Crossing Borders: Building Radical Economic Subjectivities along the USA/Mexico Border from Sites of Privilege

Abstract

Research examining radical economic subjectivity processes involved in creating alternative economies remains extremely scarce. We address this lacuna by employing qualitative techniques including semi-structured interviews and participant observation to examine advocates who work to provide economic alternatives to economically dislocated communities along the USA/Mexico border. Theoretically we use a poststructural feminist perspective to illuminate the contradictions and complexities involved in how these advocates negotiate and often work against their interests arising from class, race, and geopolitical privileges. Contributions of this study include demonstrating the utility of a poststructural feminist approach to global political economic issues that extend beyond a focus upon gender. This theoretical approach provides insights into the complex relations radical economic subjects have to the state; the importance of critical self-reflection in building solidarity across different social locations; and the complexities related to language barriers and representation of the subaltern.