The Meaning of Consent: On the Uses of Sexual Consent in Contemporary Neoliberal and Securitized Societies
Abstract
This article examines the renewed centrality of consent in contemporary debates on sexuality, freedom, and violence, situating it within both the liberal political tradition and recent feminist struggles. Drawing on the Spanish context following the feminist mobilizations of 2018 and subsequent backlash, it explores how shifting public attitudes, particularly among young men, reflect broader social and political tensions. The article engages critically with internal feminist debates, especially those concerning identity, exclusion, and the fragmentation of collective struggle. It argues for a feminist approach that foregrounds solidarity, class and cross-movement alliances, positioning feminism as a transformative project aimed at reshaping society as a whole. Within this framework, the article interrogates the concept of consent, questioning how it can be mobilized against sexual violence without reproducing neoliberal assumptions. It highlights tensions between contractual individualism and the need for trust, collective responsibility, and more relational understandings of social and sexual life.
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