PPA Seminar, Intersectional Democratic Systems

Afsoun Afsahi (University of British Columbia) Intersectional Democratic Systems Department of Politics and Public Administration Online Seminar. Wednesday November 2, 2pm

Abstract: Over the past decades, scholars of democratic theory have begun to think of different democratic practices (e.g. resisting, voting or deliberating) as part of a larger democratic political system. In this paper, I examine the different democratic practices of recognizing, resisting, deliberating, representing, voting, joining, and exiting using an intersectional lens. Intersectionality is a suitable framework of analysis for three reasons. First, intersectionality emphasizes the ways in which social inequalities result from the intersection and mutual construction of systems of oppression. Second, intersectionality illuminates how our perception of social and political problems is affected by our positionality within these relations of power and systems of oppression. Finally, intersectionality demonstrates that different positionalities result in different standpoints on social and political phenomena including our assessment of the ability of democratic systems to deliver on democratic functions. Through this analysis, I argue that democratic systems approach must be more attentive to intersectional oppression for three reasons. First, some democratic practices are not viable options for all members of society. Therefore, we must be attentive to the innovations and approaches that could open up possibilities for members of intersectionally oppressed groups to benefit from these practices. Second, some practices work better for some individuals and groups resulting in unfair advantages within the democratic systems prompting the need to shift from thinking about inclusion differently. Finally, and relatedly, intersectionality helps us better understand why some groups are more dependent on certain practices (i.e. resisting or exiting) than others (i.e. deliberation or recognizing).

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