Rethinking representation: The challenge of non-humans

non-human representation; political ecology; political philosophy; political representation; substantive representation; Sociology and Political Science

Abstract :

[en] This article argues that the standard model of political representation mischaracterises the structure of representation. After surveying the classical types of representation and their application to non-humans, the basic nature of representation is shown to have been unduly centred on interests, responsiveness and unidirectional protocols. It proposes a different structure by drawing inspiration from recent scholarship and developments in political philosophy, as well as the representation of non-human actors. It proposes an ontological grounding of representation in 'irreducible multiplicity', and a structural analysis based on the concepts of claim and relation. This abstract form of representation can take into account both human and non-human cases, and works to ground different typologies. The relational structure of representation creates interests and preferences, subjects and actors, power dynamics and seemingly immutable identities. © 2014 Australian Political Studies Association.

Disciplines :

Sociology & social sciences

Author, co-author :

Tanasescu, Mihnea ; Université de Mons - UMONS ; Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

Language :

English

Title :

Rethinking representation: The challenge of non-humans

Publication date :

21 February 2014

Journal title :

Australian Journal of Political Science

ISSN :

1036-1146

Publisher :

Routledge

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

40 - 53

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10361146.2013.874404

Research institute :

Soci&Ter

Data Set :

https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2013.874404

Available on ORBi UMONS :

since 25 November 2022

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