Constructive Resistance

Through a nuanced conceptualization of constructive resistance, Mona Lilja provides a sophisticated window into the relationship between everyday resistance, power, knowledge, repetition and the social construction of subjectivities. This is a highly original and important work from one of the foremost contemporary theorists of resistance studies.

-- Mark Haugaard, Professor in the School of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland, Galway

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Constructive Resistance provides a fresh, theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich analysis of forms of resistance that often remain unseen, but which should be central to our understanding of politics, power and being human. Expertly weaving together discussions around resistance, power, temporality, bodies and emotions, it is a ground-breaking study by one of the world’s leading resistance scholars at the very top of her intellectual powers. I am in no doubt that this book changes the way we understand resistance, while at the same time, it has a wider relevance and importance far beyond the field of resistance studies.

-- Richard Jackson, University of Otago, New Zealand

Lilja’s conceptualization proposes a distinctive and innovative characterization of those aspects of resistance that exceed opposition and create alternative discourses, ways of life, desires and bodies. Her concept of constructive resistance is an original and complex combination of theoretical reflections inspired by a series of case studies analyzed and discussed both at the level of practices and in terms of discourses…. Overall, Lilja’s book is a brilliant contribution to recent efforts in conceptualizing resistance beyond its oppositional stance…Constructive Resistance is a fundamental and much needed contribution to the emerging field of resistance studies, but it also promises to influence debates on power and resistance in philosophy and social sciences.

* Foucault Studies *

Mona Lilja's new book moves beyond the one-dimensional conceptualization of resistance in power terms, and argues that resistance produces alternatives for social and political transformation. This is a thorough and innovative exploration that demonstrates how constructive resistance is "performed, displayed, and repeated" (p. 2)…. The book makes an important contribution to the growing scholarship on conceptualizing resistance beyond power terms. Lilja blends innovative theoretical concepts with empirical evidence from different societies and various forms of resistance. As a result, the book is lucidly argued and contests established truths with alternative knowledge. The author's flexible conception of resistance allows societies to think of and practice new forms of defiance. Overall, this inspiring book should be widely read.

* International Affai