Liberation from Below : the Caribbean Conference Committee of Montreal and the global new left

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Radical Ambition: A Portrait of the Toronto New Left, 1958-1985

This thesis examines the rise and decline of the New Left in Toronto from 1958 to 1985. It argues that New Leftism — whose three leading ideals were self-management, national liberation, and community — arose as much from the Old Left as it did from the peace movement. In contrast to earlier readings that interpret the New Left narrowly — essentially, as the combined forces of the white student and peace movements evident mainly on university campuses — this thesis documents the extent to which New Leftism, interpreted as a political formation, provided a framework for a diversity of radical social movements, especially feminism, Black Power, gay liberation, resistance to the capitalist redevelopment of the city, and transnational solidarity. It also questions a declensionist narrative that adopts a “decadal” approach to the radicalism of the sixties, according to which 1970 spelled the end of “60s” radicalism. Quite the contrary, this thesis argues: in Toronto, it would be truer to say that 1970s were “the sixties,” in that only in this later decade did many New Left movements attain their full maturity. New Leftists successfully challenged a host of institutions, sometimes with permanent effects. The educational system was transformed. Cultural institutions and practices were revolutionized. Questions of race and gender, once peripheral to the left, were made central to it. Democratic community institutions became far more powerful. A token of the strength and durability of the New Left in Toronto was the extent to which it remained the bête noir of a series of other radical groups upholding the model of the vanguard communist party — which challenged the New Leftists’ prominence but many members of which often wound up agreeing with their positions. It was only in the early 1980s, with the ascent of a new right, that Toronto’s New Left unmistakably entered a period of decline. Yet, even then, many of its key themes were picked up by fast-growing anarchist and socialist feminist currents. Far from constituting a minor phenomenon, Toronto’s New Left, one of the largest movements for social justice in Canadian history, bequeathed to its progressive successors an imposing legacy of struggle and cultural achievements. It is the purpose of this thesis to evaluate, both critically and sympathetically, the extent to which the New Left attained its radical ambition.

Friedman Economic Policies, Social Exclusion and Crime: Toward a Gendered Left Realist Subcultural Theory.

Left realists contend that people lacking legitimate means of solving the problem of relative deprivation may come into contact with other frustrated disenfranchised people and form subcultures, which in turn, encourage criminal behaviors. Absent from this theory is an attempt to address how, today, subcultural development in North America and elsewhere is heavily shaped simultaneously by the recent destructive consequences of right-wing Friedman or Chicago School economic policies and marginalized men's attempts to live up to the principles of hegemonic masculinity. The purpose of this paper, then, is to offer a new left realist theory that emphasizes the contribution of these two key determinants.

Marxism Today [Review]

The briefly resurrected Marxism Today (1998), edited by Martin Jacques, sets out to deal with perceived failures of the 'Blair project' (Jacques, 1998: 2). Jacques opens the issue by reaffirming that Blair, which is to say New Labour, is the successful creation of the 'New Left' projects, the first of which began in the late-fifties and early sixties in both Britain and the US, and which were vigorously revived in the late 1980s. However, the most comprehensive debate is fairly much contained in the first three articles, written by Hobsbawm, Hall, and Mulgan, insofar as the broadest defining parameters of Third Way 'values' are addressed by these writers.

Contemporary subject: human rights and democracy

The aim of this paper is to show that only in a society where human rights are honored and democracy is vigorous, the process of subjectivation be possible. It is a critical sociology research. The article is presented in two parts, the first, subject and subjectivity in contemporary times, analyze the obstacles that individuals have for subjective process, and the second, subject and human rights and subject and democracy we argue about the need for human rights and democracy for the process of subjectivation.

Non-agrocultural co-peratives and economy transformation in Cuba: politic processes and strategies

Contribution of co-operatives has been demonstrated since the 1970s as the main development line in agricultural production in Cuba. In contrast, there has been a late recognition of urban co-operatives, even if the need of transformations based on the realization of property in different territorial scenarios had been identified. The article analyses the reform processes launched since the first decade of the 21st century focusing on the nature of the initiatives fostering formation and promotion of nonagricultural co-operatives including follow up of their performance. The potential and limitations of the recent experiences are examined in order to reflect on the organizational processes and transformations from the point of view of their members. To conclude, some questions are posed about whether these co-operatives are capable of avoiding the impact of earlier employment circumstances and of developing strategies aimed at reinforcing voluntary membership and autonomy on which they are founded.

The Postmodern Non-city in Miquel de Palol’s "El Jardí del Set Crepuscles"

El Jardí del Set Crepuscles –primera novela del escritor y arquitecto catalán Miquel de Palol– nos brinda la oportunidad de reflexionar acerca de la metamorfosis experimentada por la ciudad occidental a principios de los años setenta del siglo pasado. De acuerdo con autores como Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, Giandomenico Amendola o Edward Soja, el surgimiento de la ciudad posmoderna en el marco de la transición hacia el modo de acumulación postfordista se presenta acompañado por un debilitamiento del tejido social y de la esfera pública y cívica. El objetivo del presente artículo es ilustrar las estrategias narrativas y retóricas con las que el texto de Miquel de Palol representa, y analiza, dicho fenómeno.

The working practices of Birmingham's Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies

This article offers a history of the working practices of the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. Based on extensive interviews with former members and on research into a new archive of the Centre, housed in the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, it argues that cultural studies as practised in the 1970s was always a heterogeneous subject. The CCCS was heavily influenced by the events of 1968 when it tried to develop a new type of radical and collaborative research and teaching agenda. Despite Stuart Hall's efforts to impose a focused link between politics and academic practice, the agenda soon gave way to a series of diverse and fruitful initiatives associated with the ‘sub-groups’ model of research.

Las nuevas izquierdas Brasilera y Venezolana de cara a los procesos de integracion en America Latina : periodo de análisis 1999-2006

Diferentes fenómenos en los procesos políticos latinoamericanos han traído cambios trascendentales a los escenarios de gobierno de América latina protagonizados por fuerzas y movimientos políticos que han sido calificadas y denominadas como “nueva izquierda”. Planteando un nuevo modelo político surgen una nueva izquierda en Brasil, pragmática y cercana al centro; y una izquierda venezolana de corte radical; modelos que han trascendido sus fronteras incidiendo en los procesos políticos, sociales y económicos de la región. Analizar el creciente y particular interés que tienen estas “nuevas fuerzas de izquierda” brasileña y venezolana de ejercer un liderazgo en los procesos de integración latinoamericanos podría permitir comprender mejor las dinámicas actuales de dichos procesos de integración así como su proyección futura.

Análisis de la política exterior japonesa en materia económica frente a las dinámicas comerciales de Corea del Sur y Japón. Periodo 2001 – 2011

Este estudio de caso busca analizar la Política Exterior Japonesa en materia económica frente a las dinámicas comerciales tanto de Corea del Sur como del mismo Japón en el Periodo 2001 – 2011, teniendo como objetivo concreto la identificación de la incidencia que tienen dichas dinámicas comerciales, en términos de competitividad por precio y calidad, sobre la Política Exterior Comercial Japonesa (PECJ).

El emprendimiento social al interior del Centro de Emprendimiento UR Emprende de la Universidad del Rosario

Proyecto de intervención realizado al interior del Centro de Emprendimiento UR Emprende de la Universidad del Rosario que ofrece como producto final, una definición de emprendimiento social para la entidad. Esta sirve como modelo para el examen de cuáles de las distintas entidades que fueron contactadas para presentar a la comunidad rosarista sus proyectos sociales, se ajustan a la definición alcanzada. El análisis del emprendimiento social a la luz de las Ciencias Sociales es abordado con una visión reflexiva y crítica que busca establecer qué hacer para que ir más allá de la sola creación de empresas. El foco de interés lo constituyen las comunidades, principales gestores del proceso emprendedor, así como las oportunidades de crear a través de la empresa social, nuevas perspectivas de desarrollo social y abrir una línea de estudio que no existe en las Ciencias Sociales.

Preguntas a la desigualdad. Ensayos sobre análisis de clase, socialismo y marxismo

Este texto comienza con un ensayo autobiográfico que explora los retos y beneficios de lo que implica ser un académico marxista en este tiempo. A este ensayo le sigue una discusión sobre varios temas del análisis de clase, con particular énfasis en dos temas: las clases y la desigualdad, y la relación entre clase y poder. La segunda sección aborda el tema del socialismo como posible futuro del capitalismo. Su autor procura clarificar el estatus conceptual del socialismo y discute las razones por las que ciertas reformas, tales como los subsidios básicos universales, en últimas no podrían realizarse por completo sin la introducción de alguna forma de socialismo. Preguntas a la desigualdad concluye con un examen del problema general del marxismo, en tanto que tradición radical de la teoría social. Allí se discuten tres temas en particular: los principios fundamentales del marxismo analítico como estrategia para reconstruir el marxismo como teoría social científica; la relación entre el marxismo y el feminismo como teorías sociales emancipadoras y las perspectivas del marxismo tras el colapso de los regímenes comunistas.