Covid-19 has made families come together under one roof. A consequence of sharing a roof is heated political discussions amongst the family members.
Though some of us are averse to the idea of political engagement with our parents, many of us are not, and I am one amongst the latter. If one is an aware and responsible citizen, they tend to be vocal about their socio-political opinions.
But inside our homes, that loud voice can come with consequences, from simple ones like jibes about our ‘weakness’ to more serious ones that try to curtail our physical, social, and intellectual freedom.
In this scenario, it is understandable why some of us tend to avoid ‘politics’ at home. But if we choose to undertake this endeavour, understanding the basic dynamics of such an interaction might come in handy. Parents have a particular worldview which is ‘limited’ in most sense. The reason why I call it limited is that most of it is based on their anecdotal experiences or the bubble created by the media.
Social media platforms like their WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and the immediate surroundings become an echo-chamber where they can hearsay and resonate with similar thoughts. The other medium is TV news that has been reduced to propaganda with no substantial information and which only fans empty jingoism. It helps build an idea of our society different from what is in reality.
This idea is generally biased towards conserving most of our cliché ideas (which are highly prejudiced) and hence, the status quo, which they are so reluctant, to do away with.
The reason behind their conservatism is that with the passage of years, they grow increasingly insecure about losing what they have gained in life. They don’t want their hard-earned social and economic wealth to deplete in any manner whatsoever.
Consequently, in such a setup, our ideas, which are for obvious reasons quite new for them, are not only seen as something alien and hard to be accepted as truth but also seen as a threat to their values and ‘sanskar’.
As a woman, it becomes even worse. Stereotypically, it is believed that discussing politics is a man’s department. In such a case, having a political belief system itself challenges patriarchy in the face.
If we come with a counter-argument to a popular political notion, it might not go down well with the masculine politics at home. This, all the more, depicts the existence of not only a political divide but also a social one.
We Need To Address This Divide
Political beliefs are also reflective of our thoughts about society, in general. There is a social manifestation of our beliefs which we often tend to undermine. For instance, if I support a political party that has its foundation in xenophobic and misogynistic tendencies, it will also speak a lot about what kind of person I am and my individual beliefs and personal ideas.
Political beliefs and ideas that one supports are reflective of the kind of person they are. It also reflects how one perceives the world to be.
Amidst the debates when we navigate around conversations related to sensitive issues of caste, class, religion, etc., we might encounter the collective phobias and complexes our parents deal with. In such a situation, we need to make them realize their prejudice and address it. But we need to avoid outright confrontation at such times. It is detrimental to this goal.
Rather, our strategy should be that of humanizing and raising empathy in them is more helpful. Our political views also influence our social and personal life. What my family thinks can affect my life choices as an individual after all. You might be thinking if these arguments with parents worth our effort and time. The answer is – it is worth it.
More often than not, we wrongly assume in our early youth that it will not matter what they think after we achieve something in life but it is simply not the case. Our family does matters to us and so does their approval. Lest their views become an obstacle, it is important that we proactively engage the older generation with us and here are some ways one can do it.
1. Engage in ‘on the spot fact check’ and correct them politely by quoting sources that you got the information from. Here, you just need to make sure that the sources you are quoting from are reliable. In this way, you can debunk the myths and present the real facts.
2. You must have noticed; parents have this tendency of changing the goalpost/ target once we are near to debunking the argument. They do this by engaging in whataboutery. In such a case, we need to spot the bad argument and not let it deter us.
3. We need to acquaint them with reliable media sources and burst bubbles occasionally. Last but not the least, we need to keep in mind that shaming is never a solution. It does no good and often makes the other person repulsive. Therefore, what we need to do is to find common grounds.
It will not only make them relate to our thoughts but will also pave the way for them to realize the broader picture where we all need to be a bit more empathetic, especially when we speak of gross injustices that we are witnessing in our times. Keeping all this in mind, it is high time we stand up for our political beliefs and change the narrative for the society at large.
Featured image is used for representational purposes.