Introduction
Democracy in Difference: Debating key terms of gender, sexuality, race and identity focuses on concepts and analytical frames we use when discussing how marginalised identities navigate their place in an assumed common culture.
Many debates related to identities in democracy take place through questions and terms that pay too little attention to how history, power and knowledge are entangled with one another. People assume they know what democracy is, and hold fixed views about what gender, race, sexuality, class and disability are. By focusing on how we think about the meaning of these terms, this book responds to the situation that, separately or combined, common sense and public reason are not sufficient for dealing with differences in the promise of the democratic ideal.’ – Dr Carolyn D’Cruz
This ebook offers a path for exploring how we might build a shared vocabulary when working through the muddle of public debates like identity politics, political correctness, pronouns and what constitutes racism. Democracy in Difference is an unconventional interdisciplinary guide to key concepts, which borrows from decolonial methodologies, Marxism, feminism, queer theory and deconstruction.
Key terms are illustrated through written text, La Trobe Art Institute artworks (centering Indigenous artists), poetry, comedy and song, and customised animations which make difficult terms accessible.
As an open access book there is space for interaction from readers and for improving the entries through feedback. The aim is to adjust the concepts as the political landscape keeps changing and new research comes to light. Above all, addressing these terms of debate is written with the pledge to do rather than merely describe the work of justice. – Dr Carolyn D’Cruz
See the Contents below and download the full ebook from the La Trobe University EBureau.
Contents
Introduction
Democracy in difference 2
Key terms
Aporia 12
Binary opposition 16
Biological determinism 20
Borders 26
Capitalism 34
Citizenship 40
Class 44
Colonialism and decolonialisation 48
Cultural capital 54
Culture, cultural studies and culture wars 56
Decolonial methodologies, postcolonialism critical race and whiteness studies 60
Deconstruction and différance 70
Democracy 76
Disability studies 82
Discourse and discursive practices 86
Enlightenment 92
Essentialism and social constructivism 98
Family 102
Femininities 106
Feminism 112
Feminist standpoint theory and experience 118
Gender, sexuality and diversity studies (GSDS) 122
Heteronormativity, homonormativity and homonationalism 126
History from below 132
Human rights 136
Identity and identity politics 142
Ideology 146 Interpellation 150
Intersectionality 156
Kyriarchy and patriarchy 160
Liberalism 164
Marxism 170
Masculinities and hegemonic masculinity 176
Nation, nation-state and nationality 180
Objectivity 186 Oral history and testimony 190
Orientalism 194
Passing 198
Performativity 202
Political correctness 206
Postmodernism, poststructuralism 214
Power, power/knowledge and biopolitics 220
Public/private distinction 226
Queer Theory, LGBTIQA+ identities, 232
Gay and lesbian studies Race, racialisation and institutional racism 242
Representation 252
Repressive state apparatuses and ideological state apparatuses 268
Secularism 274
Sex/gender distinction 278
Sex wars, sex work and pornography 284
Sign 290
Sovereignty 294
Stereotype 298
Trans and intersex identities, transgender studies 304
Violence 312
End Matter
Author bio 322
Acknowledgements 323
La Trobe Art Institute 324
Bibliography 327
List of La Trobe Art Institute artworks 349
List of works 351
Book details
Download the ebook from the La Trobe University EBureau.
ISBN: 978-0-6484681-2-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26826/1010
This is an interactive ebook containing videos and other interactive elements. It is recommended that Adobe Acrobat be used to utilise these interactive elements, although it is not essential.
Content Warning: The author rates this book with an office of literature and film classification of M (mature audiences), though PG (poststructuralist guidance) is probably more appropriate. There is occasional coarse language and content that deals with sex and violence; some material might disturb and cause discomfort; and a few of the theorists and artists cited and used are dodgy characters.
About the author
Dr Carolyn D’Cruz is a Senior Lecturer in gender, sexuality and diversity studies at Latrobe University. Carolyn has been working in gender, sexuality and diversity studies since 2007. She is author of Identity politics in deconstruction: Calculating with the incalculable and is co-editor of the anthology, After homosexual: The legacies of gay liberation.
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