Ungrievable Lives

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the resurgence of Black Lives Matter (BLM) following the death of George Floyd, brought into stark clarity what scholars and activists have long argued – that when it comes to matters of sickness, health, life and death, some lives matter more than others. In this original and much-needed exploration of attitudes towards (un)grievable lives, Spratt extends Judith Butler’s theory of grievability to examine contemporary debates about blame, risk, death and dying in the context of racial disparities in health and mortality. Drawing on contemporary examples – from immigration policy and prison reform to medical ethics, health behaviours, and the denial of citizenship – Spratt reveals how neoliberal systems and attitudes produce hierarchies of human value. In doing so, she argues that racist, sexist and classist ideas about risk and vulnerability shape whose lives are protected and whose deaths are mourned, rendering some losses publicly grievable while others pass with little recognition.