Although they are one of the most powerful military forces in Latin American history, little is known about the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP). This book explains why this political military movement came into existence and assesses whether the methods employed by the insurgency have the potential to free those marginalised in Colombia.
By evaluating the FARC-EP's actions, ideological construction, and their theoretical placement, the book gauges how this guerrilla movement relates to revolutionary theory and practice and through what tangible mechanisms, if any, they are creating a new Colombia.
By:
James J. Brittain
Introduction by:
James F. Petras
Imprint: Pluto Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 230mm,
Width: 150mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9780745328751
ISBN 10: 074532875X
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 09 December 2009
Audience:
College/higher education
,
A / AS level
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Dedication Acknowledgements Prologue List of Diagrams, Graphs, Maps, and Tables List of Acronyms Preface 1. An Overview of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP): A History of Radicalism in the Countryside 2. Ejército del Pueblo: A Sociological Analysis of Radical Social Change 3. Theorizing Revolution: The Importance of Colombia 4. Colombia's Rural Political Economy in Historical and Contemporary Perspective 5. The Political Economy of Coca in Colombia, Past and Present 6. Dominant Class Reactionism: Far-Right Politics and Paramilitarism 7. The FARC-EP's Relation to (Pre)Revolutionary Social Change 8. Prospects for the Future: From 'Dual Power' to Taking Power Bibliography Index
James J. Brittain is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Acadia University. He is also the co-founder of the Atlantic Canada-Colombia Research Group. James' primary research and teaching interests include the praxis of social change in Latin America, the relevance of classical social theory in contemporary geopolitics. He is the author of Revolutionary Social Change in Colombia (Pluto, 2009).
Reviews for Revolutionary Social Change in Colombia: The Origin and Direction of the FARC-EP
A theoretically and empirically rich analysis of the insurgency and its historical origins. This will become a reference point for scholars seeking to understanding the structural origins of Colombia's ongoing conflict. --Dr Doug Stokes, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. A valuable study of the causes, meaning and significance of the armed insurgency in Colombia. It [presents] a welcome break from the hegemony of the apolitical discourses that have dominated the scholarship on Colombia's conflict. --Nazih Richani, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Latin American Studies, Kean University Based on extensive first-hand research in guerrilla-controlled regions, Brittain chronicles the origins, development and achievements of Colombia's FARC-EP while dispelling many of the myths surrounding the rebel group. This book is a must-read for any scholars and activists interested in both the history of social struggle and its