Nitin Sawhney and Sara Ahmed
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"I can't taste, I can't feel, I can't hear you” introduces a central theme: the feeling of losing touch with one's heritage. This sentiment reveals a sense of disorientation, the singer seems disconnected from the past and incertain about the future. Furthermore, the melancholic yet beautiful almost unreal instrumentals enhances the lyrics and emotions of being uprooted from one's cultural identity while living in a foreign environment, almost to the point of losing a sense of self. This nostalgia also reflects a deeper desire to reconnect with his true identity, which feels fragmented and faded. Indeed, although Nitin appears resilient, he claims to lacks a grounded connection to his roots, almost feeling like a passerby. Despite the emotional weight, the singer chooses to keep moving forward, quietly determined to succeed in life while carrying the baggage of nostalgia. His parents, while they endured significant hardships, they seem to carry a sense of quiet pride or resilience. Indeed, his father seems relieved to have overcome this struggle, although it is surely a nostalgia that follows someone during a lifetime. His mother embraces her culture and country which she hopes to show to her kids one day.
Sara Ahmed criticizes British utilitarian philosophy by emphasizing its restrictive definition of happiness and the repercussions socially and culturally. She contends that utilitarianism, with its emphasis on maximizing happiness as a political aim, frequently favors majority experiences while ignoring minority perspectives. This emphasis can lead to exclusionary practices, as the ideal of collective happiness tends to marginalize those who do not fit within normative norms. Ahmed also emphasizes the emotional labor necessary in attaining happiness, particularly for marginalized people. Sara's efforts are frequently overlooked and underestimated. This emotional load contributes to greater estrangement and demonstrates utilitarianism's reductionist character, which reduces complicated human experiences to happiness measures. By doing so, it fails to account for the various narratives that define individual and community identities, particularly in multicultural settings. Furthermore, Ahmed links utilitarianism to colonial history, implying that the philosophy might perpetuate colonial views by portraying particular cultures as "less happy" thereby perpetuating power relations and disparities. Her intersectional critique demonstrates how race and gender influence the discourse on happiness, saying that the quest of well-being is typically guided by privileged identities, systematically excluding others. Overall, Ahmed advocates for a more nuanced view of well-being that recognises the diversity of individual experiences and encourages inclusivity in defining happiness. By doing so, she calls into question the underlying assumptions of utilitarian philosophy and advocates for a more inclusive, fair approach to social and political discourse.