Dr Rita Horanyi

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Margarita Nafpaktitis

University of California, Los Angeles

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Lancaster University

David Seamon

Kansas State University

Remo Caponi

University of Cologne

VITOR OLIVEIRA JORGE

Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto

Judith A. Miller

Emory University

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University of Michigan

André Duarte

Universidade Federal do Paraná

Manfred Malzahn

United Arab Emirates University

Niccolò Scaffai

University of Siena / Università di Siena

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Papers by Dr Rita Horanyi

Book Review: Political Theory: Dispossession: The Performative in the Political

Political Studies Review, 2015

Brennan et al. have sought to explain norms. They are not concerned with the question of whether ... more Brennan et al. have sought to explain norms. They are not concerned with the question of whether particular norms are ‘objectively valid’; rather, they investigate norms through their socio-normative and socioempirical elements – i.e. looking to the proscribing nature of empirically existing norms. The norms that are the subject of this book are thus in an important, anthropological sense ‘real’. Therefore, those in search of moral philosophy should look elsewhere. As a mixed group of philosophers and social scientists, the authors are serving up a fusion recipe. All four have interests in political theory, something made apparent in the many examples and in their account of norms as securing accountability. The book is only superficially about ‘philosophy of social science’: here you will find careful, analytic consideration of a social phenomenon – not epistemic navel-gazing. The book is presented in three sections. Part I is the authors’ attempt at defining norms. This is the most opinionated section of the book. The authors situate their account along two theoretical axes: between accounts that reduce the acceptance of norms to purely nonnormative elements and those which do not; and between accounts that claim that norm-acceptance means acceptance by a group of individuals and more holistic accounts. The authors note that views tend to be either ‘holistic and non-reductive’ or ‘individualistic and reductive’, and they attempt an individualistic and nonreductive account. Parts II and III are more interpretive. Part II looks at how norms develop, persist and change. Brennan et al. identify rational choice and ‘social meanings’ as two broadly contrasting types of explanation. Although that chapter does not really satisfy in terms of grappling with where norms come from, the rest of the stages of development are carefully systematised. The empirically minded among us ought not to expect too much by way of data, though. Part III explores how norms are manifested in the way people behave. The authors recognise that norms not only shape compliance, but also rebellion. Furthermore, norms affect (and partly constitute) how we think about the world. Brennan et al. state that they want Explaining Norms to function as a ‘source book’ and thus maintain an ‘insistently modular’ approach rather than forcing their opinions ‘down anyone’s throat’ (p. 10). In fact, most of Part I and parts of the rest of the book follow a familiarly polemical style. That being said, the typologies created in characterising opposing views are clean and useful. In any case, there is nothing wrong with being disputatious.

Dispossession: The Performative in the Political, Judith Butler and Athena Athanasiou

Horanyi, Rita. "Performance and performativity." The Routledge Handbook of Social and Cultural Theory. Ed. Anthony Elliott. London: Routledge, 2014.

Performance and performativity have emerged as key concepts in social and cultural theory. The re... more Performance and performativity have emerged as key concepts in social and cultural theory. The recent rise of the interdisciplinary field of performance studies has shifted our understanding of performance as mere entertainment to performance as ‘a way of creation and being’ (Madison and Hamera 2006: xii, original emphasis). As a result, the concept has expanded to encompass everyday action and interaction, as well as ritual and cultural events beyond the stage, influencing a wide range of academic fields. At the intersection of cultural studies, theatre studies, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, gender studies and psychology, studies of performance and performativity clearly grapple with questions about the complex interrelation between the individual, culture and society.

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