''Allyship'' is an English-language
neologism
In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...
used in contemporary
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
activism to describe efforts by groups of people to advance the interests of marginalized groups both in society at large and in particular social contexts, for example universities or workplaces. The term and related behaviors are controversial, with critics alleging that allyship is an ideological,
performative
In the philosophy of language and speech acts theory, performative utterances are sentences which not only describe a given reality, but also change the social reality they are describing.
In a 1955 lecture series, later published as ''How to D ...
, and insincere notion that may ignore prior concepts of
tolerance and
solidarity
Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...
.
The term entered widespread use during the 2010s and the
presidency of Donald Trump. Its usage has grown especially common in political activism and
organizational rhetoric since the
murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...
and the beginning of the international
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
in May 2020; in 2021, it was announced as
Dictionary.com's "
Word of the Year".
Proponents of the concept say that allyship can be a response to most forms of discrimination, such as
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
,
ableism
Ableism (; also known as ablism, disablism (British English), anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination) is discrimination and social prejudice against physically or mentally disabled people. Ableism characterizes people as they a ...
,
xenophobia
Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
, and
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
(see
intersectionality
Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how groups' and individuals' social and political identities result in unique combinations of discrimination and privilege. Examples of these intersecting and overlapping factor ...
). Outcomes of allyship that are considered desirable by its advocates include greater inclusion in the workplace and empowerment of outgroups. Some advocates of allyship may define it in routes of activism, such as changing to more inclusive use of language, removing bias from hiring and promotion processes, and combating perceived forms of prejudice against disadvantaged groups.
Other proponents of the term describe it as a "lifelong process" that cannot be limited to individual behaviors or patterns of behavior; while some Black workers have reported that performative and excessive demonstrations of allyship have negatively impacted their quality of life and comfort within their workplaces. To produce genuine allyship, some proponents consider impromptu speaking as a key skill to operate on authenticity in everyday words and reactions.
Background
While the noun "allyship" has appeared in English-language sources since the 1840s,
its present meaning has come into use since the 1970s. The term likely derives from the concept of a
straight ally (also see
gay straight alliance), who were
straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, normal person
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* Straight, an alternative name for the cross, a type of punch in boxing
* Str ...
supporters of the
LGBT rights movement and
LGBT people at a time when there were legal and social barriers to LGBT persons' participation in society. Additional research, however, has attested to a similar usage as far back as 1943, when it was used in a
racial justice context.
It was first entered into the
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
in March 2021.
Academic supporters of the term have theorized the "
praxis" of allyship by distinct groups of privileged individuals; many scholars have proposed specific forms of praxis among librarians,
museum educators, social justice workers, social media users, university faculty, and other professionals. The concept of praxis itself is controversial, especially due to its association with the work of
Karl Marx
Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
and
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...
(see
praxis); prominent critics of its use include cultural critic and former academic
James Lindsay, who likens its prominence in
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
activism to a "religious duty".
Criticism
While the term allyship finds common usage in the language and rhetoric of some
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
activists, as well as
diversity, equity, and inclusion
In the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject ...
initiatives, it has not found widespread acceptance or usage outside of parts of the
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...
. This lack of acceptance has resulted from the broader controversy surrounding the rhetoric and tactics of 21st-century
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
activism,
as well as more specifically, the unclear and artificially-constructed difference in meaning between allyship and the far more common term
alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
, which has clear
cognates
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language.
Because language change can have radical effects on both the soun ...
in other languages (e.g., the Spanish "
''alianza''").
Like other prominent concepts in contemporary
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
movements, the concept of allyship and many associated behaviors have faced sustained opposition from most scholars and commentators holding
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
classical liberal
Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics and civil liberties under the rule of law, with special emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, eco ...
views. These opponents usually state that identity-based rhetoric is divisive and retributive, and without regard for individuals' character or the race-neutral notion of friendship.
Because of its emphasis on intersectionality, the concept of allyship has become associated with the controversy surrounding
critical race theory
Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic field focused on the relationships between Social constructionism, social conceptions of Race and ethnicity in the United States census, race and ethnicity, Law in the United States, social and political ...
in the United States. According to recent polls, U.S. public opinion towards
critical race theory
Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic field focused on the relationships between Social constructionism, social conceptions of Race and ethnicity in the United States census, race and ethnicity, Law in the United States, social and political ...
and associated
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
movements is largely negative and declining.
Criticism of the term may also be found among supporters of the broader
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
and
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movements. Some critics say that the practices and behaviors associated with allyship do not reflect sincere intentions and serve primarily to validate their practitioners.
Similarly,
Emma Dabiri has said that "Allyship offers charity whereas coalition is more about solidarity", and that allyship's emphasis on the efforts of a privileged group to help disadvantaged groups reflects a "paternalistic attitude".
Other concerns have stemmed from the degree to which the rhetoric of allyship is perceived as "performative" or insincere.
Allyship that is "performative" can emerge in numerous ways. That being said, performative allyship is understood to derive from reward, typically in the form of social recognition. A performative ally expresses support for marginalized groups or individuals, however, the intention behind the support works to uphold their own self image.
[{{Cite journal , last=Kalina , first=Peter , date=2020-08-28 , title=Performative Allyship , url=https://techniumscience.com/index.php/socialsciences/article/view/1518 , journal=Technium Social Sciences Journal , volume=11 , pages=478–481 , doi=10.47577/tssj.v11i1.1518 , issn=2668-7798, doi-access=free ]
Some other critics, like David Weitzner, have also argued that the approach of allyship ignores the principles of organic and culturally-particular forms of cooperation and toleration, such as the Jewish concept of
chavrusa, a form of instruction that empowers student participation.
See also
*
Straight ally
*
Anti-racism
Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...
*
Anti-bias curriculum
References
Allies (social justice)
LGBTQ
Anti-racism