Liberalism is the foundational political ideology in the US today. Both dominant political parties claim to be acting p promote liberty and freedom. However there is a tension within liberalism itself, between its recognition of individual and group identity and its theoretical claims to universality. This conflict leads to questions of how to balance the protection of individual rights and the protection of the general populace. Our governmental institutions are charged with managing this balance. This paper will outline the theoretical foundations that create this tension within liberalism, explain how these tensions are mediated (or not) in our institutions and then look at how the television show The Gifted is using different approaches within liberalism as the foundation for the show and it’s dramatic story lines. There are interesting parallels between the liberal and illiberal policies being enacted in real life and in the program.
About the presenterKatrinka Somdahl
Katrinka Somdahl is a political geographer with research interests in the spaces of political communication, popular geopolitics, mediated spaces of performance, and geographic education. Her recent teaching areas include International Security, Politics on Film, Global Challenges, and regional courses on Africa, the Middle East and Europe.