| ID | 129484 |
| Title Proper | Governmentality, ontology, methodology |
| Other Title Information | re-thinking political agency in the global world |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Zanotti, Laura |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Some critical international relations scholars have adopted theories of governmentality both as a heuristic framework for exploring modalities and functions of power and as a descriptive tool to explore the oppressive effects of global liberalism. I argue that, as a descriptive tool, much governmentality literature remains rooted in the same substantialist ontology and epistemology as the liberal discourses it seeks to criticize. This ontological orientation especially has a bearing on conceptualizations of political agency, which remain confined to the liberal struggle of power and freedom. I suggest that reimagining political agency calls for a reorganization of the ontological and epistemological framework of international relations in non-substantialist ways. The analysis maps non-substantialist positions across disciplinary lines. By treating power and subjects as deeply imbricated, non-substantialist ontologies examine political engagements as processes of hybridization aimed at producing practical effects in specific contexts. |
| `In' analytical Note | Alternatives Vol.38, No.4; November 2013: p.288-304 |
| Journal Source | Alternatives Vol.38, No.4; November 2013: p.288-304 |
| Key Words | Governmentality ; Ontology ; Political Agency ; Relationality ; Substantialism ; Global World ; Global Liberalism ; International Relations - IR ; Epistemological Framework |