The politics of our selves : power, autonomy, and gender in contemporary critical theory / Amy Allen.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Some theorists understand the self as constituted by power relations, while others insist upon the self's autonomous capacities for critical reflection and deliberate self-transformation. All too often, these understandings of the self are assumed to be incompatible. Amy Allen, however, argues that the capacity for autonomy is rooted in the very power relations that constitute the self. Her theoretical framework illuminates both aspects of what she calls, following Foucault, the "politics of our selves." It analyzes power in all its depth and complexity, including the complicated phenomenon of subjection, without giving up on the ideal of autonomy. Drawing on original and critical readings of a diverse group of theorists, Allen shows how the self can be both constituted by power and capable of an autonomous self-constitution.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Allen (Dartmouth) attempts to forge a critical social theory that can respond to gender, race, and sexual oppressions by recognizing the deeply embedded social conditions of power that create subjects while also promising hope for liberation from these conditions. Allen frames her project in terms of the Foucault-Habermas debate and the feminist counterpart of that debate between Butler and Benhabib. The difference between these two positions stems from the tension between subjection and power on the one hand and autonomy and the validity of moral claims on the other. Allen tries to break middle ground between these extremities in order to show that even though deep asymmetrical power relationships do affect the creation of oneself, one can still envision modes of autonomy, recognition of others, and self-creation. This admirable book provides incredibly clear and lucid readings of texts that students find notoriously difficult. In the conclusion, Allen touches upon promising solutions for liberation in the face of subjection, particularly in the area of gender identification; however, these suggestions remain undeveloped. Appropriate for use in courses in philosophy, social and political theory, and women's studies/gender studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. J.L. Eagen CSU East Bay