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Normative and Descriptive Meanings of Dissent
Normative and Descriptive Meanings of Dissent
The aim here is to highlight how we understood the term dissent, not only because the topic for our Interdisciplinary Research Seminar group work is Creativity in dissent and development, but also because there is a plethora of ways of conceptualising the term from the literature we reviewed. In literature, dissent is inter-alia often viewed as undermining solidarity (Seta, Seta & Donaldson 1991), as contributing to anxiety (Mullen, Johnson & Salas 1991), and as promoting a sense of individualism and competition (Brown & Paulus 1996). Dissent has also been defined in relation to group processes (Seta, Seta & Donaldson 1991), for instance on how it counters group thinking or threatens group performance, as well as at a macro-level, with regards to how the concept is used to challenge the state (see Benhabib 2007). Our understanding of dissent is informed by how the concept manifests itself, as used by artists, activist organisations and their networks in alternative cultural spaces. It is thus underpinned by how it manifests itself in the context of alternative spaces and margins that counter dominant discourses, exclusion, disconnection, inequality and power imbalances.
By dissent, we therefore mean not only to disagree with certain social, political, economic or other ways in which society is ordered in normatively to achieve development but, equally important, to articulate disagreement (see Larsen 2009, Ranciere 2004). Articulation of dissent thus requires creativity for it to register an impact and to be amplified such that it draws the attention of different actors in development, including the state and other political actors. The meaning of dissent therefore has political undertones given that articulation of disagreement in dissent inherently aims at drawing the attention of the state and other development and political actors to their obligations towards changing peoples’ lives (see Larsen). Dissenters are thus at times referred to as dissidents, radicals and rebels or in the extreme terrorists, all terms that have in common usage gained negative connotations and thus have the effect of eclipsing or problematising the value of dissent and the valuable contributions of dissenters to development and democracy (see Larsen 2009, Ranciere 2004). Our meaning of dissent revolves firstly around the descriptive form, that is to disagree, and secondly, the normative form, or the inherent positive contributions that articulation of disagreement makes in society.
With regards to the descriptive meaning of dissent, we are interested in the creative ways through which disagreement is articulated in society. We limit ourselves to understanding creativity in dissent and development through works of art.
These forms of art include poetry, drama, music and paintings. Our construction of the meaning of dissent is thus also informed by our understanding on how disagreements are translated into these forms of art and how they are later transferred to an audience, attracting reactions from development and political actors. The role of agency of the artists, the audience and the development actors, as well as the intra- and inter-dialogue that occurs among and between these actors also features in our understanding of dissent (see Benhabib 2007).
With regards to the normative meaning of dissent, we understand the term as a rallying political concept to counter injustices, repressive dominant discourses, exclusion, disconnection, inequality and power imbalances (see Benhabib 2007).
Our understanding of dissent in this manner directly links it to issues of minority populations and secondly to oppressive institutions. For us, dissent thus offers avenues for the minority groups and activists of minority issues to challenge oppressive institutions more often through alternative spaces or to mainstream platforms of citizen participation. We understand dissent as facilitative of participation, inclusion, capturing of issues and people at the margins, and at the same time as countering voicelessness, oppression and repression. Nevertheless, we are aware of lived challenges by people involved in dissent where the spaces and platforms of dissent are at times usurped and hijacked to further aggrandisement, as well as other issues that border on personal and political mileage or expedience of the ‘dissenters’ that they may foster further dispossession and marginalisation (Brown, Pulus1996).
In sum, our understanding of dissent is that it is a positive concept to foster understanding of minority issues and discourses, inclusion, integration, and equality in societies. It is also a rallying concept in challenging repressive and oppressive institutions. We are of the view that the role of agency and dialogue is central in determining whether dissent registers a positive contribution or not.
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