‘Sorry, You're Not A Winner’: considering critical relativism, competing interests and lateral power struggle in ethical critique

Abstract

Critical discourse studies do not often consider lateral power struggles between social groups with competing and intersecting interests, ideas and identities. As such, there is often little to no consideration of potentially detrimental outcomes or unintended consequences when proposing radical and transformative change. This paper therefore argues for critical relativism in CDS, considering intersecting power structures and struggles between potentially competing social groups. In illustration, this paper takes the case of ongoing antagonism over the socio-legal recognition of transgender identities in the West. Transgender identities are arguably more hotly debated at present than any other in relation to their socio-legal recognition and its perceived implications on other social groups. This paper therefore discusses how the interests of transgender socio-legal gender recognition intersect and compete with the interests of other social groups, whether in reality or only in perception. In so doing, this paper contends that the transformative impetus of CDS must account for the mechanisms and outcomes of lateral struggle. In a world of ever-increasing awareness of the interconnected systems of dominance and resistance, embedding critical relativism in CDS is imperative if it is to evolve and maintain relevance as an approach to meaningfully analysing discourse and championing social change.

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