Barack Obama has been elected new president of the United States of America; just so that everyone is on the track from the beginning. I mean, despite the enormous attention the US elections have been given in media, there are people who don't know. Ok, I'm not saying that I think the elections have got too much attention; I'd rather say I appreciate that "normal people" are interested in, and talk, politics. So much have been said about the importance of the election of Obama as the first black president, of Obama as an intellectual, of Obama as a democrate etc, that I - with my limited knowledge in politics - can not add any new, interesting analyze. I only want to say that it seems to me he's a pretty good guy for the job. Like I've already mentioned, I am reading a book on his life and political career (I'm slow, I admit!), and this has only reinforced my opinion. Mine and most others...most important; a majority of the Americans.
Of course I think it's great that a black person has been elected, however I ernestly wish that it is not how he will be remembered. He carries this huge "etnicity responsibility" (I steal your expression, C) , that he is not only himself, but also a representative for African-Americans.
My collegues were discussing the other day whether they thought it could happen in France, that a black person could be elected as president. Despite the fact that 84% of the French people claim to be positive to the election of Obama, my collegues had serious doubts that France was ready. Then they asked me if I could see a black president in Sweden; after the almost mandatory remark that anybody will have a hard time becoming president of Sweden, I considered the issue. My first reaction is yes, but I also know that I have a tendance to glorify Sweden and our "open-minded-ness" and strive to all kinds of equality. I thought about the ministers and politicians with foreign origins, and the first names that came to my mind were Ibrahim Baylan and Nalin Pekgül. Thus, for the question to really make sense, it should rather be if Sweden is ready for a prime minister from for example the former Yugoslavia, Turkey, or Lebanon. I like to think that it should be possible, any idea?
But back to the question about the blacks, I came to a theory (me, pretentious?) that maybe it is actually more likely with a black person, than someone from one of the above mentioned countries? I am not defending either side (or rather; both of them) but what led to this idea is that there are relatively few blacks in Sweden, hence people don't think of a "generic African identity" in the same way as e.g. a Turkish one. That is, a person of color (to use the most recent, politically correct, US word) who approaches the prime minister position, would probably be considered more as an individual and less a representative for his or her origin, then would, say, a Turkish person. I think this could, unconsciously, make a difference in people's minds. Is my reasoning completely absurd or does it sound a little bit likely?
Of course I think it's great that a black person has been elected, however I ernestly wish that it is not how he will be remembered. He carries this huge "etnicity responsibility" (I steal your expression, C) , that he is not only himself, but also a representative for African-Americans.
My collegues were discussing the other day whether they thought it could happen in France, that a black person could be elected as president. Despite the fact that 84% of the French people claim to be positive to the election of Obama, my collegues had serious doubts that France was ready. Then they asked me if I could see a black president in Sweden; after the almost mandatory remark that anybody will have a hard time becoming president of Sweden, I considered the issue. My first reaction is yes, but I also know that I have a tendance to glorify Sweden and our "open-minded-ness" and strive to all kinds of equality. I thought about the ministers and politicians with foreign origins, and the first names that came to my mind were Ibrahim Baylan and Nalin Pekgül. Thus, for the question to really make sense, it should rather be if Sweden is ready for a prime minister from for example the former Yugoslavia, Turkey, or Lebanon. I like to think that it should be possible, any idea?
But back to the question about the blacks, I came to a theory (me, pretentious?) that maybe it is actually more likely with a black person, than someone from one of the above mentioned countries? I am not defending either side (or rather; both of them) but what led to this idea is that there are relatively few blacks in Sweden, hence people don't think of a "generic African identity" in the same way as e.g. a Turkish one. That is, a person of color (to use the most recent, politically correct, US word) who approaches the prime minister position, would probably be considered more as an individual and less a representative for his or her origin, then would, say, a Turkish person. I think this could, unconsciously, make a difference in people's minds. Is my reasoning completely absurd or does it sound a little bit likely?
1 comment:
nej men absolut, det finns hierarkier inom alla samhällsplan och jag tror också att en svart person skulle ha en större automatisk förtroendebuffert i sverige än säg tex en person med romersk bakgrund.
just nu ser det ut att bli en kvinnlig statsminister i sverige nästa gång. oavsett vad man tycker om hennes partis politik är det ändå spännande att detta tycks kunna bli verklighet och på ett sådant, hittills, icke ifrågasatt sätt.
en svart kvinna på tronen får vi nog emellertid vänta på. en minoritet åt gången tack! nej just, kvinnor är inte minoritet nej... så lätt att glömma.
PUSS
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