Publication details
Culture wars over family matters: the three grammars of commonality in the plural and their interplay in the disputes over the Slovak „anti-liberal“ referendum
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Based on an analysis of the recent Slovak referendum concerned with issues of “traditional family”, this paper explores the possibilities of finding common ground in public disputes involving disparate systems of moral evaluation. The February 2015 referendum, initiated by an alliance of conservative civic organizations with the intention to conserve the legal privileges currently enjoyed by the traditional heterosexual family model, gave rise to discussions rich in moral claims and resulted in a massive polarization of the Slovak society. Using the theoretical framework of pragmatic sociology (Thévenot), we examine how the different grammars of commonality in the plural and forms of engagement interplay in the heated public debates over conflicting notions of family and over the role the state in its regulation. Following closely the argumentation of the proponents as well as the opponents of the referendum, we examine how beliefs about intimate family life were translated into publicly justifiable claims aiming towards common good. The pragmatic perspective helps us shed light on the ways emotionally invested non-civil discourses enter the public domain and gain legitimacy. Drawing on the Slovak case, the paper elaborates on the mechanisms used by populist political agents to exploit democratic processes and on the counter-strategies available for a defense of inclusive concepts of civil rights and freedoms. |