Who gets to decide who we are?

In this episode, Rick Lee and Devonya Havis pull up a chair with philosopher and political theorist Falguni Sheth to talk about the ways identity is shaped, claimed, and—more often than not—forced upon us. From census categories and legal definitions to personal choices and political struggles, they dig into the tensions between how we see ourselves and how we’re seen by others. What does it mean to be recognized—or misrecognized—by the state? How do institutions decide which identities “fit” and which ones have to be managed, disciplined, or erased? And when does refusing to conform become its own form of power?

With insights from Sheth’s work on race, law, and political power, this conversation moves between philosophy, history, and the headlines of today. The hosts talk about the state’s obsession with controlling identity, from laws targeting Muslim women to the racial bias baked into facial recognition software. But they also ask whether there’s room for resistance—whether refusing to be easily categorized might be a way to push back. By the time last call rolls around, they’re raising a glass to the troublemakers, the misfits, and the ones who just won’t play by the rules.

Full episode notes available at this link:
https://hotelbarpodcast.com/podcast/episode-173-unruly-identity-with-falguni-sheth

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