Race and the Politics of the Exception

Equality, Sovereignty, and American Democracy

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory, Government
Cover of the book Race and the Politics of the Exception by Utz McKnight, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Utz McKnight ISBN: 9781134069866
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 4, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Utz McKnight
ISBN: 9781134069866
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 4, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The traditional assumption today about race is that it is not political; that it has no political content and is a matter of individual beliefs and attitudes. In Race and the Politics of the Exception, Utz McKnight argues that race is in fact political and defines how it functions as a politics in the United States.

McKnight organizes his book into three sections, beginning with a theoretical section about racial politics in the United States. Using theorists such as Benjamin, Agamben, and Schmitt, McKnight discusses how the idea of racial communities went from being constituted through the idea of racial sovereignty and a politics of the exception that defined blacks as the internal enemy, to being constitutionally defined through the institutions of racial equal opportunity. In the second section, McKnight further develops his critical race theory by exploring in more detail the social use of race today. The election of President Obama has brought the politics of racial equality to a critical point. In spite of a very powerful set of political tools to define it as a thing of the past, race matters. In the final section, McKnight engages with important African American fiction from each of the three major periods of racial politics in the US. Earlier descriptions of political theory are used throughout these analyses to refine the argument for a new critical politics of race.

Scholars of political theory, identity politics, African American studies, and American Studies will find this work ground-breaking and relevant.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The traditional assumption today about race is that it is not political; that it has no political content and is a matter of individual beliefs and attitudes. In Race and the Politics of the Exception, Utz McKnight argues that race is in fact political and defines how it functions as a politics in the United States.

McKnight organizes his book into three sections, beginning with a theoretical section about racial politics in the United States. Using theorists such as Benjamin, Agamben, and Schmitt, McKnight discusses how the idea of racial communities went from being constituted through the idea of racial sovereignty and a politics of the exception that defined blacks as the internal enemy, to being constitutionally defined through the institutions of racial equal opportunity. In the second section, McKnight further develops his critical race theory by exploring in more detail the social use of race today. The election of President Obama has brought the politics of racial equality to a critical point. In spite of a very powerful set of political tools to define it as a thing of the past, race matters. In the final section, McKnight engages with important African American fiction from each of the three major periods of racial politics in the US. Earlier descriptions of political theory are used throughout these analyses to refine the argument for a new critical politics of race.

Scholars of political theory, identity politics, African American studies, and American Studies will find this work ground-breaking and relevant.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Changing Visions of East Asia, 1943-93 by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Poetry, Practical Theology and Reflective Practice by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Authority in Byzantium by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Spaces of Capital by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Dreamwork for Actors by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Forensic Toxicology by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Teaching English Grammar to Speakers of Other Languages by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book After Crime and Punishment by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Extraordinary Politics by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Environmental Efficiency, Innovation and Economic Performances by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book The Middle East in World Politics (Routledge Revivals) by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Public Relations and Communication Management by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book The Distorted World of Soviet-Type Economies (Routledge Revivals) by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book Interfirm Networks in the Japanese Electronics Industry by Utz McKnight
Cover of the book College Students' Sense of Belonging by Utz McKnight
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy