This book highlights the recent rise in interest in anarchist theory and practice attempting to bridge the gap between anarchist activism on the streets and anarchist studies in the academia. Bringing together some of the most prominent voices in contemporary anarchism in the academy, it includes pieces written on anarchist theory, pedagogy, methodologies, praxis, and the future.

On October 13, 1909, Francisco Ferrer, the notorious Catalan anarchist educator and founder of the Modern School, was executed by firing squad. The Spanish government accused him of masterminding the Tragic Week rebellion, while the transnational movement that emerged in his defense argued that he was simply the founder of the groundbreaking Modern School of Barcelona. Was Ferrer a ferocious revolutionary, an ardently nonviolent pedagogue, or something else entirely? Anarchist Education and the Modern School is the first historical reader to gather together Ferrer’s writings on rationalist education, revolutionary violence, and the general strike (most translated into English for the first time) and put them into conversation with the letters, speeches, and articles of his comrades, collaborators, and critics to show that the truth about the founder of the Modern School was far more complex than most of his friends or enemies realized. Francisco Ferrer navigated a tempestuous world of anarchist assassins, radical republican conspirators, anticlerical rioters, and freethinking educators to establish the legendary Escuela Moderna and the Modern School movement that his martyrdom propelled around the globe.

Produced by the North American Anarchist Studies Network (NAASN), and edited by Jeff Shantz and pj lilley, this volume comprises papers from NAASN's 5th Conference [La Red Norteamericana de Estudios Anarquistas / Le Reseau Nord-Americain d'etudes Anarchistes]. Anarchism is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in the new millennium. Not only active in the streets across Turtle Island, growing interest in anarchist scholarship is perhaps unprecedented. This is reflected in the development of the North American Anarchist Studies Network (NAASN). Drawn from papers presented at the fifth NAASN conference in Surrey (on Coast Salish Territories), this collection shows the vitality of contemporary anarchist research and writing. TABLE OF CONTENTS // 1 Anarchism from the Margins: Introducing New Developments in Anarchist Studies Jeff Shantz 2 Social Capital In Anarchist Movements Dana M. Williams 3 Marginalization of Anarchism within Mainstream Criminology: A Content Analysis Christopher Howell 4 Sexuality, Assault, Police Infiltration and Foucault: Notes for Further Inquiry Dr. Michael Loadenthal 5 Abolition Journal: Introduction & Manifesto Introduced by Brian Lovato & Eli Meyerhoff 6 In Defense of Counterposed Strategic Orientations: Anarchism and Antiracism Jakub Burkowicz 7 Anti-State Resistance On Stolen Land: Settler Colonialism, Settler Identity And The Imperative Of Anarchist Decolonization Adam Gary Lewis 8 A Diversity of Media Tactics: Grassroots Autonomous Media in Montrea Sandra Jeppesen, Anna Kruzynski, Aaron Lakoff and Rachel Sarrasin-Collectif de recherche sur l'autonomie collective (CRAC) 9 Radical Politics in a Conservative Capital: Anarchist Groups and Projects in Edmonton Robert Hlatky 10 The Right to the City Begins on the Street Dr. Katherine Dunster 11 Anarchist Surrealism & Canadian Apocalyptic Modernism: Allusive Political Praxis in Elizabeth Smart's "By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept" James Gifford 12 Mesoamerica Resiste! Excerpts from the companion guide to the graphic narrative The Beehive Design Collective APPENDIXES // Appendix 1: NAASN Statement of Purpose Appendix 2: NAASN5 Call for Papers (Fall, 2013) Appendix 3: NAASN5 Full Schedule + Forum on Indigenous Food Sovereignty + Surrey Anarchist Bookfair Appendix 4: A Few Words about Surrey Appendix 5: Indigenous Food Sovereignty Forum Appendix 6: Surrey Anarchist Bookfair Poster Appendix 7: Surrey Anarchist Bookfair Tablers"

With all of the provocative, sometimes highly destructive acts committed in the name of anarchy, this enlightening volume invites readers to discover the true meaning of anarchism, exploring its vivid history and its resurgent relevance for addressing today's most vexing social problems. In Anarchism Today, an acclaimed scholar and one of the world's foremost advocates for the anarchistic tradition cuts through common misconceptions and caricatures to explore what is perhaps the most poorly understood of all political theories. As author Randall Amster explains, rather than being an anti-everything rationale for defiance and destruction, anarchism is in fact a coherent set of values and practices with a rich history and contemporary relevance. Passionate and provocative, Amster's book offers readers an expert's perspective on what anarchism really means, including its relationship to other political approaches, its careful balancing of individual liberty and a functioning society, and its controversial image as a wellspring of violence. Along the way, Amster addresses a number of current issues from the perspective of anarchism, including corporate globalization, environmentalism, warfare, nationalism, education, technology, alternative economics, criminal justice, and even spirituality. He concludes with a frank assessment of anarchism's impact and the role it can play in building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Anarchism is by far the least broadly understood ideology and the least studied academically. Though highly influential, both historically and in terms of recent social movements, anarchism is regularly dismissed. Anarchism: A Conceptual Approach is a welcome addition to this growing field, which is widely debated but poorly understood. Occupying a distinctive position in the study of anarchist ideology, this volume – authored by a handpicked group of established and rising scholars – investigates how anarchists often seek to sharpen their message and struggle to determine what ideas and actions are central to their identity. Moving beyond defining anarchism as simply an ideology or political theory, this book examines the meanings of its key concepts, which have been divided into three categories: Core, Adjacent, and Peripheral concepts. Each chapter focuses on one important concept, shows how anarchists have understood the concept, and highlights its relationships to other concepts. Although anarchism is often thought of as a political topic, the interdisciplinary nature of Anarchism: A Conceptual Approach makes it of interest to students and scholars across the social sciences, liberal arts, and the humanities.

Through accounts of his experience as a local politician and elected once holder, Stephen Condit examines, in 'Anarchism in Local Governance', how his anarchist convictions may have contributed to the administration of his community in a way that empowers citizens towards self-governance and prefiguration of communal anarchist ideals. The hypothesis is that municipal governance and anarchist thought and praxis can both benefit by this kind of encounter. Condit also investigates the emergence of anarchism through citizen participation in civil society as a reality to which the municipality is accountable.

The triangular relationship between the social, the political, and the cultural has opened up social and political theory to new challenges. The social can no longer be reduced to the category of society, and the political extends beyond the traditional concerns of the nature of the state and political authority. This Handbook will address a range of issues that have recently emerged from the disciplines of social and political theory, focusing on key themes as opposed to schools of thought or major theorists. It is divided into three sections which address: the most influential theoretical traditions that have emerged from the legacy of the twentieth century the most important new and emerging frameworks of analysis today the major theoretical problems in recent social and political theory The Second edition is an enlarged, revised, and updated version of the first edition, which was published in 2011 and comprised 42 chapters. The new edition consists of 50 chapters, of which seventeen are entirely new chapters covering topics that have become increasingly prominent in social and political theory in recent years, such as populism, the new materialism, postcolonialism, Deleuzean theory, post-humanism, post-capitalism as well as older topics that were not covered in the first edition, such as Arendt, the gift, critical realism, anarchism. All chapters retained from the first edition have been thoroughly revised and updated. The Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Social and Political Theory encompasses the most up-to-date developments in contemporary social and political theory, and as such is an essential research tool for both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as researchers working in the fields of political theory, social and political philosophy, contemporary social theory, and cultural theory.

Concealing the state frees us from admitting the unpleasant truth-in today's world we are utterly dependent upon the state's increasingly frantic efforts to control risk. To this end, states have created systems of coercion and surveillance that are difficult to reconcile with our theories of political legitimacy. The dominant ideology of contemporary politics has become the concealment of the state's overwhelming power and role in daily life. We prefer the comfortable illusion that we are autonomous individuals pursuing our plans in a free market. If we hold fast to that idea, then our distance from policy makers and dwindling political influence seems less important. Nonetheless, this book draws upon the anarchist tradition and a wide range of accessible policy examples (ranging from military organization and environmental regulations to scientific investment and education) to reveal the active role of contemporary states behind this ideological screen. Lindsey argues that we need a new politics that focuses on exposing and challenging the contemporary state's hidden agency. Otherwise, how can we democratically control the state when it denies, from the outset, having the ability to meet our demands?