Freedom is an endless meeting : democracy in American social movements
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Bibliographic Information
Freedom is an endless meeting : democracy in American social movements
University of Chicago Press, 2002
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Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
"Freedom Is An Endless Meeting" offers vivid portraits of American experiments in participatory democracy throughout the 20th century. Drawing on meticulous research and more than one hundred interviews with activists, Francesca Polletta breaks with the conventional wisdom that participatory democracy is worthy in purpose but unworkable in practice. Instead, she shows that social movements have often used bottom-up decision making as a powerful tool for political change. Polletta traces the history of democracy in early labour struggles and pre-World War II pacifism; in the civil rights, new left and womens liberation movements of the 60's and 70's; and in today's faith-based organizing and antiglobalization campaigns. In the process, she uncovers neglected sources of democratic inspiration and practical strategies of social protest. But "Freedom Is An Endless Meeting" also highlights the obstacled that arise when activists model their democracies after familiar nonpolitical relationships such as friendship and religious fellowship. Doing so has brought into their deliberations the trust, respect and caring typical of those relationships.
But it has also fostered values that run contrary to democracy, such as exclusivity and an aversion to rules and these have been the fault lines around which participatory democracies have often splintered. The challenge, as Polletta shows, is to forge new kinds of democratic relationships, ones that balance trust with accountability, respect with openness to disagreement, and caring with inclusiveness. For anyone concerned about the contemporary prospects for democracy in America, "Freedom Is An Endless Meeting" should offer abundant historical, theoretical and practical insights.
by "Nielsen BookData"