Conflict and resolution are the lifeblood of social movements. How, and with whom, do we find lasting friendship, support, and joy in a world in need of so much repair?
In On Activism, Friendships, and Fighting veteran organizer and social worker Benjamin Heim Shepard traces a pressing dynamic of social movements: friendship and conflict. The project builds on oral histories with more than thirty movement organizers-from AIDS, queer, trade union, community, Occupy, and harm reduction-based movements-reflecting on the lessons, meanings, and future directions of movements and collective organizing efforts. ""There is a hunger for radical history
to give credit to past struggles, to learn from our mistakes and to improve our strategies for the future,"" writes Lesley Wood. Oral histories trace the stories of these movements.
The book goes in depth into the reasons and ways the interviewees became involved in activism, the friendships they formed, and the conflicts they faced. This includes asking questions such as: where do friendships support or undermine these efforts? How can conflicts be resolved? And where do people find lasting support?
By:
Benjamin Heim Shepard
Imprint: Common Notions
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 228mm,
Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781945335167
ISBN 10: 1945335165
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 02 July 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Interviewees Preface Chapter One “Because it was he: because it was me”: Introductory Notes on Friendship, Conflict, and a History of Ideas Chapter Two Oral History and Social Movements: From Chicago to San Francisco Chapter Three Queering Friendship: Activism and Comradeship, Drag Memories and New Friends Chapter Four On Friendship and Problems Chapter Five “Where be these enemies?”: On Conflict Interlude: “Anarchy Is for Lovers”: Between Progress and Conflict Chapter Six On Safer Spaces Chapter Seven On Resolution and Dialogue Chapter Eight Working Through Chapter Nine Meaning Making Chapter Ten “A comrade becomes a comrade”: Reflections and Conclusions on Rebel Friendship
Benjamin H. Shepard, PhD, LMSW, works as Professor of Human Services at City Tech/CUNY. He has organized protests with ACT UP, SexPanic!, Reclaim the Streets, the Clandestine Rebel Clown Army, Absurd Response, CitiWide Harm Reduction, Housing Works, More Gardens Coalition, Time's UP!, Right of Way, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy the Pipeline, Resist AIM, Public Space Party, and the Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York, where he is a chapter chair at New York City College of Technology. Shepard has written and edited ten books, including recent titles Rebel Friendships: ""Outsider"" Networks and Social Movements (Sage, 2015); Sustainable Urbanism (Roman and Littlefield, 2017); Brooklyn Tides with Mark Noonan (Transcript, 2017); and Narrating Perspectives on Childhood and Adolescence (Columbia University Press, 2018).
Reviews for On Activism, Friendships, and Fighting: Oral Histories, Strategies and Conflicts
“Benjamin Shepard, who links personal narrative and movement analysis with uncommon felicity, uses his own experiences to significantly deepen his insights.” —Geoffrey Kurtz, Logos
