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Parity of participation and the politics of status

Armstrong, Chris; Thompson, Simon

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Authors

Chris Armstrong

Simon Thompson Simon.Thompson@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Political Theory



Abstract

Over the past decade, Nancy Fraser has developed a sophisticated theory of social justice. At its heart lies the principle of parity of participation, according to which all adult members of society must be in a position to interact with one another as peers. This article examines some obstacles to the implementation of that principle. Concentrating on the contemporary status order, it asks two specific questions. Is it possible to produce a precise account of how the status order might need to be ordered for parity of participation to be realized? And is it possible to derive a detailed and coherent political strategy capable of achieving such parity within the status order? The argument of this article is that, while Fraser has recognized the difficulties that the complexity of the contemporary status order poses for achieving parity of participation, she has nevertheless underestimated those difficulties. If parity of participation requires status equality, important and difficult work remains to be done in delineating the nature, and demands, of equality in the contemporary status order.

Citation

Armstrong, C., & Thompson, S. (2009). Parity of participation and the politics of status. European Journal of Political Theory, 8(1), 109-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474885108096963

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2009
Deposit Date Aug 19, 2010
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal European Journal of Political Theory
Print ISSN 1474-8851
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 8
Issue 1
Pages 109-122
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1474885108096963
Keywords critical theory, Nancy Fraser, parity of participation, recognition, status order
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1000193
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1474885108096963

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