Editing Allyship (section)

== Criticism ==
While the term allyship finds common usage in the language and rhetoric of some [[social justice]] activists, as well as [[diversity, equity, and inclusion]] initiatives, it has not found widespread acceptance or usage outside of parts of the [[English-speaking world]].{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} This lack of acceptance has resulted from the broader controversy surrounding the rhetoric and tactics of 21st-century [[social justice]] activism,<ref name="Myers" /> as well as more specifically, the unclear and artificially-constructed difference in meaning between allyship and the far more common term [[wikt:alliance|alliance]], which has clear [[cognates]] in other languages (e.g., the Spanish "[[wikt:allianza|''allianza'']]").

Like other prominent concepts in contemporary [[social justice]] movements, the concept of allyship and many associated behaviors have faced sustained opposition from most scholars and commentators holding [[conservative]] and [[classical liberal]] 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.<ref name="Myers" /> Because of its emphasis on intersectionality, the concept of allyship has become associated with the controversy surrounding [[critical race theory]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Butcher |first1=Jonathan |title=Critical Race Theory, the New Intolerance, and Its Grip on America |url=https://www.heritage.org/civil-rights/report/critical-race-theory-the-new-intolerance-and-its-grip-america |website=The Heritage Foundation |access-date=9 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> According to recent polls, U.S. public opinion towards [[critical race theory]] and associated [[social justice]] movements is largely negative and declining.<ref>{{cite web |title=Americans who have heard of critical race theory don’t like it |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/06/17/americans-who-have-heard-of-critical-race-theory-dont-like-it |website=The Economist |access-date=9 January 2022 |date=17 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Support for Black Lives Matter movement is declining, according to new poll |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/support-black-lives-matter-movement-declining-according-new-poll-rcna5746 |website=NBC News |access-date=9 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Criticism of the term may also be found among supporters of the broader [[social justice]] and [[Black Lives Matter]] movements. Some critics say that the practices and behaviors associated with allyship do not reflect sincere intentions and serve primarily to validate their practitioners.<ref name="Owens">{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Ernest |title=Why I’m Giving Up on “Allies” |url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/06/23/allyship-vs-solidarity/ |website=Philadelphia Magazine |access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Haynes">{{cite web |last1=Haynes |first1=Suyin |title=Why Coalition, Not Allyship, Is the Necessary Next Step in the Racial Justice Movement |url=https://time.com/6074507/emma-dabiri-what-white-people-can-do-next/ |website=Time |access-date=9 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Other concerns have stemmed from the degree to which the rhetoric of allyship is perceived as "performative" or insincere.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leary |first1=John Patrick |last6= |first7=D |title=The Performative Rhetoric of “Allyship” |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/162621/performative-rhetoric-allyship |website=The New Republic |access-date=9 January 2022 |date=18 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Avoiding Performative Allyship in the Workplace |url=https://kindredmembers.com/insights/performative-allyship-workplace/ |website=Kindred |access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Smoot |first1=Kelsey |title=White people say they want to be an ally to black people. But are they ready for sacrifice? {{!}} Kelsey Smoot |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/29/white-people-ally-black-people-sacrifice |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 January 2022 |language=en |date=29 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Unpacking the False Allyship of White Racial Justice Leaders |url=https://nonprofitquarterly.org/unpacking-the-false-allyship-of-white-racial-justice-leaders/ |website=Nonprofit Quarterly |access-date=9 January 2022 |date=14 December 2020}}</ref> 

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 revolves works to uphold their own self image.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Redirecting...|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/techssj11&i=521|access-date=2022-02-16|website=heinonline.org}}</ref> 

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.<ref name="Weitzner" />