A provocative critique of how the concept of innocence functions in contemporary politics and society.
In this timely and bold book, Miriam Ticktin explores how a concept that consistently appears as a moral good actually ends up creating harm for so many. Claims to innocence protect migrant children, but often at the expense of their parents; claims to the innocence of the fetus work to punish women. Ticktin shows how innocence structures political relationships, focusing on individual victims and saviors, while foreclosing forms of collective responsibility. Ultimately, she wants to understand how the discourse around innocence functions, what gives it such power, and why we are so compelled by it, while showing that alternative political forms already exist. She examines this process across various domains, from migration, science, and environmentalism to racial and reproductive justice.
Throughout the book, Ticktin shows how the concept of innocence intimately shapes why, how, and for whom we should care and whose lives matter—and how this can have devastating consequences when only an exceptional few can qualify as innocent. A politics grounded on innocence justifies a world built on inequality, designating most people—especially the racialized poor—as unworthy, undeserving, and less than human. As an alternative, she explores the aesthetics and politics of “commoning”—a collective regime of living that refuses a liberal politics of individual identity and victimhood.
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Miriam Ticktin is professor of anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center and director of the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics. She is the author of Casualties of Care and the coeditor of In the Name of Humanity.
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. A provocative critique of how the concept of innocence functions in contemporary politics and society. In 2025, we are arguably more attentive to different kinds of harm than ever before in human history. Recognizing injustices of all kinds, especially historically overlooked ones, is an undeniable achievement. But as Miriam Ticktin reminds us in this timely and bold book, designating certain groups as "innocent," or otherwise in need, often comes with its own problems. In Against Innocence, Ticktin shows how innocence structures political relationships, designating some as victims and others as "saviors" who, conveniently, claim innocence themselves, absolving themselves of responsibility and foreclose the achievement of a more genuine, lasting form of justice. Ultimately, Ticktin wants to understand how the discourse around innocence functions, what gives it such power, and why we are so compelled by it. She examines this process across various domains, including migration, reproductive rights, racial justice, medicine, environmentalism, and more. Throughout the book, she shows how the concept of innocence intimately shapes why and how we should care, for whom, and whose lives matterand how this can have devastating consequences, when only an exceptional few can qualify as innocent. A politics grounded on innocence justifies a world built on inequality, designating most peopleespecially the racialized pooras unworthy, undeserving, and less than human. As an alternative, she explores the aesthetics and politics of "commoning"a collective regime of living that refuses a liberal politics of individual identity and victimhood. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780226838755
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Paperback. Condition: New. A provocative critique of how the concept of innocence functions in contemporary politics and society. In this timely and bold book, Miriam Ticktin explores how a concept that consistently appears as a moral good actually ends up creating harm for so many. Claims to innocence protect migrant children, but often at the expense of their parents; claims to the innocence of the fetus work to punish women. Ticktin shows how innocence structures political relationships, focusing on individual victims and saviors, while foreclosing forms of collective responsibility. Ultimately, she wants to understand how the discourse around innocence functions, what gives it such power, and why we are so compelled by it, while showing that alternative political forms already exist. She examines this process across various domains, from migration, science, and environmentalism to racial and reproductive justice. Throughout the book, Ticktin shows how the concept of innocence intimately shapes why, how, and for whom we should care and whose lives matter-and how this can have devastating consequences when only an exceptional few can qualify as innocent. A politics grounded on innocence justifies a world built on inequality, designating most people-especially the racialized poor-as unworthy, undeserving, and less than human. As an alternative, she explores the aesthetics and politics of "commoning"-a collective regime of living that refuses a liberal politics of individual identity and victimhood. Seller Inventory # LU-9780226838755
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