Gramsci is Dead: Anarchist Currents in the Newest Social Movements [Paperback]

Richard J.F. Day (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0745321127 | ISBN-13: 978-0745321127 | Publication Date: September 28, 2005

Gramsci and the concept of hegemony cast a long shadow over radical political theory. Yet how far has this theory got us? Is it still central to feminism, anti-capitalism, anti-racism, anarchism, and other radical social movements today?

Unlike previous revolutionary movements, Day argues, most contemporary radical social movements do not strive to take control of the state. Instead, they attempt to develop new forms of self-organisation that can run in parallel with---or as alternatives to---existing forms of social, political, and economic organization. This is to say that they follow a logic of affinity rather than one of hegemony.

This book draws together a variety of different strands in political theory to weave together an innovative new approach to politics today. Rigorous and wide-ranging, Day introduces and interrogates key concepts. From Hegel's concept of recognition, through theories of hegemony and affinity to Hardt and Negri's reflections on Empire, Day maps academia's theoretical and philosophical concerns onto today's politics of the street.

Ideal for all students of political theory, Day's fresh approach combines Marxist, Anarchist and Post-structuralist theory to shed new light on the politics and practice of contemporary social movements.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Inspired to contribute to the symbiotic relationship between the academic and activist worlds, Day has decided to pick up the pen instead of the Molotov cocktail. The result is this brilliant book.' Ann Hansen, sentenced to life imprisonment for blowing up a cruise-missile component factory, and the author of Direct Action: The Memoirs of an Urban Guerilla 'The anarchism of Richard Day's brilliant Gramsci is Dead is not only an explosive break-out from the demoralizing horizons of contemporary social democracy, but also an exuberant intellectual dance-invitation extended to all mutant Marxists, autonomists and species-being activists eager to catch the strains of a new tune: Red Emma would be proud." --Nick Dyer-Witheford, Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario and author of Cyber-Marx (1999)

About the Author

Richard Day is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Queen's University, Kingston. In addition to his scholarly work, he is a founder of the Critical U. community education project in Vancouver and has participated in food, housing, and financial co-operatives. He is also active in the anti-globalisation movement and in defending the university as a public, accessible space for critical thought and social analysis.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745321127
• ISBN-13: 978-0745321127
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #824,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, concise and innovative: great for both activists and academics, August 15, 2007

By 

N. Montgomery "becomingminor" (Toronto, ON, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gramsci is Dead: Anarchist Currents in the Newest Social Movements (Paperback)

This book can be read as an extended literature review, a sociological account of radical social movements, or a valorization of non-hegemonic politics. It is a refreshing break from poststructuralist authors who are unable to communicate in language that can be understood without a PhD. This book can be read by activists and academics alike. One of Day's aims is to highlight the problematic orientation towards hegemony within social and political thought and social movements. His critique is nuanced, leaving room for considerations of and orientations towards hegemony, while opening up a whole new field of possibilities. It is not so much that Gramsci is dead, but that he is forced off center stage by a different form of politics. Day's argument isn't simply a critique of hegemonically-oriented forms, but rather a celebration of what he calls 'the newest social movements' which operate outside the logic of hegemony. Day's appropriation of post-structuralism, anarchism, postanarchism, postmarxism and other theories are both insightful and clear.