>be some kind of push back against identity politics
It's funny that this is expressed in a culture war kind of way: the identity politics crowd versus the "against identity politics" crowd.
Sometimes social phenomena don't dissipate because of push-back, but because they simply fizzle out, like a fire that consumed all of the underbrush. I think that's a more apt analogy for how we can expect the current era of identity politics to end, if it does. You can't shoot guns in the name of peace, and you can't "push back" against too much shoving.
"because they simply fizzle out, like a fire that consumed all of the underbrush"
That depends on consequences.
For example, if there are jobs that depend on continuation of social phenomena, their holders will fight tooth and nail not to let this happen.
Universities now have special administrators dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. These are someone's livelihoods and also sources of power. Will the incumbents simply say "there is no more interest in identity politics, our task is done, we made ourselves redundant"?
No. As long as they are paid to promote, say, inclusion, they will always push the idea that more must be done.
>Universities now have special administrators dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. These are someone's livelihoods and also sources of power. Will the incumbents simply say "there is no more interest in identity politics, our task is done, we made ourselves redundant"?
This isn't an empty argument, I'll grant. It extends to yellow "journalists" (from OANN to CTH), political campaign staff (divided country = more spending on politics), social media companies, and others. Division is profitable.
But lots of awful things are profitable. There are always stakeholders in whatever enterprise is polluting the water, the air, or the discourse. You deal with it by offering them progressively worse compromises and hoping that, over time, the frogs will jump out of the pot.
Consider that all jobs depend on the continuation of social phenomena.
Think, for a moment, about the sentiment of 'They took our jobs'. (With 'They' being Jews, immigrants, Mexicans, China, or some other boogieman of the week.)
As long as there are jobs, people with them will always push the idea that some 'Other' is coming to take away their livelihood.
It's all identity politics - it's just that when its practiced by the political right, they don't call it that. It wouldn't be part of their identity to engage in them, after all.
But, of course, if you call out and challenge this, you will be accused of engaging in identity politics.
I agree that some things fizzle out. It seems to me people collectively get bored with some ideas and move to something else. There's also infighting within the radical left.
It's funny that this is expressed in a culture war kind of way: the identity politics crowd versus the "against identity politics" crowd.
Sometimes social phenomena don't dissipate because of push-back, but because they simply fizzle out, like a fire that consumed all of the underbrush. I think that's a more apt analogy for how we can expect the current era of identity politics to end, if it does. You can't shoot guns in the name of peace, and you can't "push back" against too much shoving.