Within many societies across the world, new social and political movements have sprung up that either challenge formal parliamentary structures of democracy and participation, or work within them and, in the process, fundamentally alter the ideological content of democratic potentials. At the same time, some parliamentary political parties have attracted a new type of ‘populist’ political rhetoric and support base.
This collection, along with its accompanying volume 2, examines the emergence of, and the connections between, these new types of left-wing democracy and participation. Through an array of examples from different countries, it explains why left-wing activism arises in new and innovative spaces in society and how this joins up with conventional left-wing politics, including parliamentary politics. It demonstrates how these new forms of politics can resonate with the real life experiences of ordinary people and thereby win support for left-wing agendas.
1. Introduction - Democracy and Participation: Liberal, Leftist and Socialist Perspectives - John M. Roberts Section 1: Political Culture and Public Spheres of the Left 2. Organizing ATTAC! Organization and Political Culture of ATTAC in Italy - Emanuele Achino, 3. Tekel Resistance in Turkey: The Making of the Proletarian Public Sphere - Gulden Ozcan, 4. Refuse, Resist, Revolt: Cognitive Capitalism and the Struggle for the General Intellect - Andre Pusey, Section 2: The State and Social Movements 5. Peasant Revolts and Political Change in St. Lucia: The Rise and Fall of Peasant Movements 1952/1957 and 1992/1997 - Tennyson S. D. Joseph, 6. The Return of the Left? Post-crisis Social Movements, Anti-austerity Activism and Social Policy in the UK - Gregory White 7. Social Movements, Media Activism and Parliamentary Organization: A Brief History of Podemos - Marcello Gisondi 8. Twenty-first Century British Anti-capitalism - Joseph Ibrahim Section 3: The State and Leftist Parliamentary Politics 9. Prejudice on the Doorstep: Labour Activists Talk Immigration - David Bates, 10. Reviving popular Sovereigntism: The French Radical Left and the Nation-state - Enrico Reuter, 11. The European Radical Left: Transformation and Political Change - Marco Damiani
Dr John Roberts is Divisional Lead, Sociology and Communications, Department of Social and Political Sciences, Brunel University, UK Dr Joseph Ibrahim, is Senior Lecturer in Sociology, School of Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, UK.
