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This book contends that the impasse of the Left today is in part, a result of an anarchist 'common sense' among activists. The author argues that the vital dynamics of anarchism and social movements need to be combined with a reappraisal of the Communist party and state. While cynicism towards capitalism and existing political institutions is plentiful, this book argues that the Left appears mired in a reactive politics of resistance, unable to formulate programmes for substantive social change. Drawing insights from the history of the Left, political economy, contemporary critical theory and an in-depth study of Occupy, the author provides concrete suggestions as to how the Left might 'claim the twenty-first century' and realise a more equitable social order. Social Movements and Democracy in the 21st Century challenges activists and scholars to rethink social movements and political organisation, and to actively work towards enduring social change. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of social movement studies, Left theory, critical theory, political sociology and Marxism, as well as anyone with an interest in 'political change'.

Acknowledgments -- Contents -- List of Tables -- 1: Introduction: Confronting the Crisis of Democracy -- The Crisis of Democracy and the Rise of Neoliberalism -- Chapter Content -- Note -- Part I: Situating Contestation -- 2: The Arc of Contention -- From the French Revolution to the First International -- The Paris Commune -- From the Second International to the Exhaustion of the Old Left -- New Social Movements and the New Left -- Contesting Neoliberalism -- Summary -- Note -- 3: Rethinking Social Movements -- North American Social Movement Studies -- European New Social Movement Studies -- The Activist Perspective -- Marxism and the Study of Social Movements -- Summary -- Notes -- 4: The Dynamics of Capital -- Capital's Key Dynamics -- From Keynesianism to the Financial Crisis of 2008 -- Summary -- Note -- 5: Reconceptualising Political Strategy -- Destabilising Marxism -- Multiplicity and Effective Political Action -- Populism and Antagonism -- On the Subjective Dimension of Revolt -- Exodus -- Summary -- Notes -- Part II: Contesting the Twenty-First Century: An Analysis of Occupy -- 6: Occupy, Democracy, and Enduring Change -- Methods -- Occupy's Economic Critique-The Economic Crisis Is also a Crisis of Democracy -- The Quest for Democracy -- General Assemblies -- Horizontalism -- To Make Demands? -- The Problem of Endurance -- Summary -- Notes -- 7: The Subject of Change -- Conceptualising Class -- Occupy and Class -- Tensions in the 99 Percent -- Summary -- Notes -- 8: Locating Effective Resistance -- Cyber-Optimism -- Cyber-Scepticism -- Occupy-Analogue or Digital? -- Occupy's Spatial Dimension -- Summary -- Notes -- Part III: Claiming the Twenty-First Century -- 9: Reconceptualising Effective Action -- Recovering the State -- Movements and Parties -- Moving Beyond Our "1848 Moment"-Communism and the Communist Party -- Summary -- Notes

"How does one achieve a sense of freedom and meaning in a confusing, over-bureaucratized, and unequal world? Scott McNall offers the compelling case that we do so by taking a stand to protect our identities and values, and by taking further steps to create a sense of community with like-minded people. Modern social movements have sprung up on the right and left, to provide this sense of community, to seek explanation's for why things are the way they are, and to discover what might be done in response. At this critical juncture in American society when divisions over race, class, gender, and government influence persist, movements allow their members to feel they are not trapped by their conditions. Cultures of Defiance and Resistance is an eye-opening account of the 'Antis' - those who stand in opposition to received wisdom and power, who resist the science of climate change, who reject vaccination's, who want to ban GMOs, and those who have resisted what they see as political or cultural oppression, such as Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party. McNall masterfully explores the goals, narratives, and rhetoric used by groups on the left, right, and center to understand and cope with 21st century America in a time of mass discord, uncertainty, and hostility. In doing so, he reframes social movements for a new era in one of the first cross-comparative books reflecting the entire political spectrum."--Provided by publisher.

1. Introduction -- 2. Radical democracy in the Marxist tradition -- 3. Hegel as revolutionary: reconsidering Marxism's philosophical heritage -- 4. New forces of resistance: anti-essentialist revolutionary subjectivity in Marxist theory -- 5. Beyond the politics of difference: foundations of a critical Marxism for the 21st century.

"Cultures of Defiance and Resistance is an eye-opening account of the 'Antis' - those who stand in opposition to received wisdom and power, who resist the science of climate change, who reject vaccinations, who want to ban GMOs, and those who have resisted what they see as political or cultural oppression, such as Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party" --

This year is the 50th anniversary of two monumental pieces of legislation: the Wilderness Act and the Civil Rights Act. Though these two laws exist within different arenas of public affairs, both have had significant effects on American society. The Wilderness Act was signed into law in 1964 with almost unanimous support, at a time when American society overwhelmingly supported its passage. Since 1964, wilderness has been criticized as an elitist ideal representing a small interest group in the United States. As our country becomes increasingly diverse, and public lands protection loses popular support, making wilderness more relevant to minority populations is vital. This project examines the social constructs of wilderness in the United States in response to a changing demographic on our public lands. In this project, I aim to 1) evaluate current recreation trends of African Americans in the United States, 2) discuss criticisms of wilderness and how a focus on the social foundations of the wilderness movement can help to ameliorate those criticisms, and 3) propose changes to future wilderness education in order to increase relevance of the wilderness idea. Research for this project focused on recreation trends, history of the wilderness movement, and modern wilderness criticisms and commentary. I collected interviews from nine individuals whose work involves the link between wilderness and society through management, education, outreach, and stewardship. Collectively, this project aims to suggest tools for wilderness education that will make wilderness, both in theory and in practice, accessible to a broader populace, hopefully increasing its relevance and assuring its existence into the future.

This year is the 50th anniversary of two monumental pieces of legislation: the Wilderness Act and the Civil Rights Act. Though these two laws exist within different arenas of public affairs, both have had significant effects on American society. The Wilderness Act was signed into law in 1964 with almost unanimous support, at a time when American society overwhelmingly supported its passage. Since 1964, wilderness has been criticized as an elitist ideal representing a small interest group in the United States. As our country becomes increasingly diverse, and public lands protection loses popular support, making wilderness more relevant to minority populations is vital. This project examines the social constructs of wilderness in the United States in response to a changing demographic on our public lands. In this project, I aim to 1) evaluate current recreation trends of African Americans in the United States, 2) discuss criticisms of wilderness and how a focus on the social foundations of the wilderness movement can help to ameliorate those criticisms, and 3) propose changes to future wilderness education in order to increase relevance of the wilderness idea. Research for this project focused on recreation trends, history of the wilderness movement, and modern wilderness criticisms and commentary. I collected interviews from nine individuals whose work involves the link between wilderness and society through management, education, outreach, and stewardship. Collectively, this project aims to suggest tools for wilderness education that will make wilderness, both in theory and in practice, accessible to a broader populace, hopefully increasing its relevance and assuring its existence into the future.

"In the post-Cold War era, US relations with the two Korean states - the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - have been undergoing profound changes, with critical and immediate repercussions for peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. This volume examines the key political, security and economic aspects of US-ROK and US-DPRK relations, focusing on the current status, salient issues and future prospects. Drs Kwak and Joo are distinguished professionals in the field and their volume constitutes a very interesting addition to the available literature."--Provided by publisher.

The book is dedicated to the challenges facing the Balkans at the beginning of the new decade of 21st century and examines both their development so far and emerging trends in the short and the long term. The book offers a serious academic analysis of the processes taking place in the region in the context of increasingly complicated international relations and transition from one crisis to another. The European integration and enlargement of NATO with their achievements and problems in the European Southeast are also taken into account. The monograph presents the leading trends in the development of each of the countries in the region in domestic and foreign policy, highlighting the main priorities in the field of economy, politics and security, as well as existing problems with potential for conflict and instability. Special attention is paid to the influence of external factors on the region. To this end, the monograph includes three chapters showing the place of the Balkan countries in the changing strategy and behavior of the EU, NATO and Russia.