Representative Claim as a Theoretical Concept

Abstract

The re-energized study of representation under the umbrella of ‘representative turn' seeks to address some the current issues with formal representation by moving beyond the formalistic notion and shifting to representation as a constitutive process of claims-making. In the ‘representative claim' literature, representation is defined as a performative (and constitutive) process. Beyond this ‘thin' descriptive definition, there is very little conceptual clarity. We seek to highlight the normative implications of this descriptive definition and the adequacy of this model to cover the wide variety of actors and experiences of representative claims. This panel invites contributions focused on theoretical and conceptual discussions of representative claims.