A political turn in recognition theory?

Clayton Chin and Geoffrey Brahm Levey’s article on “Recognition as acknowledgement” offers a timely reconsideration of the theoretical category of recognition. They propose to understand multicultural recognition as acknowledgment. Their proposal offers both an alternative view regarding the object of recognition and the stance the agent of recognition is supposed to take to this object. Whereas classic recognition theory understood recognition as directed at cultures or cultural identities, towards which the state was supposed to take a positive evaluative stance, Chin and Levey follow Tariq Modood in focusing recognition on negative differences experienced by minorities. Chin and Levey furthermore understand acknowledgment as linked to symbolic inclusion of minorities as equal members. I argue that the focus on negative difference sits uneasily with the continued framing of recognition in terms of identities and that recognition as acknowledgment can be understood as a political turn in recognition theory.