Subjectivity, Gender and the Struggle for Recognition

Subjectivity, Gender and the Struggle for Recognition examines the significance of 'recognition' for contemporary philosophy and political theory. It reveals the role played by recognition in the construction of our individual and collective identities through an exploration of European philosophy and feminist theory, incorporating thinkers ranging from Hegel and Heidegger to Michel Foucault and Judith Butler. Focusing on gender, it highlights how interpersonal and institutional forms of recognition are influenced by power and discourse, and considers the impact this has on our capacity to shape our gender identities. Arguing for an ambivalent account of recognition based upon a post-structuralist theory of the subject, it challenges contemporary recognition theorists such as Charles Taylor and Axel Honneth for failing to acknowledge the extent to which recognition can regulate and normalise behaviour. This book insightfully charts both the importance and challenges of making sense of oneself as a socially-recognisable being.

Paddy McQueen is a Research Fellow at Queen's University, Belfast, where he also obtained his PhD. His primary research explores issues of subjectivity, gender, agency and power in philosophy and political theory. He is the co-author of Key Concepts in Philosophy (Palgrave, 2010).