Affective inequalities : challenging (re)distributive, recognition and representational models of social justice

This paper examines the significance of care relations for the pursuit of equality
and social justice in society. It highlights the importance of affective equality for
producing a society governed by principles of deep egalitarianism and equality of
condition. This paper builds on research with my colleagues in Equality Studies
on the theory of equality (Baker, Lynch, Cantillon and Walsh, 2004, 2009) and on
the subject of affective equality in particular (Lynch, Baker and Lyons, 2009). It
begins by acknowledging the role of feminist scholars in opening up the affective
domain to research. It then briefly defines affective equality and inequality going
on to outline the core assumptions underpinning affective egalitarian thinking.
From there, it explores the neglect of affective relations in egalitarian theory and
outlines a new framework for egalitarian thinking, one that takes account of
affective relations and highlights their inter-relationship with other social systems.
This is followed by a discussion of the implications of relationality at the heart of
affective equality and a short comment on the links between affective relations,
ethics and politics. The paper concludes with some comments on why social scientific and political thought needs to change to take account of the affective
and the normative in social life.