Disabling Constraints on Democratic Participation: Challenges for a Political Theory of Care

Abstract

This article retraces disabling constraints that hinder inclusive political participation. It argues that despite democratic movements for inclusion, the boundaries of the body politic have remained impermeable to the needs, faculties, and experiences of newcomers to democratic participation. Three disabling constraints are identified that circumscribe the approved styles of and faculties for political participation, the expressions of care needs, and situated knowledge of differently situated groups within the polity. That way, political institutions are insulated from renegotiation. As a result, universal participation is obstructed. It is argued that the disabling constraints need to be transformed to make democracy barrier-free for all citizens. Drawing on a feminist ethic of care and Iris Young's account of inclusive political communication, uses of greeting, affirmative uses of rhetoric, narrative, and situated knowledge are considered as promising practices that can broaden political inclusion. To care about, for and with, differently situated citizens is outlined as a political prerequisite if everyone is to live in the polity as well as possible.

Keywords:

• inclusion
• political deliberation
• democracy
• ethic of care
• differently situated knowledge

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I borrow the term from Charles Wade Mills’ The Racial Contract ([1997] 1999, 18), where Mills speaks of an ‘epistemology of ignorance. ’