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Hvad får dit hjerte til at synge? Modrationaliteter og utopisk tænkning i neoliberale tider

Sommer, Sara Eline LU (2026) GNVK22 20261
Gender Studies
Abstract
This study examines the underexposed standpoints of young leftist women* and nonbinaries at a time when the public conversation tends to focus on young men’s political shift to the right. The study seeks to explore how this group embodies resistance and hope in neoliberal times, through conversations about activism, the future and social justice, by which I hope to help outline alternatives to right-wing futures. Through theoretical frameworks posed by Wendy Brown, José Esteban Muñoz and Lisa Duggan, Ida Danewid and Sara Ahmed, I lay out a thematic analysis of six interviews with young leftist women* and nonbinary senior
high schoolers. The analysis is centered on the themes activism and resistance, hope and hopelessness, capitalism- and... (More)
This study examines the underexposed standpoints of young leftist women* and nonbinaries at a time when the public conversation tends to focus on young men’s political shift to the right. The study seeks to explore how this group embodies resistance and hope in neoliberal times, through conversations about activism, the future and social justice, by which I hope to help outline alternatives to right-wing futures. Through theoretical frameworks posed by Wendy Brown, José Esteban Muñoz and Lisa Duggan, Ida Danewid and Sara Ahmed, I lay out a thematic analysis of six interviews with young leftist women* and nonbinary senior
high schoolers. The analysis is centered on the themes activism and resistance, hope and hopelessness, capitalism- and work criticism and utopias. Through a standpoint epistemological approach, I elucidate the informants’ marginalised political perspectives as young leftists, focusing on the counterrationalities expressed faced with neoliberal logics. I explore how hope and hopelessness exist in dialectical relation and how negative feelings can be redeployed as something productive through activism. Finally, I conclude that utopia is
understood as a tool rather than a destination, and I argue that despite being shaped by neoliberal discourse, the students are able to think in concrete utopias through the alternative systems of value that they propose. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sommer, Sara Eline LU
supervisor
organization
course
GNVK22 20261
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
neoliberalism, hope, futures, utopia, women and gender minorities, feminist critique, political polarisation
language
Danish
id
9237823
date added to LUP
2026-06-18 14:23:16
date last changed
2026-06-18 14:23:16
@misc{9237823,
  abstract     = {{This study examines the underexposed standpoints of young leftist women* and nonbinaries at a time when the public conversation tends to focus on young men’s political shift to the right. The study seeks to explore how this group embodies resistance and hope in neoliberal times, through conversations about activism, the future and social justice, by which I hope to help outline alternatives to right-wing futures. Through theoretical frameworks posed by Wendy Brown, José Esteban Muñoz and Lisa Duggan, Ida Danewid and Sara Ahmed, I lay out a thematic analysis of six interviews with young leftist women* and nonbinary senior
high schoolers. The analysis is centered on the themes activism and resistance, hope and hopelessness, capitalism- and work criticism and utopias. Through a standpoint epistemological approach, I elucidate the informants’ marginalised political perspectives as young leftists, focusing on the counterrationalities expressed faced with neoliberal logics. I explore how hope and hopelessness exist in dialectical relation and how negative feelings can be redeployed as something productive through activism. Finally, I conclude that utopia is
understood as a tool rather than a destination, and I argue that despite being shaped by neoliberal discourse, the students are able to think in concrete utopias through the alternative systems of value that they propose.}},
  author       = {{Sommer, Sara Eline}},
  language     = {{dan}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Hvad får dit hjerte til at synge? Modrationaliteter og utopisk tænkning i neoliberale tider}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}