Description
A politics of refusal has increasingly been presented in global politics scholarship as a promising approach for addressing hegemonic colonial, patriarchal and capitalist systems. Rather than seeking to ameliorate, appease or resist these interlocking systems of oppression, the power of a politics of refusal lies in its complete rejection of the underlying logic of these systems. Yet, precisely because of its confronting stance, a politics of refusal can limit its appeal to those comfortable with radical politics. In this article I seek to challenge this perception, drawing on the work of Audra Simpson, bell hooks and Joan Tronto to develop a theory of care-full refusal, showing how conceptualising refusal as an act of care may broaden its appeal. Focusing on its generative and care-filled qualities, refusal thus becomes a mechanism through which traditionally disadvantaged groups can challenge and transform interlocking systems of oppression.
