Sorry, You're Not A Winner
Considering Critical Relativism, Competing Interests and Lateral Power Struggle in Ethical Critique
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6784754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Luke Webster (0000-0001-5721-8236, University of Southampton, corresponding author), Lexi Webster |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 610-624 |
| Publication date | 2024-09-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Critical Discourse Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1740-5904 • E-ISSN: 1740-5912 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17405904.2023.2230599 |
| OpenAlex | W4383101128 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 22 |
Critical discourse studies do not often consider lateral power struggles between social groups with competing and intersecting interests, ideas and identities. As such, there is often little to no consideration of potentially detrimental outcomes or unintended consequences when proposing radical and transformative change. This paper therefore argues for critical relativism in CDS, considering intersecting power structures and struggles between potentially competing social groups. In illustration, this paper takes the case of ongoing antagonism over the socio-legal recognition of transgender identities in the West. Transgender identities are arguably more hotly debated at present than any other in relation to their socio-legal recognition and its perceived implications on other social groups. This paper therefore discusses how the interests of transgender socio-legal gender recognition intersect and compete with the interests of other social groups, whether in reality or only in perception. In so doing, this paper contends that the transformative impetus of CDS must account for the mechanisms and outcomes of lateral struggle. In a world of ever-increasing awareness of the interconnected systems of dominance and resistance, embedding critical relativism in CDS is imperative if it is to evolve and maintain relevance as an approach to meaningfully analysing discourse and championing social change
Critical theory · Epistemology · Law and economics · Political science · Relativism · Situated · Social change · Sociology · Transformative learning · Transgender · Unintended consequences · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Gender Studies · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Law · Rhetoric and Communication Studies
Multidisciplinary CDA
Discourse and social change
Viewpoint Relativism
The Transgender Studies Reader
Toward a Field of Intersectionality Studies
Intersectionality as Method
Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Laws in Public Accommodations
Ethics in critical discourse analysis
A procedural approach to ethical critique in CDA
A Fourth Order of Recognition
Erase/rewind”
The “Penis Police”
Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis
Suffering as an anchor of critique. The place of critique in critical discourse studies
Intersectionality', Socialist Feminism and Contemporary Activism
Critical discourse studies
I am I
Different Wavelengths
The feminist frontier
I wanna be a toy
Intersectionality
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |