We live in the hashtag generation, the age of that funny symbol like a noughts-and-crosses grid—#—used to identify subjects for discussion on Twitter and other social media applications and pages. One of its most popular uses is by groups of people starting conversations about their identity, something that seems to be an obsession for many different groups these days. It’s even started a new age—that of “identity politics”.

If you don’t know what identity politics is (and I didn’t until I prepared this podcast), this edition of The Argument explains, and goes on to ask the question: is identity politics a way to obtain freedom for individuals in our societies, or is it a new kind of social prison?