Patriarchal Bargains as Oppressive Double Binds

Datos Bibliográficos

ID24020547
AutoresFrancesca Cesarano (0000-0002-5155-7242, Goethe University Frankfurt, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Páginas1-18
Fecha de publicación2026-08-03
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHypatia (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0887-5367 • E-ISSN: 1527-2001
EditorialCambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1017/hyp.2026.10095
OpenAlexW7172302301
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas13

In this paper, I define patriarchal bargains as a subset of oppressive double binds. They are situations in which an agent, under conditions of gender oppression, intentionally chooses the prudentially best option—complying with an oppressive norm—over the morally best option—resisting the norm—even though both options are “inextricably bound up” (Hirji 2021, 645). I then explore two frameworks to examine the bargainer’s responsibility for choosing the prudentially best option: forward-looking political responsibility (Young 2011) and backward-looking moral responsibility (Sangiovanni 2018). Forward-looking political responsibility shows some conceptual limitations in justifying why the bargainer is neither blameworthy nor liable for choosing the prudentially best option when she is aware of the implications of her choice and does not face unreasonable costs in forgoing the bargain. However, backward-looking moral responsibility faces two practical concerns: first, it risks diverting attention from the oppressive structures that constrain the bargainer’s moral agency; and second, it may be divisive and isolating by promoting negative emotions such as guilt and shame, which could discourage people from participating in collective struggles for social change.

Collective responsibility · Face (sociological concept) · Moral responsibility · Politics · Social responsibility · Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Political Philosophy and Ethics

Herramientas

Abrir DOIOpen Access