ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author argues that contemporary democratic theory gives insufficient attention to the important contributions dissenting citizens make to democratic life. Guided by the dissident practices of activist women, the author develops a more expansive conception of citizenship that recognizes dissent and an ethic of political courage as vital elements of democratic participation. The author then illustrates how this perspective on citizenship recasts and reclaims women's courageous dissidence by reconsidering the well-known story of Rosa Parks. He argues that the dissenting practices of these women point toward an expanded conception of democratic citizenship that incorporates dissent, recognizes courage as central to democratic action, and reclaims and revalues the courageous dissident practices of women activists. The author constructs an account of dissident citizenship that includes attention to political courage and that offers an approach for exploring the dissident practices of women. After briefly exploring a case study of women's activism, the author concludes with some reflections to democratic theorists.
