15. Boundary Negotiation

Boundary Negotiation is the process by which Realms of Freedom expand or contract due to changes in laws and norms.

Naturally, we could expect Negotiations to be occurring constantly, at any given moment. Conversations with a friend can flip someone's opinion, experiencing an expression of art can add a new perspective, and so on. However, analysis of boundary changes should primarily be concerned with two outcomes: the scale (individual or societal) and the significance (how much expansion/contraction).

At the societal level, Negotiations impact the Dominant Realm. This happens through political debate and advocacy, social movements, scholarly contributions, and so on. When considering the full range of Realms in a society (particularly those that are far excluded from the Dominant Realm), it is important to note that the terms of acceptable debate are themselves limited: While there can sometimes be regulations to Capitalism, there must still be Capitalism. Oftentimes, these limits are maintained through unstated assumptions about the Realm Enforcers and their inability to change.

However... because all this nonsense we're talking about is socially constructed, it can also be socially changed! Woo yay hooray. Our concern is with who is involved in shaping the Dominant Realm, or more specifically, who is excluded from shaping the Dominant Realm. The Negotiations are not an equal playing field.

Okay tbh I need to clean up the Countercultures and Echocultures pages before I decide what else to add here...