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Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism

Patrick Cockburn Orcid Logo

Contemporary Political Theory

Swansea University Author: Patrick Cockburn Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1057/s41296-024-00729-6

Abstract

The present article is a sympathetic critique of the most prominent contemporary articulations of family abolitionism. It examines whether queer communist family abolitionism is successful in linking an account of reasons for abolition, with an account of the means of abolition, and finally with an...

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Published in: Contemporary Political Theory
ISSN: 1470-8914 1476-9336
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67541
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spelling 2025-03-18T12:38:38.4478498 v2 67541 2024-09-03 Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism 4b22b62a5e40365079138682b01a19ed 0000-0001-5246-696X Patrick Cockburn Patrick Cockburn true false 2024-09-03 SOSS The present article is a sympathetic critique of the most prominent contemporary articulations of family abolitionism. It examines whether queer communist family abolitionism is successful in linking an account of reasons for abolition, with an account of the means of abolition, and finally with an account of the ends of abolition in the form of speculation on a possible world without families. Recent work by M.E. O’Brien has developed these connections in ways that have never been done so thoroughly before; but the rejection of states as an institutional form of political power leaves it unclear what forms of equality we could expect in such a world, and why coercive power would be unnecessary there. Family abolition is a utopian political agenda; but that utopianism needs to be constrained by a realist concern with issues of power, resources, and human capacities. This will require confronting trade-offs and imperfections within possible worlds without families. The recognition that there are many paths to a world without families, and many possible such worlds, is the first step towards aligning reasons, means, and ends and confronting the social and political trade-offs that this entails. Journal Article Contemporary Political Theory 0 Springer Science and Business Media LLC 1470-8914 1476-9336 Family abolition; States; Utopianism; Realism 21 10 2024 2024-10-21 10.1057/s41296-024-00729-6 COLLEGE NANME Social Sciences School COLLEGE CODE SOSS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-03-18T12:38:38.4478498 2024-09-03T09:20:46.9854880 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations Patrick Cockburn 0000-0001-5246-696X 1 67541__32750__f581d4670a90427f9a860f9a98d03c6c.pdf 67541.VoR.pdf 2024-10-28T14:10:37.6248927 Output 556267 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
spellingShingle Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
Patrick Cockburn
title_short Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
title_full Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
title_fullStr Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
title_full_unstemmed Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
title_sort Paths to a world without families: reasons, means, and ends in family abolitionism
author_id_str_mv 4b22b62a5e40365079138682b01a19ed
author_id_fullname_str_mv 4b22b62a5e40365079138682b01a19ed_***_Patrick Cockburn
author Patrick Cockburn
author2 Patrick Cockburn
format Journal article
container_title Contemporary Political Theory
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publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 1470-8914
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doi_str_mv 10.1057/s41296-024-00729-6
publisher Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Social Sciences - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations
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description The present article is a sympathetic critique of the most prominent contemporary articulations of family abolitionism. It examines whether queer communist family abolitionism is successful in linking an account of reasons for abolition, with an account of the means of abolition, and finally with an account of the ends of abolition in the form of speculation on a possible world without families. Recent work by M.E. O’Brien has developed these connections in ways that have never been done so thoroughly before; but the rejection of states as an institutional form of political power leaves it unclear what forms of equality we could expect in such a world, and why coercive power would be unnecessary there. Family abolition is a utopian political agenda; but that utopianism needs to be constrained by a realist concern with issues of power, resources, and human capacities. This will require confronting trade-offs and imperfections within possible worlds without families. The recognition that there are many paths to a world without families, and many possible such worlds, is the first step towards aligning reasons, means, and ends and confronting the social and political trade-offs that this entails.
published_date 2024-10-21T08:18:01Z
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