新作坊 Humanity Innovation and Social Practice

Agency, empowerment and culture

摘要：

In Gender and Justice in Multicultural Communities, Monique Deveaux argues for prioritizing democratic principles over liberal principles, because in so doing we will be better able to resolve the struggles between gender equality and cultural traditionalism that concern liberal political theorists.1 It is a mistake and an insult to deny agency to those women who - perhaps surprisingly from a liberal perspective - appear to participate willingly in cultural practices that, in some sense, limit their autonomy. Just as Deveaux attaches the legitimacy of political decisions to the secured agency of those who participate in making them, Arneil argues that the empowerment of vulnerable minorities is essential to securing a just - and therefore legitimate - democratic political environment more generally.18 Conclusion All three of these books offer important insights into political theory and practice, at the domestic and global levels.