Affective Equality as a Key Issue of Justice : A Comment on Fraser’s 3-Dimensional Framework

The relational realities of nurturing constitute a discrete site of social practice within and through which inequalities are created. The affective worlds of love, care and solidarity are therefore sites of political import that need to be examined in their own right while recognizing their inter-relatedness with economic, political and cultural systems in the generation of injustice. Drawing on extensive sociological research undertaken on care work, paid work and on education in a range of different studies, this paper argues that Fraser’s three-dimensional framework for analyzing injustice needs to expanded to include a fourth, relational dimension.The affective relations within which caring is grounded constitute a discrete field of social action within and through which inequalities and exploitations can occur. Social justice issues are not confined to questions of redistribution, recognition or representation therefore; they also involve discrete sites of relational practice that impact on parity of participation, a principle which Fraser identifies as key to determining what is socially just.Not applicableTS 01.07.13This has been entered here as a working paper, however, journal details are entered too so I am not sure if the item type should be changed