identity, and only recognizing a highly abstract and formal notion of identity.