Introduction: Radicalism: Situating contemporary movement practices [Routledge Handbook of Radical Politics]
In: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Radical-Politics-1st-Edition/Kinna-Gordon/p/book/9781138665422
This book chapter is in closed access until 29 November 2020. ; This collection introduces readers to the politics, practices and ideas of contemporary radical activist movements. The objectives are to show how radicalism is understood by activists in contemporary movements, to describe the cultures of radical activist groups and to highlight the intersections of radical activism and contemporary political theory. We ask our authors to consider three issues: (i) what is radical about the politics under discussion (ii) what are the principle concerns of the movements involved with the politics (iii) how is the politics of this activism theorised and what, if any, influences are active in the movements under discussion? Individual chapters develop these themes by bringing activist experience to bear on theoretical analysis and provide novel insights into a diverse, innovative and dynamic contemporary movement which is shaping cutting-edge political theory. The introductory analysis situates contemporary left radicalism by providing a historical overview of the concept and explores the radicalism-populism nexus.