Theorizing the affective logic of victimhood in public debates

Implications for Everyday Education Practices

Bibliographic Data

ID2935539
AuthorsM Zembylas (0000-0001-6896-7347, Open University of Cyprus, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume44
Issue2
Pages183-194
Publication date2023-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDiscourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0159-6306 • E-ISSN: 1469-3739
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01596306.2021.1979935
OpenAlexW3199256145
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited24

How does a world of rival victimhoods disrupt our understandings of the educational subject? In which ways do competing claims of victimhood and their connections with justice have an impact on everyday educational practices? These questions are at the heart of this essay. The analysis conceptualizes the affective logic of victimhood as a terrain of struggle over competing claims to suffering, trauma and injury. The argument is that victimhood works by tactically mobilizing effective claims to suffering, trauma or injury for moral and political gains. The paper highlights implications of this analysis for everyday educational practices, discourses and relationships, and discusses the extent to which a pedagogical approach that engages students with the affective claims of victimhood – namely, who claims to be a victim, from which position and to which effects – can offer productive ways of navigating through competing claims of victimhood

Criminology · Economic Justice · Epistemology · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Critical Race Theory in Education · Education Discipline and Inequality · Law · Peace and Human Rights Education · Psychology · Social Psychology

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