Power and politics

Michael Murray, Laurence Cox

On one analysis, power consists both of the big structural arrangements and institutions which
stand in the way of progressive social change - as well as the forms of popular power which
constitute both what needs to be organised in order to overcome these barriers and, often, the
largest definition of what positive social change might consist of. Politics is the process through
which both the structures and institutions are constructed and imposed and the processes through
which alternative possibilities are organised for, as well as what happens when these two encounter
each other.
The business of serious political thinking is to use an adequate understanding of how large-scale
power structures (as well as day-to-day politics work and how popular movements develop and
the choices they face, in order to make it possible not simply to put plasters on immediate
problems without ever confronting serious opposition, but also to make larger difference in the
longer-term.
This module is organised around a series of conversations over strategy which have been central to
social movement practice over the past two hundred years! conversations about what we should do,
how what we do now affects the direction our action and movements are going in, around what
works and around how we understand the barriers to making progress and how we overcome them.
"t uses particular events, movements and issues to highlight these different conversations and the
strategic debates which arise from them.
Through this course we will take part in these long-running debates over how power works, the
politics of alliance-building and progressive social change and our own pra#is as activists and
discuss together what kinds of strategic thinking can help us create a better society. The purpose of
the course is not to give a single $right$ answer but rather to engage more fully with this process of
movement strategising (or to start thinking about it.
%ach session will consist of a lecture combined either with discussion or an activity geared towards
helping you think about these strategic issues as live and practical problems, as they routinely are
for social movements. Tools we use in this course include music (to engage with how political
traditions turn history into myth and what happens when they do, drama and role-play (to engage
with political choice more fully as actors.
"f all of this does not sound like familiar territory, you will probably benefit from reading
something that can give you a basic introductory understanding of the area and some of the issues.
There are a wide range of possibilities, in the library and online, but some useful starting-points
are!
"an &ngus, Emergent publics: an essay on social movements and democracy
'inda (onnolly and )iamh *ourigan, Social movements and Ireland
+ames +asper, The art of moral protest
,teven 'ukes, Power
+ohn -arkoff, Waves of democracy
.alph -iliband, The state in capitalist society
(. /right -ills, The power elite
0incen1o .uggiero, Movements in the city
,idney Tarrow, Power in movement
(harles Tilly and 'esley /ood, Social movements 1!" # $%%"
/illie Thompson, The left in history
'inks from the course website at http!22ceesa-ma.blogspot.com
"nterface social movements 3ournal! www&interface'ournal&net
-aynooth eprints archive (staff research! http!22eprints.nuim.ie
-ar#ists "nternet &rchive! www&mar(ists&org
(ommission on &ctive (iti1enship! www&activeciti)enship&ie
"rish "ndymedia! www&indymedia&ie
4nderstanding power and social change - http:**www&powercube&net*
,ome further reading might include!
&lthusser, '. 5678. Essays on Ideology. 0erso ! 'ondon
&rnstein, ,. 5696. :& 'adder of (iti1en Participation; in +ournal of the &merican Planning
&ssociation, <=!8, >59->>8
bell hooks. >??<. Teaching community : a pedagogy of hope
@ookchin, -, Post#Scarcity +narchism or Toward an Ecological Society
(allinicos, &. 567=. Mar(ism and Philosophy. O#ford 4niversity Press! O#ford
,ilvia Aederici, ,aliban and the Witch
*ill (ollins, P. 5665. -lac. /eminist Thought. .outledge! 'ondon
*ughes, " et al (eds. >??B. Power to the People0 T&,(2 )ew "sland ! Cublin
'akey, D. Powerful Peacema.ing: + Strategy for a 1iving 2evolution (567B edition
-arcuse, *. 3ne 4imensional Man
,hor, ". 566>. Empowering Education. 4niversity of (hicago Press! (hicago
,klair, '. >??>. 5lobali)ation 6 ,apitalism 7 its +lternatives. O#ford 4niversity Press ! O#ford
,tarhawk, 5677. Truth or Care! %ncounters with power, authority and mystery
E but obviously these are 3ust a selection and everyone will find their own way through this topicF
"n particular a good scan around the relevant library shelves will dig up lots of interesting stuff in
this area, and much is available online.
Assignments
/or this module you complete one written assignment 8nominally around 9:;%% words but in
practice it all depends on what .ind of approach you are ta.ing<=: to be submitted via the
Sociology office in wee. 1% of term& >ou can choose one of three topics:
(1) 4iscuss any one strategic dilemma facing a movement you are familiar with 8whether
one of those discussed on the course or not=& -y dilemma we mean a situation where the
choices to be made are genuinely hard ones and there are strong reasons pulling in at
least two different directions& In your assignment you should consider the choices
available to different actors: and the interests and interpretations of the situation which
ma.e * made different groups or individuals respond differently& If it is a situation in the
past: assess the outcome and any lessons which can be learned for the future& >ou may
draw on academic literature: internal maga)ines: online debates: interviews with
participants and other sources which give you a direct insight into how people
interpret8ed= their situation and why& In any case you should relate the discussion to
themes and literature covered in the course& If the situation is a current one you might
also want to frame a proposal for a practical strategy that might be able to resolve the
dilemma&
(2) + paper about learning from other peoples struggles. /or this paper you might
choose one movement 8current or historical= or a small number of closely related
movements * campaigns which can be usefully compared 8e&g& ?S and @I civil rights
campaigns= to loo. at& >ou could use e(amples from lectures or reading lists: but you do
not have to do so& The ma'or Auestion is not Bwhat happened0C or Bwhy did it happen0C
though you may need to thin. about these for yourself& Instead it is more li.e Bwhat can
we ta.e from this e(perience that is useful for our own situation * movement * historical
conte(t *etc&0C Some element of comparative / historical reflection is obviously
important here: as well as isolating a particular aspect of the movement you are loo.ing
at which has resonances with your own situation& This assignment is very much about
Bpra(isC in that you are using this comparison to thin. about the potential for a current
situation to be different: and about the action and choices necessary to reali)e that
potential&
(3) Putting theory to wor.. This module argues that theorists have to be understood in the
conte(t of their own movements and the struggles of their day 6 but it loo.s at this past
history and the ideas arising from it because we are convinced that they still have insights
to offer contemporary movements 8or that contemporary authors have insights to offer
our own local situations=& In this assignment you are as.ed to ta.e one of the theorists
discussed on the course 8or another theorist: closely associated with movements= and loo.
critically at one of their ma'or ideas * sets of concepts: in terms of its usefulness or
otherwise in relation to your own practice&
Readings
Week 3: Democracy and the failed promise of popular power in Europe
Gevin @rownlow, /instanley (C0C in library
Peter @achrach and &ryeh @otwinick, Power and empowerment! a radical theory of participatory
democracy
'uciano (anfora, Cemocracy in %urope! history of an ideology
(hristopher *ill, The world turned upside down.
+ack 'ively, Cemocracy
+ohn -arkoff, /aves of democracy! social movements and political change
%.P. Thompson, introduction to The Ma.ing of the English Wor.ing ,lass. &vailable online via
http:**libcom&org*library*ma.ing#english#wor.ing#class#ep#thompson
.aymond /illiams, The long revolution.
Week : !he "aris #ommune and the $ision of working%class self%
go$ernment
Peter /atkins, 'a (ommune (C0C in library
-ichael @akunin, The Paris (ommune and the idea of the state, online via
http:**www&mar(ists&org*reference*archive*ba.unin*wor.s*1"1*paris#commune&htm
'aurence (o#, $%ppur si muove! thinking Hthe social movementH $, online at
http:**eprints&nuim&ie*9$*
&listair *orne, The fall of Paris! the siege and the (ommune 57B? - 57B5
.osa 'u#emburg, The mass strike, the political party and the trade unions, online via
http:**www&mar(ists&org*archive*lu(emburg*1D%!*mass#stri.e*inde(&htm
Garl -ar#, The civil war in /rance I online via
http:**www&mar(ists&org*archive*mar(*inde(&htm
.obert Tombs, The Paris (ommune 57B5
Week &: !he nationalist alliance and su'altern politics and resisting
empire( socialists and feminists 'etween a rock and a hard place
+ames Plunkett, ,trumpet city (book and C0C in library
'iam (ahill I The 'imerick ,oviet, online at http:**www&limeric.soviet&com*inde(&html
TD8 documentary ,JivKidL na hMireann, available on Noutube (subtitled in %nglish.
+ames (onnolly, 'abour in "rish history. &vailable online at
http:**www&mar(ists&org*archive*connolly*1D1%*lih*inde(&htm
Arancis (ostello, The "rish revolution and its aftermath
'aurence (o#, OPlebeian freethought and the politics of anticolonial solidarityP, available at
http:**eprints&nuim&ie*$$%%*1*1,#PlebeianEfreethought&pdf
+ohn )ewsinger, .ebel city! 'arkin, (onnolly and the Cublin labour movement
,ean OH(asey, The plough and the stars (play. &vailable online via
http:**www&ota&o(&ac&u.*headers*%1%!&(ml
Padraig Neates, 'ockout! Cublin 565<Q interview with PRdraig Neates (-P< format available at
http:**www&theirishstory&com*$%1%*%!*%*class#war#in#dublin#the#loc.out#of#1D1F*
Gieran &llen, Aianna ARil and "rish labour
(arol (oulter, The hidden tradition! feminism, women and nationalism in "reland
'aurence (o#, ODramsci in -ayoP. Online at http!22eprints.nuim.ie2>7762
@rian *anley and ,cott -illar, The lost revolution
Gumari +ayawardena, Aeminism and nationalism in the third world
-aria .amnath, Cecoloni1ing anarchism
+ohn .egan, The "rish counter-revolution, 56>5-<9
Week ): *ntonio +ramsci, cross%class alliances: the successes and
limitations of the European resistance to fascism
Dramsci films on https:**www&youtube&com*user*I5S5ramsciSociety*videos0viewG%
Dramsci, &ntonio 5667. ,elections from the Prison )otebooks. 'awrence S /ishart ! 'ondon (and
other collectionsQ look especially for The ,outhern Tuestion
&lastair Cavidson, &ntonio Dramsci! towards an intellectual biography
-ike Conaldson, $Dramsci, class and post--ar#ism$. "nternational Dramsci +ournal 5, online at
http!22www.uow.edu.au2arts2research2gramsci-3ournal2articles2-ikeConaldson-
articleUfirstUissue.pdf
,tuart *all, The hard road to renewal! Thatcherism and the crisis of the left
%uropean .esistance &rchive, online at http!22www.resistance-archive.org2
Philip (ooke, The "talian resistance
-ichael Deyer, .esistance against the third .eich
Tim Girk, Opposing fascism! community, authority and resistance in %urope (also available as
electronic book via 'ibrary website
%P Thompson, @eyond the (old /ar. &vailable online at
http:**legacy&wilsoncenter&org*va$*docs*-eyondEtheE,oldEWar&pdf
+ames /ilkinson, The intellectual resistance in %urope
Week -: 1.)/ % "rague, "aris and Derry: mo$ements against the post%
war order
-ay 5697 archive at http!22www.mar#ists.org2history2france2may-56972
(olin @arker, $(rises and turning points in revolutionary development! emotion, organisation and
strategy in ,olidarnosc$. "nterface <, online at http:**interface'ournal&nuim&ie*wordpress*wp#
content*uploads*$%1%*11*Interface#$#1#ppD#11#-ar.er&pdf.onald Araser, 5697! a student
generation in revolt
Derd-.ainer *orn, The spirit of H97! rebellion in western %urope and north &merica, 56=9 - 56B9
Deorge Gatsiaficas, The imagination of the )ew 'eft! a global analysis of 5697
4rsula 'e Duin, The dispossessed! an ambiguous utopia (novel
%amonn -c(ann, /ar and an "rish town
0i3ay Prashad, The darker nations! a people;s history of the Third /orld
@elinda .obnett, *ow longV *ow longV &frican-&merican women in the struggle for civil rights
Week /: 0ichel 1oucault, 2rish nurses and 0urder on the 3rient E4press:
the many faces of power
Aoucault, -. (5668 Power I %ssential /orks of Aoucault 56=8-5678, 0olume <. 'ondon ! Penguin
@ooks
Aoucault, -.567?. Power2 Gnowledge I ,elected "nterviews and other /ritings. Pantheon @ooks!
)ew Nork
Interface special issue 5(>! (ivil society vs social movements. http:**interface'ournal&nuim&ie*0
pG11$
Deorge Gatsiaficas, The subversion of politics! %uropean autonomous social movements and the
decoloni1ation of everyday life
Porter, ,am (5669. $(ontra-Aoucault! soldiers, nurses and power$. ,ociology <? 2 5! =6 - B7
.hodes, .. 5669. :The )ew Dovernance ! Doverning without Dovernment; in Political ,tudies, 88,
9=>-99B
.amor .yan, (landestines! the pirate 3ournals of an "rish e#ile
+ames ,cott, Comination and the arts of resistance! hidden transcripts
Week .: !he roots and decline of 2rish partnership: from 1.-5s
struggles to class war from a'o$e
*al Craper, OThe two souls of socialismP, online at
www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1966/twosouls/index.htm
Gieran &llen, >???. The (eltic Tiger! The -yth of ,ocial Partnership in "reland.
'aurence (o# (>?5? $&nother world is under constructionV ,ocial movement responses to
inequality and crisis$. Online via http://www.irishleftreview.org/2010/0/1!/world"
construction"social"movement"responses"ine#ualit$"crisis/
-argaret Dillan, O(lass and voice! challenges for grassroots community activists using media in
>5st century "relandP at http:**interface'ournal&nuim&ie*wordpress*wp#
content*uploads*$%1%*1$*Interface#$#$#pp&1$!#19"#5illan&pdf
-eade, .. (>??= :/e hate it here, please let us stayF "rish social partnership and the
community2voluntary sector;s conflicted e#periences of recognition; in (ritical ,ocial Policy, 0ol.
>= (< ! <86-<B<
-urphy, -. (>??> :,ocial partnership I is it :the only game in town;V in (ommunity Cevelopment
+ournal, 0ol. <B, )o. 5 ! 7?-6?
O; @roin, C and Girby, P. (eds Power, Cissent and Cemocracy I (ivil ,ociety and The ,tate in
"reland.
-ichael Punch, $(ontested urban environments! perspectives on the place and meaning of
community action in central Cublin$. "nterface >! online at
http://interface%ournal.nuim.ie/wordpress/wp"content/uploads/2010/11/&nterface"
1"2"pp'("10!")unch.pdf
&nthony Diddens, The Third /ay.
")("T% 2 /omen of (olor &gainst 0iolence, The revolution will not be funded
'ondon-%dinburgh /eekend .eturn Droup, "n and against the state. &vailable online via
http:**libcom&org*library*against#state#1DD
)ancy )aples, Drassroots warriors! activist mothering, community work and the war on poverty
Arances Piven and .ichard (loward, Poor peopleHs movements! why they succeed, how they fail
Week 15: "rocess and outcome ( means and ends in contemporary social
mo$ements
Hapatista documentary C0C (in library
(olin @arker et al., ,ocial movements and leadership
%pstein, @arbara Political protest and cultural revolution! nonviolent direct action in the 56B?s and
567?s.
(ristina Alesher Aominaya (>??B. H&utonomous -ovement and the "nstitutional 'eft! Two
&pproaches in Tension in -adridHs &nti-globali1ation )etworkH. H ,outh %uropean ,ociety S
Politics, vol 5>, no. <, pp. <<=-<=7.
+ohn *olloway, (hange the /orld /ithout Taking Power! the meaning of revolution today.
&vailable online at http:**libcom&org*library*change#world#without#ta.ing#power#'ohn#
holloway
&lberto -elucci, )omads of the present
+o Areeman, The Tyranny of ,tructurelessness, online via
http:**flag&blac.ened&net*revolt*histEte(ts*structurelessness&html and +une 'evine, The Tyranny
of tyranny, online via http:**libcom&org*library*tyranny#of#tyranny#cathy#levine
4ri Dordon, &narchy &liveF &nti-authoritarian politics from practice to theory
Arancesca Polletta, Areedom is an endless meeting! democracy in &merican social movements
*ilary /ainwright, .eclaim the state! e#periments in popular democracy
Noung, ". -. (>??5 :&ctivist (hallenges to Celiberative Cemocracy; in Political Theory, 0ol. >6, )o.
= ! 9B?-96?
.aWl Xibechi, 4ispersing power: social movements as anti#state forces
Week 11: !he anti%capitalist 6mo$ement of mo$ements7 and
understanding the stalemate
.obert &llen, )o global! people of "reland versus the multinationals
Diovanni &rrighi et al., &nti-systemic movements. Online at
http!22www.struggle.ws2me#ico2e1lnco.html
Draeme (hesters et al., /e are everywhere! the irresistible rise of global anticapitalism, available
online at www.weareeverywhere.org
'aurence (o#, ODlobalisation from belowPV (>??5 http:**eprints&nuim&ie*1;F%*
)aomi Glein, The take (C0C in library
@ig )oise Ailms, This is what democracy looks like (available onlineQ C0C in library
,ubcomandante -arcos, Our word is our weapon! selected writings.
http:**www&struggle&ws*me(ico*e)lnco&html has many of these te#ts.
Tom -ertes (ed., & movement of movements! is another world really possibleV
-arina ,itrin, *ori1ontalism! voices of popular power in &rgentina
,klair, '. >??>. Dlobali1ation I (apitalism S its &lternatives. O#ford 4niversity Press ! O#ford
@oaventura de ,ousa ,antos, .ise of the global left! the /orld ,ocial Aorum and beyond
,tarhawk, /ebs of power! notes from the global uprising
Week 12: #onclusion: the politics and possi'ilities of anti%austerity
struggles
Dlobal 4prisings videos at http:**globaluprisings&wordpress&com*
(olin @arker et al., Mar(ism and social movements&
(ristina Alesher Aominaya and 'aurence (o#, ?nderstanding European movements: new social
movements: global 'ustice struggles: anti#austerity protest
@rian *anley and ,cott -illar, The lost revolution
"nterface 825! The season of revolution! the &rab ,pring and %uropean mobili1ations. Online at
http:**www&interface'ournal&net*$%1$*%;*interface#volume#9#issue#1#the#season#of#revolution#
the#arab#spring#and#european#mobili)ations*
Caniel ,inger, /hose millenniumV Theirs or oursV
Tidal issue <, online at
https:**docs&google&com*file*d*%-"."g;-bF-(dS$EyT4cw2%@2I%.*edit0pliG1
Turbulence 5! O/hat would it mean to winVP Online at http:**turbulence&org&u.*turbulence#1*
*ilary /ainwright, &rguments for a new left! answering the free-market right