Topic
Floating signifier
About: Floating signifier is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 297 publications have been published within this topic receiving 6381 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
Book•
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1 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a critical reading of the existing literature on populism, demonstrating its dependency on the basic categories elaborated by theorists of "mass psychology", from Taine and Le Bon to Tarde, McDougall and Freud.
Abstract: In this new and highly original work Ernesto Laclau continues the philosophical and political exploration initiated in Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, New Reflections on the Revolution of Our Time and Emancipation(s). his topic here is the construction of popular identities, conceived in a wide sense covering the ensemble of strategies making possible the emergence of the 'people' as a collective actor. The book skilfully combines theoretical analysis with a myriad of empirical references from numerous historical and geographical contexts. The first part presents a critical reading of the existing literature on populism, demonstrating its dependency on the basic categories elaborated by theorists of 'mass psychology', from Taine and Le Bon to Tarde, McDougall and Freud. The second part forms the main theoretical core of the work, where the question of the emergence of the 'people' as a political and social force is treated. Several categories already present in Laclau's work - such as empty and floating signifiers, hegemony and heterogeneity - are developed here in new and innovative directions. In particular, the relation of populism to democracy and to the logic of representation is given special emphasis. The third part is devoted to particular case studies of both the conditions leading to the emergence of the 'people' and the obstacles preventing its formation. Finally, in a concluding chapter, Laclau locates the question of popular identities within the context of a globalized world and differentiates his approach from those of other theoreticians such as Zizek, Hardt and Negri and Ranciere. This book is essential reading for all those interested in the question of political identities in present-day societies.
2,603 citations
TL;DR: Fake news has emerged as a global buzzword and prominent media outlets, such as The New York Times, CNN, and Buzzfeed News, have used the term to designate misleading information spread online as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: “Fake news” has emerged as a global buzzword. While prominent media outlets, such as The New York Times, CNN, and Buzzfeed News, have used the term to designate misleading information spread online...
303 citations
TL;DR: The authors analyse Mugabeism as a populist phenomenon propelled through articulatory practices and empty signifiers, and see it as a form of racial chauvinism and authoritarianism marked by antipathy towards norms of liberal governance and disdain for human rights and democracy.
Abstract: President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has emerged as one of the most controversial political figures since 2000, eliciting both admiration and condemnation. What is termed ‘Mugabeism’ is a summation of a constellation of political controversies, political behaviour, political ideas, utterances, rhetoric and actions that have crystallised around Mugabe's political life. It is a contested phenomenon with the nationalist aligned scholars understanding it as a pan-African redemptive ideology opposed to all forms of imperialism and colonialism and dedicated to a radical redistributive project predicated on redress of colonial injustices. A neoliberal-inspired perspective sees Mugabeism as a form of racial chauvinism and authoritarianism marked by antipathy towards norms of liberal governance and disdain for human rights and democracy. This article seeks to analyse Mugabeism as populist phenomenon propelled through articulatory practices and empty signifiers. As such it can be read at many levels: as a f...
181 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that new institutional fields are created by social movements engaging in hegemonic struggles and which develop social movement strategies, articulate discourses and construct nodal points.
Abstract: This paper explores how new institutional fields are established and extended. We argue that they are created by social movements engaging in hegemonic struggles and which develop social movement strategies, articulate discourses and construct nodal points. We examine how this process played out during the creation and development of the Slow Food movement. We argue that the positioning of Slow Food as a new field was based particularly on using multiple strategies, increasing the stock of floating signifiers, and abstracting the nodal points used. This mobilized new actors and enabled a more extensive collective identity which allowed the movement to progress, extend, and elevate the field of Slow Food. The field of Slow Food was transformed from appealing only to gastronomes to becoming a broader field that encompassed social justice activists and environmentalists. This study contributes to the existing literature on field formation, the role of social movements in this process, and political dynamics ...
178 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 24 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2018 | 26 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2016 | 29 |