Liberal Conception Research Articles

Reimagining ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle for a freer life

ABSTRACT This paper extends research investigating ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ by reimagining it as a broader struggle for a freer life. To do this, I draw upon Martin Hägglund’s philosophy, particularly his view of freedom as having more time to pursue activities that matter to us, and by using two little narratives as illustrative examples. This view of freedom challenges neoliberal and liberal conceptions of a freer life and advances our understanding in two areas. First, the paper illustrates ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle, and as a question of degrees, since it both holds the potential to increase the realm of freedom, thus enabling women to lead freer and more meaningful lives in specific contexts, and the danger of bolstering the realm of necessity, leading women to spend their time on activities where they only endure present ways of living or endorse neoliberal lifestyles. Second, the paper illustrates ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle since it sparks women’s spiritual freedom as they start questioning and transforming taken-for-granted ideas of who they should be and what they should do with their time. Finally, the paper contributes methodologically to research focusing on marginalized voices beyond the lead entrepreneur.

Decolonizing the National Park: Unsettling public space through Indigenous urbanism

ABSTRACT Despite warnings of decline, public space continues to play a pivotal role for social movements and democracies. Yet, because liberal concepts of public space are rooted in settler colonialism, they avoid critical engagement with histories and contemporary expressions of Indigenous urban life. The occupation of Bogotá’s National Park by Indigenous communities presents an opportunity to reexamine the limits of public space. While government officials espoused conventional definitions about public space, Indigenous occupants described the National Park in entirely different terms. They relied on a praxis known as the minga for sustenance, communication, spatial organization, community building, and political mobilization. Drawing on Indigenous urbanism, this article frames the occupation of the National Park as a practice of decolonization, which challenges the historical legitimacy of stolen land and the supremacy of property. It considers the minga as a practice of Indigenization and an epistemologically distinct form of citymaking.

THE NEW ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Geopolitical changes have shown that current threats are not only directed at the state’s security but also at the individual’s. Besides the traditional concept of security, a new concept has emerged: economic security. The liberal conception was based on the hypothesis that economic interdependence would lead not only to prosperity but also to greater security. Traditional analyses do not sufficiently capture the real connections between the economy and security. In traditional approaches to security, the key concept was state security; in neo-traditional ones, new actors such as international organizations and non-governmental organizations also intervene alongside the state. Transformations in the international system demonstrate the need for a geostrategic renegotiation of relations at the regional level to ensure states of regional economic cooperation based on principles promoted by the European Union. Our analysis is a qualitative one, examining documents relevant to our topic, as well as a series of theories that underpin our analysis. Our research methods include content analysis of important documents and a SWOT analysis of the current crisis generated by the conflict in Ukraine. The central issue is given by these major changes that challenge the European project. In the face of these geopolitical changes, the following question arises: “Can economic interdependence be used to create stable bilateral relations between EU member states and between the EU and third countries to ensure European economic security?” The research starts from the following hypothesis: “As long as there is cooperation between the countries neighbouring the EU, there will be no risk of conflicts.” Since the EU acts not only in its own interest but also to create a business environment conducive to the development of enterprises in member countries, the risks the EU is exposed to as a global actor will also impact various industrial sectors and the internal market. Our objective is to demonstrate that the European Union, as a regional actor, can ensure the economic security of member states in the face of new hybrid threats. Our analysis focus on examining the economic relations between the European Union and its Eastern neighbours in the context of rapid changes in the international arena.

Land matters: how Indigenous land restitution can inform loss and damage policy and chart a path toward an otherwise climate justice

ABSTRACT Loss and damage (L&D) has emerged as a focus for climate justice within the international policy arena and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings. L&D proposals often centre on a liberal conception of distributive justice, arguing that high-emitting parties must compensate those most vulnerable to climate change, who typically bear the least responsibility for it. This frame positions climate justice as reparations, financial support for adaptation, and other forms of restitution for impacted communities. I support L&D action and agree that responsible parties should pay. However, I urge caution about the underlying assumptions of liberal justice. What is of commensurate value for communities that lose access to sites of deep biocultural and spiritual heritage because of climate change? In considering this question, I draw from research on Indigenous land rights and restitution politics in Latin America to illustrate how L&D proposals and policies can learn from Indigenous experiences navigating the pursuit of justice through courts. I examine limitations of liberal justice to highlight pathways for thinking climate justice otherwise. Lessons from Indigenous land restitution make clear that rethinking the framing of L&D policy is essential to avoid replicating the logics that drive destructive development and resultant social inequality.

Civil Society, Civic Education and Public Opinion in the Concept of Corporate Liberalism by William Lyon Mackenzie King

Civil Society, Civic Education and Public Opinion in the Concept of Corporate Liberalism by William Lyon Mackenzie King

Notes on the liberal concept of democracy

En este artículo se propone una revisión del concepto liberal de democracia en relación al contexto cambiante en que se ha desarrollado. Se tomarán en cuenta cuatro ejes: primero, los principios de libertad económica y libertad individual que han influido en la idea de democracia liberal; segundo, el debate entre la democracia parlamentaria y la presidencial, dado el surgimiento de las democracias presidenciales en América; tercero, la llamada transición a la democracia, surgida de las disputas geopo-líticas tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la Guerra Fría, de la que surge una oposición fundamental entre las democracias occidentales frente a los llamados regímenes autoritarios, remanentes de los regímenes socialistas; y cuarto, la democracia de la sociedad civil, donde los desarrollos conceptuales giran en torno a una segunda oposición fundamental, promoviendo el establecimiento de regímenes cuyo principal actor político es la ciudadanía organizada frente al Estado.

Project LISTEN: Foundations and Development of a Peer Empowerment Program for Caregivers of Children with Variations of Sex Characteristics

AbstractNearly 2% of the population is born with intersex traits or variations of sex characteristics (VSC). Marginalization of people with VSC whose experience of social isolation and stigma can lead to mental health challenges and low degrees of medical and self-empowerment. Infants and children with VSC rely on caregivers to make decisions which impact their medical and social-emotional wellbeing. Interview recordings were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and generated four preliminary themes that will be used to develop a logic model to inform the development of a novel peer-empowerment intervention: (1) the isolating and overwhelming experience of learning about child’s VSC; (2) caregivers desire early access to education and information; (3) connecting with peer support provides reassurance and lessens stigma; (4) developing skills of communication and advocacy help empower parents. Features of post-traumatic growth were endorsed by caregivers. In partnership with an advisory group of stakeholders, findings from this study will be used to develop a logic model of the psychological, social, and environmental determinants that our intervention will target to improve health and quality of life outcomes for new parents of children with VSC. Project LISTEN (Let Intersex Stories Teach, Enlighten, and Nurture) applies the concepts of epistemic justice and health liberation to support, educate, and empower caregivers of children with VSC. Clinical social workers are ideal champions for peer empowerment programs that work to develop critical consciousness in those who have been socially marginalized.

АКСИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АСПЕКТ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ИДЕОЛОГИИ РОССИИ

Ideology, as an expression of a certain worldview, is the spiritual core of the strategic state development, defining the goals and objectives of its ex-istence. As there is no person without a certain worldview, there is no state without ideology. Despite the fact that ideological diversity and absence of state or compulsory ideology have been declared in modern Russia, liberal hu-manistic ideas as a superstructure of the capitalist socio-economic system abso-lutely dominate in Russia in reality. The article identifies four basic ideological systems and shows that any complements from traditional socialist or spiritual and moral ideas to the ideological core of liberal humanistic ideology are not really effective and palliative in nature. Therefore, current confrontation with the West is an opportunity to transit to the intercivilizational conflict, during which new socio-economic and political development mechanisms and corre-sponding ideological conceptions of spiritual development of the personality will be formed, opposing the liberal conceptions of consumerism, individual-ism and competition.

The liberal conception of free speech and its limits

ABSTRACT Unfortunately, many people today see the regulation of lies, disinformation, hate speech, and fake news as an infringement of free speech, at least when such speech is ‘political,’ despite the damage that such speech can do. But this very protective attitude toward speech rests on a mistaken understanding of the role of free speech in a liberal society. The right to free speech is based on the liberal value of freedom, and as such can be no broader than freedom itself. And freedom has always been subject to reasonable limits in a liberal society. Indeed, while the principles of toleration and neutrality are often cited as supporting a broad interpretation of the right to free speech, they also tell us that certain limits apply to that right. We need not tolerate speech that encourages intolerance, and while government should be neutral between reasonable conceptions of the good, it need not be neutral between reasonable and unreasonable conceptions. These ideas form the framework of liberal society, and as I shall show, also provide a guide for understanding what kind of speech is protected in a liberal society and what it is not.

Imagined Buddhisms and the Limits of Female Liberation in Qurratulain Hyder’s River of Fire

This study considers how Urdu Indian writer, Qurratulain Hyder historicizes the role of Buddhism in her magnum opus, River of Fire. Previous studies have approached the question of religion in River of Fire in relation to the radical nationalisms of Hinduism and Islam. Meanwhile, Buddhism—a religious philosophy often perceived as innocuous in the polemics of Partition—has received only a passing nod. This study demonstrates that Hyder’s imagination of Buddhism from the perspective of female domesticity, unravels a more complicated religious and literary legacy than what was generally understood among her contemporary intelligentsia. In the opening chapters of the novel, Hyder draws on classical Buddhist literatures such as the Therīgāthā, to challenge romanticized imaginations of Buddhism. This article teases out this intertextuality between the novel and the Buddhist canon as a moment that foregrounds the implications of liberation for generations of women silenced by hegemonic religious and national histories. Drawing on Saba Mahmood’s Politics of Piety, I argue that Hyder explores alternative conceptions of feminine self-realization and liberation which interrogate not only traditional monastic notions of freedom and liberation but also feminist and Buddhist discourses of equality in the nation.

Debunking the Concept of Liberalism A Critical Review

This study critically examines the basic tenets of liberalism and their implications for the discourse between Islam and the West. With reference to texts from thinkers such as John Locke and John Stuart Mill, it challenges the rationality and coherence of liberal ideology, particularly regarding equality, freedom and hedonistic morality. Islamic perspectives on these issues are considered, highlighting differences in epistemological foundations. The research underscores the need for nuanced dialogue and critical inquiry, emphasizing the importance of epistemological diversity in addressing the challenges of contemporary society. Highlights : Critiquing liberal ideology: equality, freedom, morality coherence challenged. Contrasting Islamic epistemological foundations with liberalism's rationality. Emphasizing nuanced dialogue and diverse epistemology for contemporary challenges. Keywords: Liberalism, Islam, Dialogue, Epistemology, Diversity

What is the Relationship between Islam and Liberalism in the Qur'anic Perspective?

This study examines the relationship between Islam and liberalism, reviews the concept of liberalism, its history, and the perspective of the Qur'an. Liberalism, which emphasizes individual freedom, is often seen as contrary to Islamic principles centered on Sharia. Rooted in the European Renaissance period, liberalism developed in response to the domination of religion and monarchy, encouraging democracy and a free economy. The Qur'an, in verses such as Sura Al-Baqarah, Ar-ra'ad and Al-Isra affirms the importance of obeying the Shari'a and staying away from lust. This research method uses an interpretive approach. Researchers analyze the text and interpretation of the Qur'an to understand the Islamic view of liberalism, with the aim of providing insight into contemporary liberalism discourse.

Victim Agency, Relational Autonomy and Transitional Justice: Experience of Saturday Mothers

ABSTRACT∞ This article explores the political agency of victims and proposes a new concept for understanding complex political victims in violent political contexts. To do so, it first challenges the problematic dichotomy of victim-perpetrator identities in transitional justice, drawing on interdisciplinary studies of agency, victim mobilization and the phenomenon of enforced disappearance. I (re)conceptualize victims’ agency by applying the concept of ‘relational autonomy’ which considers the role of social relations in the agency-building process and highlights relational values that are under-appreciated in the liberal concept of agency. I examine the case of the Saturday Mothers, a victim movement in Turkey, to show how their agency has been re-established through their interaction within this social network, and how this shapes the sense of justice they imagine and practice in this social space.

Concrete Freedom at Work: Hegel’s normative conception of freedom and its relevance to organization studies

In organization studies, the prevailing understanding of freedom has revolved around a specific concept of autonomy. However, we propose an alternative and normative concept of freedom, drawing inspiration from the philosophy of Hegel and a reinterpretation of his ideas by Robert Brandom. We begin by diagnosing the liberal conceptions of freedom as opportunity and autonomy that shape the predominant understanding of freedom at work within organization studies. We then follow Hegel and conceive freedom as the expansive realization of oneself through the commitment to meaningful constraints. In contrast to the dominant liberal notions of freedom, Hegel allows us to understand professional commitments and communal obligations at work as the medium of freedom. We argue that concrete freedom at work requires (a) that workers see their work as intrinsically valuable and (b) that neither they nor their employers are unconditionally free to define norms for how work is to be organized and pursued. We then demonstrate the theoretical implications of shifting from the liberal conceptions of freedom prevalent in organization studies to a Hegelian conception of freedom. The Hegelian theory leads to a more nuanced understanding of worker decision-discretion, motivation and the meaningfulness of work. Additionally, it has implications for research on bureaucracy and institutional logics. We end by considering the limits of the empirical applicability of our Hegelian theory, and by highlighting its normative value for practitioners and critical management scholars.

“Decolonization” As a Metaphor, Not a Movement, in Communication Studies: A Critical Thematic Meta-Analysis of the Discipline

ABSTRACT In this essay, we theorize how terms like “decolonization” and “decoloniality” have entered into the vernacular of the discipline of Communication Studies and remained largely as metaphors. We connect to a conversation among scholars in Indigenous Studies, Cultural Studies, and others who have turned attention to “decolonial” critiques in academic environments, and how they remain detached from their activist origins. We begin with a discussion of metaphor and the cultural and political implications for adopting and misattributing a term like decolonization. Moreover, this study develops a critical method to make sense of the rapid and vast uptake of the term decolonization as a harmful metaphor in the discipline’s most widely read journals. Our critical thematic meta-analysis is driven by a quantifying tool – we turn our research lens to the body of literature written by the collective of scholars in the discipline who refer to or rely on decolonization in their research to reveal the way in which the term is connoted over the last decade. Our analysis reveals “decolonization” is often used as a liberal abstract concept divorced from material contexts. We critique this reductionism, noting how decolonization becomes a buzzword for institutional change without genuine engagement with anti-colonial movements. We end by inviting scholars to reconsider the study of colonization and those materially resisting it with new energies and orientations.

Beyond liberal justice? Decolonising Colombian transitional justice through victims’ participation and indigenous rights

ABSTRACT Transitional justice is a particular approach to justice for periods of transition to peace and democracy. It has been standardised in handbooks by profiling experts, often from the Global North, with meagre local participation in practice. It is criticised for having a liberal conception of justice that reproduces forms of structural discrimination against ethnic peoples. The Peace Agreement between Colombia and the FARC-EP signed in November 2016 addresses this criticism through a System for Truth, Reparation, and Guarantees of No-Repetition that includes a Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) that must impose sanctions following a dialogical process with victims. The tribunal requires their participation to determine how perpetrators must repair the damages caused during the armed conflict. When victims belong to ethnic groups, their participation has influenced the tribunal to make decolonising decisions. In a ground-breaking process, the JEP incorporated indigenous perspectives into its justice procedures, acknowledging the role of the Territory to ethnic groups and officially recognising it as a living being that is a right-bearer that deserves reparations. This article analyses the achievements of such a process and underlines some challenges. From a practical perspective, it contributes to broader debates regarding indigenous rights and victims’ participation in transitional justice.

Between Liberation and Recoercion

Between Liberation and Recoercion

Distinction within the ‘global north’? A Bourdieusian approach for analysing development discourse: The case of U.S. and E.U. relations with the Colombian state (2016–2022): A comparative analysis

The paper conducts a comparative analysis of EU (91 texts) and US (93 texts) discourses concerning post-peace accord Colombia (late 2016 to mid-2022). Employing a Bourdieu-influenced methodology, our proposal aims to reconcile Post-Development theories with International Relations research. This innovative and multidimensional approach illuminates both discursive continuities within Global North while concurrently providing a framework that allows to identify and interpret internal political divergences. Our findings highlight a shared commitment to a liberal conception of peacebuilding, alongside internal distinction strategies employed to legitimize respective policies towards Colombia.

Revisiting the social deficit: Social rights and the liberal conception of the person in EU law

The article aims to add to the common narrative of the social deficit, outlining another hurdle to realizing social rights: the conception of the person underlying EU law and policy. The conception of the person is a socio-legal imaginary, an amalgam of held beliefs about human nature. It is manifest in the imagined legal subject which we legislate for, and it influences legislation and legal institutions. To do so, the article proceeds in three steps. A first part expands on the relevance of analysing the conception of the person or ‘the imagined EU legal subject’. A second part draws inspiration from Martha Nussbaum's political philosophy, and in particular her understanding of vulnerability and care-dependence relationships, to present an alternative conception of the person. A third part submits that it is precisely the failure to consider the centrality of care and dependency in human life, highlighted by Nussbaum and many other feminist scholars, which frustrates the realization of social rights in the EU.

“A New Kind of Death”: Rape, Sex, and Pornography as Violence in Andrea Dworkin’s Thought

After #MeToo, academics have become increasingly focused on the liberal concept of consent. Either problematized as a means of distinguishing between sex and rape, or vaunted as a tool for having better sex, consent remains central to discussions of sexual violence. Returning to Andrea Dworkin’s thought, this article argues that contemporary feminists must move beyond consent and recenter the problem of violence to theorize rape. Dworkin, alongside Catharine MacKinnon and Carole Pateman, critiques consent for disguising the violence of rape, sex, and pornography. By defining violence as a process of objectification, Dworkin exposes rape, pornography, and most controversially, consensual heterosexual intercourse as “a new kind of death.” She, in turn, calls for the feminist exercise of violence as a tactic of disclosure that promises to make visible patriarchal violence hidden by consent and sexualization. Moving beyond consent to recenter the problem of violence, I conclude, opens up new avenues for feminist action and brings into view the seemingly unthinkable possibility of a world without rape.