Face Politics

230 Pages·2015·19.259 MB·English

by  Jenny Edkins

itics
The face is central to contemporary politics. In Deleuze and Guattari's work on
fàciality we find an assertion that the face is a particular politics, and dismantling
the face is also a politics.
This book explores the politics of such diverse issues as: images and faces in
photographs and portraits, expressive faces, psychology and neuroscience, face
recognition, face blindness and facial injury, disfigurement and face transplants
through questions such as:
What does it mean to dismantle the face, and what politics might this entail, in
practical terms?
What sort of a poli tics is it?
Is it already taking place?
Is it a politics that is to be desired, a better politics, a progressive politics?
The book opens up a vast field of fil1ther research that needs to be taken fonv-ard
to begin to address the politics of the face more fully, and to elaborate the alter
native forms of personhood and politics that dismantling the face opens to vievv.
The book will be agenda--setting for scholars located in the field of international
politics in particular, but those in cognate areas as well, who want to pursue the
implications of face politics for the crucial questions of subjectivity, sovereignty and
personhood.
Jenny Edkins is Profe ssor of International Politics at Aberystwyth University.
She is author of ivIissing: Persons and Polities (2011) and l7mlma and the 1\;IenlOry <1"
Polities (2003), and serves on the editorial boards of Security Dialogue, 11Itemational
Political Sociolo,~Y (IPS) , and l'VIelllor)' Studies.
Interventions
Edited by: Jenny Edkins, AberystwythUniversity
Nick Vaughan-Wîllianls, University ofW arwick
The series provides a forum for innovative and interdisciplinary work that engages
with alternative criticcù, post-structural, feminist, postcolonial, psychoancùytic and
cultural approaches to international relations and global politics. In our first five
years we have published 60 volumes.
We aim to advance understanding of the key areas in which scholars working
within broad critical post-structural traditions have chosen to make their inter
ventions, and to present innovative analyses of important topics. Titles in the series
engage with critical thinkers in philosophy, sociology, politics and other disciplines
and provide situated historical, empirical and textual studies in international
politics.
We are very happy to discuss your ideas at any stage of the project: just contact
us for advice or proposaI guidelines. ProposaIs should be submitted directly to the
Series Editors:
Jenny Edkins [email protected]) and
Nick Vaughan-Williams ([email protected]).
(As Jl,1ichcl Foucault hasjàlllously stated, '(kllowlec{(!,e is Ilot made for understandÎltil; it is
made jèJr CUttiI1J!'''. In this spirit the Edkills-Vczuc(!,han-r1lilliarns Interventions series
solicits cuttillg-e~ge) criticalworks that challenge mai1lStream ulldersta/zdillgs in interna
tional relations. It is the vest place to colltribute post-discl}Jlinary 11'orks that tltink mther
than I/lercl)' recog/lize a1/d qffirlll tlze lI'Orld recycled in IR 's tmdiliof/al c(!,copolitical
ima,(!,inary.'
Michael J. Shapiro, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, USA
Critical Theorists and War and Rape
International Relations Law, rnemory and justice
Edited by Jenny Edl<ins and Nicola Henry
Nick T/aughall-Williams
Madness in International
Ethics as Foreign Policy Relations
Britain, the EU and the other Psychology, security and the global
Dan Bulle)' governance of mentéù health
Alisoll Howell
Universality, Ethics and
International Relations Spatiality, Sovereignty and
A granunatical reading Carl Schmitt
Véronique Pin-Fat Geographies of the nornos
Edited by Stephen Legs;
The TÎlne of the City
Poli tics, philosophy, and genre Politics of Urbanism
1\1ichacl). Shapiro Seeing Iike a city
FVarren l\!Ia}Zllussoll
Governing Sustainable
Development Beyond Biopolitics
Partnership, protest and power Theor'y, violence and horror
at the world sunmùt in world politics
Carl Death François Dcbrix and
Alexander D. Barder
Insuring Security
Biopolitics, security and risk The Politics of Speed
Luis Lobo-Cucrrcro Capitalisrn, the state and war
in an accelerating worlel
Foucault and International SifllOll Clezos
Relations
New critical engagements Poli tics and the Art of
Edited by Nicholas j. Kiersey and Commemoration
Doug Stokes Mernorials to struggle in Latin
America and Spain
International Relations and Katherinc Hite
Non-Western Thought
Imperialism, colorù~ùisrn and Indian Foreign Policy
investigations of global rnoelernity The politics of postcolonial
Edited by Robbie Shilliam identity
Priya Chacko
Autobiographical International
Relations Politics of the Event
l, IR Tin1e, movement, becoming
Edited by Naccm Ilwyatullah Thm LUl1dbof}Z
Theorising Post-Confliet Cosmopolitan Government
Reconciliation in Europe
Agonism, restitution and repair Citizens and entrepreneurs in
Edited b)' Alexander Keller Hil'sch postnational politics
Oll!('/1 Parker
Europe's Encounter with Studies in the Trans-Disciplinary
Islalll Method
The secular and the postsecular After the aesthetic turn
Luca j\IIaue/li lvDchacl J Shapiro
Re-Thinking International Alternative Accountabilities
Relations Theory via in Global Polities
Deconstruction The scars of violence
Badl'edine Adi Brent J Steele
The New Violent Cartography Celebrity Humanitarianism
Geo-analysis after the aesthetic The ideology of global charity
turn Ilan Kàpoor
Edited by Sam Okoth Opondo
{/nd Michael J Shapiro Deconstructing International
Politics
Insuring War Michael Dillon
Sovereignty, security and risk
Lu is Lobo-Guerrero The Polities of Exile
Elizabeth Dauphillee
International Relations, Meaning
and Mimesis Democratie Futures
Necati Polat Revisioning democracy promotion
iV1iija Kurki
The Postcolonial Subject
Claiming politics/ governing others Postcolonial Theory
in late modernity A critical introduction
Viuielllle Jabri Edited b}' SC/nja)' Seth
Foucault and the Polities of More than Just War
Hearing Narratives of the just war
Lauri Siisiiiinm and military life
Charles A.Jolles
Volunteer Tourisnl in the
Global South Deleuze & Fascism
Giving back in neoliberal times Security: war: aesthetics
Vfi{znda Vrasti Edited b}' Brad Evans and Julian Reid
Ferninist International Relations Writing Global Trade
'Exql1isite corpse' Governance
l\ilarysia Zalewski Discourse and theWTO
lYlichael Stmn;Re
The Persistence of N ationalism
Fronl imagined conullmuties to urban Poli tics ofV iolence
enCOl1nters Militancy, international politics,
Anf!./lt1rad Closs Stephens killing in the name
Charlotte Heath-Kelly
Interpretive Approaches to Global
Clirnate Governance Ontology and World Poli tics
Reconstructing the greenhouse Void l1niversalism 1
uy
Edited Chris lvlethllWIl/l) De!I Rothe Sel:lZei Prozorou
and Belljal/lin Stephan
Theory of the Political
Postcolonial Encounters in Subject
International Relations Void Uluversalism II
The politics of transgression Sel~Rei Prozorou
in the Maghred
Alina Sajed Visual Politics and North Korea
Seeing is believing
Post-Tsunami Reconstruction Dauid Shim
in Indonesia
Negotiating normativity throl1gh Globalization, Difference
gender mainstreaming iIutiatives in and Human Security
uy
Aceh Edited 1\I1ustapha Kamal Pasha
II/1clljat1lla Jauhola
Imagining World Politics
Leo Strauss and the Invasion Sihar & Shenya, a fable for our times
of Iraq L.H.M. Lillg
Encol1ntering the abyss
AglZie Hirst International Politics and
Performance
Production of Postcolonial India Critical aesthetics and creative
and Pakistan practice
Meanings of partition Edited by Jeully Edkins and
Tcd SIJellSSOIl Adrian Kear
War, Identity and the Liberal MenlOry and TraUlna in
State International Relations
Everyday experiences of the Theories, cases, and debates
geopolitical in the armed forces Edited by Erica Resellde and
Victoria M. Basham D(wile Budryte
Critical Environmental Politics Poli tics in Emotion
Editee! by Carl Deat" The song ofTelangana
Himadeep A1uppidi
Democracy Promotion
A critical introduction Ruling the Margins
J~tr Bridou;\" and lvIilja Kurl.eÎ Colonial power and administrative
rule in the past and present
International Intervention Prel/l KU/Ilar R(~jam/Jl
in a Secular Age
Re-enchanting humanity? Race and Racism in International
Audra 1\1itchell Relations
Confionting the global colom' line
The Politics of Haunting Alexallder Allie/Jas, Nil/i lvlanclzallda
and Memory in International I1Ild Robbie Shillil1l/l
Relations
Jessica Auditer The Grammar of Politics and
Performance
European-East Asian Borders Edited by Slzirill 1\1, Rai andJi11Ielle Reinelt
in Translation
Edited by Joyce CH. Liu and War, Police and Assetnblages
Nick Vc!uglh7l1-TlVillimns of Intervention
Edited b)' Jan Bachl/1I11l, Colleen Bell
Genre and the (Post)Communist and Caroline Holmql/ist
Woman
Analyzing transformations of the Re-Imagining North Korea
Central and Eastern European in International Politics
female ideal Problems and alternatives
Edited b)' Florentina C Andreescu Slzine Clzoi
afld A1ichae/ Shapiro
On Schmitt and Space
Studying the Agency of Claudio i\1inw and Rory ROUJan
Being Governed
Edited by Stina Hallssofl, Scjle Hellberg, Face Polit ics
lVIaria Stern Jeull)' Edkills
v- \ ~-
1 1
jenny Edkins
Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
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2015 Jenny Edkins
of Jenny Edkins to be ideutified as the author of this work has been
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British Library Cotl1l0,~IIÎII,~ ill PlIhlicatioli Dota
A catalogue record for this book is available fi'om the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Edkins, Je nn)'.
Face politics / Jenny Edkins.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Face perception. 2. Face--Social aspects. 3. Politics, Practical. 4. Politics--Philosophy.
LTitle.
BF242.E36 2015
324.01'9--dc23
2014038016
ISBN: 978-0-415-67217-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-67218-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-71804-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Fish Books Ltd.
p'rinted in Great Britain by
Ashford Colom Press Ltd, Gosport, I-hnts.
If the jàce is a politics) disI'Jlantling the face is a/so a polities.
(Deleuze and Guattari, A TholfSL1nd Platcc7lfs, 188)