"In Conceptual Activism, Davina Cooper examines how activists do the prefigurative work of re-defining huge, seemingly intractable concepts-such as sex and gender-through law and politics. Cooper is especially interested in emancipatory projects that are waged through policy, focusing on the ways these projects transform social life and bring new social meanings and identities to life through what she calls "conceptual activism." Cooper explores the conceptual activism of public bodies-such as trade unions, community organizations, local government, and regulatory agencies-in the conflict over sex and gender, particularly in the context of the debates between trans feminists and so-called "gender critical" feminists that began in Britain in the 2010s. Drawing from the data gathered through a multi-year research project on "the future of legal gender," Cooper shows how conceptual activisms over sex and gender have come to bear on the domains of property, the economy, and even sports. More broadly, Cooper seeks to answer a growing need to make sense of concepts and their role in advancing social politics and change, emphasizing that concepts are not just abstract ideas but also have real material force"-- Provided by publisher.