Beyond Identity Politics: Feminism, Power and Politics by Moya Lloyd
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lloyd’s book is an excellent book for those interested in feminism and post-structuralist theories of identity and politics. Lloyd is able to articulately and clearly convey post-structuralist feminist theories in ways that are accessible, even when the original author (e.g., Judith Butler) can be convoluted at times. Identity politics generally functions on the premise that identity precedes politics, but Lloyd sees politics/discourse as constituting the subject; thus, politics leads to identity. She also takes a postmodern stance on identity, understanding it as multiple/shifting/fluid — that is, as in process. Perhaps my favorite part of the book is her understanding of the essentialist/anti-essentialist debate, seeing it not as an either/or debate, but rather as an agonistic space where politics is contested. Ultimately, Lloyd is interested in a deep democracy with affiliations and coalitions of subjects (her examples are women of color and queer movements, both of which eschew universal understanding of an identity and are oppositional in make-up).
Again, great book, and if read carefully, can serve as an excellent introduction to post-structuralist feminism.
