Mandelbaum, MM (2016) State, Nation, Society: The Congruency Fantasy and the In/Security of the Body-National/Social. Critical Studies on Security. ISSN 2162-4909

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State NatioN Society The Congruency Fantasy and InSecurity of the Body National Social MANDELBAUM.pdf - Accepted Version
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Abstract

Taking cue from Foucault’s Society Must be Defended and drawing on the Lacanian concept of fantasy this paper puts forwards an analytic of in/security by focusing on the fantasy of congruency of state, nation and society. I argue that this ideal of congruency is fantasmatic, as it offers an impossible-possibility of congruency, fullness and security that can never be attained and that thus continuously strives to materialise itself whilst including its own failure, the obstacle. Insecurity is thus directly linked to the fantasy of congruency since every fantasmatic narrative about the promised fullness of the body national/social must entail an Other, standing in our way to achieve our promised congruency. To illustrate this analytic of in/security I interrogate two key discursive practices through which state, nation and society are rendered congruent and how this congruency is legitimated via, indeed entails, a myriad of in/security strategies.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Critical Studies on Security on 25 April 2016, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21624887.2016.1163921
Uncontrolled Keywords: congruency, fantasy, in/security, state, nationalism, homogenization
Subjects: J Political Science > JC Political theory
J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General)
J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Politics, Philosophy, International Relations and Environment
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 23 Mar 2016 09:39
Last Modified: 27 Apr 2016 11:38
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/1594

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