

Aidan McGarry, "Political Voice: Protest, Democracy, and Marginalised Groups" (Oxford UP, 2024)
5 snips Feb 18, 2025
Aidan McGarry, a Professor of international politics at Loughborough University, shares profound insights into marginalized communities' struggle for political voice. He introduces an innovative framework of autonomy, representation, and constitution, illustrating it with case studies of LGBTIQ activists in India and Roma mobilization in Europe. McGarry highlights the vital role of protest in democratic processes and the complexities of identity within activism, emphasizing that silence can also serve as a powerful mode of expression in the fight for recognition.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Motivation for the Book
- Aidan McGarry's motivation for writing the book stemmed from a desire to better understand "voice" and agency, especially for marginalized groups.
- He found existing conceptualizations of voice lacking, often conflated with voting, and sought to explore its broader meaning.
Defining Political Voice
- McGarry positions "voice" as focused on agency, a rupture to the status quo, enabling marginalized groups to challenge and change their circumstances.
- Voice is dynamic and relational, realized through various actions, going beyond voting and impacting the relationship between representation and voice.
The ARC Triangle
- McGarry's "ARC triangle" framework (Autonomy, Representation, Constitution) helps understand political voice.
- Autonomy is the freedom to articulate, representation is visibility and presence, and constitution is the creation of a group's existence.