Changing anarchism

272 Pages·2005·0.92 MB·English

Changing anarchism

Changing anarchism
Anarchist theory and practice in a global age
edited by Jonathan Purkis
and James Bowen
Manchester University Press
Manchester and New York
distributed exclusively in the USA by Palgrave
Copyright © Manchester University Press 2004
While copyright in the volume as a whole is vested in Manchester University Press, copyright in
individual chapters belongs to their respective authors, and no chapter may be reproduced wholly
or in part without the express permission in writing ofboth author and publisher.
Published byManchester University Press
Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9NR, UK
andRoom 400, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Distributed exclusively in the USA by
Palgrave, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York,
NY 10010, USA
Distributed exclusively in Canada by
UBC Press, University ofBritish Columbia, 2029 West Mall,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
ISBN 0 7190 6694 8 hardback
First published 2004
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Typeset in Sabon with Gill Sans display
by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Manchester
Printed in Great Britain
by CPI, Bath
Dedicated to the memory of John Moore, who died suddenly while this book
was in production. His lively, innovative and pioneering contributions to
anarchist theory and practice will be greatly missed.

Contents
List of contributors pageix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction: Why anarchism still matters James Bowen and
Jonathan Purkis 1
Part I Thinking 21
11 Anti-capitalism and poststructuralist anarchism Dave Morland 23
12 Towards an anarchist sociology Jonathan Purkis 39
13 Lived poetry: Stirner, anarchy, subjectivity and the art of living
John Moore 55
14 Technology is capital: Fifth Estate’s critique of the megamachine
Steve Millett 73
Part II Doing 99
15 Sexuality/identity/politics Jamie Heckert 101
16 Moving targets: rethinking anarchist strategies James Bowen 117
17 What did you do in the Drug War, Daddy? Colin Craig 129
18 In the eye of the beholder – child, mad or artist? Joanna Gore 145
viii Contents
Part III Being 159
19 The anarchist travelling circus: reflections on contemporary
anarchism, anti-capitalism and the international scene
Karen Goaman 163
10 Good news for Francisco Ferrer – how anarchist ideals in education
havesurvived around the world David Gribble 181
11 Enchantment and its uses: religion and spirituality in environmental
direct action Bronislaw Szerszynski and Emma Tomalin 199
Conclusion: how anarchism still matters Jonathan Purkis and
James Bowen 213
Glossary 230
Bibliography 239
Index 257
Contributors
James Bowenlives in West Yorkshire and works to promote literacy among chil-
dren ofall ages. His other interests include travel, speaking and learning foreign
languages, writing songs and short stories, reading, and playing guitar and
singing in radical folk-roots band Bar the Shouting. He is also a member of the
Lib ED radical education publishing collective.
Colin Craig is a former senior international consultant in the subject of illicit
drug use and the prevention of HIV transmission amongst injecting drug users.
He has worked in the former Soviet Union, the United States and Western Europe
on many different contracts relating to HIV prevention, research into drug
trends, drug-using prisoners, drug user advocacy projects and developing health
promotion amongst injecting drugs users. He is currently working on a history
of the development of the War on Drugs.
Karen Goaman has written a PhD thesis in anthropology at University College
London, on situationism and contemporary anarchism, and is a part-time lecturer
in communications and cultural history at London Metropolitan University. She
is interested in the strand of thought that opposes industrial civilisation and is
active on the fringes of London’s anti-capitalist milieu, including Rising Tide.
Joanna Goreteaches fine art at Middlesex University and is currently writing up
her PhD thesis ‘In the eye ofthe beholder: the role ofthe artist in the institutional
dialectics of control, resistance and liberation’. She also works as a freelance
artist/researcher in educational, health and community settings and tries to have
fun.
David Gribble worked at a variety of schools during his teaching career,
principally Dartington Hall School and Sands School (of which he was one of
the founders). Since his retirement in 1992 he has visited free or democratic
schools all round the world, written or edited several books and articles and
spoken in many different countries. He played an important role in the estab-
lishment of the International Democratic Education Conferences, which take
place each year in a different country.
x Contributors
Jamie Heckert is working towards a PhD in sociology at University of
Edinburgh, exploring the concept ofsexual orientation and how we can get over
it. He teaches sex education, writes for The Tartan Skirt, ScotsGayand Green
Pepper andenjoys yoga, swimming and reading science-fiction novels.
Steve Millettlives in York and works for a charity providing support and infor-
mation to lone parents. He recently received his PhD in contemporary anarchist-
communist political theory from the University of Central Lancashire.
John Moore(1957–2002) wrote extensively on contemporary anarchist theory in
publications such as Green Anarchist, Social Anarchism, Anarchist Studiesand
was the author ofseveral books, including Anarchy and ecstasyand Book of lev-
elling. Until his death, he was regarded as one of the most eclectic and innova-
tive anarchist thinkers around, and he did much to introduce a new generation
to writings by Fredy Perlman, Max Stirner, the Situationist International and
many other marginalised libertarian thinkers. He was also an entertaining and
highly regarded poet.
Dave Morlandteaches sociology and philosophy at the University of Teesside.
He has written widely on anarchism and has campaigned on issues such as the
poll tax, the miners’ strike, nuclear arms and anti-capitalism. He lives with his
partner and two children in north-east England, enjoys mountaineering and is a
long-suffering Sunderland AFC fan.
Jonathan Purkis teaches media and cultural studies at Liverpool John Moores
University. He has been active in various radical environmental, anticonsumerist
and anarchist groups and written a PhD thesis and various articles on these
movements. He is heavily involved with the journal Anarchist Studiesand plays
music with Huddersfield band Bar the Shouting.
Bronislaw Szerszynskiis Lecturer in Environment and Culture at the Institute for
Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy at Lancaster University, United
Kingdom. He has researched and published work on: risk, environment and new
technologies, citizenship and social movements, and religion and culture. He is
also a singer, guitarist and songwriter.
Emma Tomalinis a lecturer in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at
the University of Leeds and has pursued a research interest in the relationship
between religion and environmentalism, particularly in South Asia and Britain.
More recently she has begun to investigate issues concerning religion and inter-
national development, and links with gender and human rights concerns. She
also works as a freelance researcher for radio productions and as a consultant for
non-governmental organisations.