Demarcating rights in divided social worlds

Abstract

This article outlines a framework for studying practices of boundary-making as pivotal to the various ways in which “rights” become objects of contention and sources of narrativization in contemporary constitutional democracies. Firstly, we reconsider the dynamics of boundary-making that underline polarization by drawing on the notion of “moral economy”. This concept is well-suited for making sense of how social groups draw lines of demarcation through the appropriation, circulation, and confrontation of values and emotions. However, we argue that the concept must be enriched by acknowledging the generative role of narratives. Hence, we introduce the notion of “narrative boundaries” for comprehending how moral economies are produced by storytelling practices. Based on this, we explore the paradoxical moral economy of constitutional struggles. While the discourse of rights pursues modes of inclusion, the struggles over their demarcation often result in narratives that build fences that reinforce the division between almost irreconcilable normative worlds.