I felt an ember of inspiration in response to Wendy's post and I agree with
you John - 'The list could be a useful way of co-ordinating information
about this kind of activity but people do actually need to materially do it
for themselves. The Midlands Psychology Group formed itself to wield
collective influence in precisely this way and if we can do it, so can
others'. But I wonder if some of what happens when it works (whatever I mean
by that...) is that there is a combination of internet and real life meeting
of each other - that there needs to be both. I sometimes look at the
discussions between various list contributors and wonder if there is often a
much better 'meeting' where people also have real life meetings. I know this
is all rather vague and rambling, but I'm trying to ask something about how
solidarity happens and what it can achieve...and I guess, how solidarity
doesn't happen, and what happens then?
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Cromby" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Spending Cuts
> It's perhaps predictable that the list should devote more energy to
> discussing the etiquette of discussion than to the vital issues that Wendy
> raises here.
>
> Patently there's no easy answer. The difficult but achievable answers
> consist in building alliances with others and using collective resources
> to challenge what is being proposed. The list could be a useful way of
> co-ordinating information about this kind of activity but people do
> actually need to materially do it for themselves. The Midlands Psychology
> Group formed itself to wield collective influence in precisely this way
> and if we can do it, so can others. Clearly though, the present moment
> also demands much more broad-based alliances that involve users of
> services as well as their purveyors.
>
> A more comprehensive understanding of what's going on is something that
> might also be useful, and despite her many seductive charms in my opinion
> we'll not find that in Polly Toynbee. Naomi Klein's 'The Shock Doctrine'
> (2007) provides a highly accessible account of the political and economic
> strategy currently being implemented here. It pre-dates current events by
> a few years whilst prefiguring perfectly what is happening, showing how
> the ideology driving current policy has its roots in the 1960's and has
> informed economic policy across the globe in recent years. Its recently
> been made into a film by Michael Winterbottom: no idea what its like but
> he's a good director so if you're a fan of infotainment maybe you'd prefer
> it in that format.
>
> J.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 25/10/2010 08:09, Wendy Franks wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I had a wonderful day out on Saturday at 'Feminism in London 2010'
>>
>> It was a day full of inspiration, but also, not just a little
>> provocation in terms of how far society has to go in relation to
>> equality of all sorts.
>>
>> A stream of amazing women stood up in various workshops, presentations
>> and discussions, and offered critical analysis of situations from
>> international 'development', sexualisation of children and
>> commodification of women in a widespread and increasing 'pornification'
>> of culture, and not least, the disproportionate burden upon women that
>> is anticipated with the latest round of Tory spending cuts.
>>
>> In the interest of comradeship and extending our focus beyond our
>> internal struggles for a moment, I wondered if anyone has news of
>> action, or thoughts about how we might organise to resist?
>>
>> A union march went by the conference, and speakers were invited in to
>> share ideas and plans. At present, a meeting is being set up for women
>> to get together in London and develop further plans for protest, which I
>> hope I will be able to attend. When I hear news, will try to remember to
>> mention it here. On the way to London, a friend and I were discussing
>> the use of technologies such as facebook to connect more widely and
>> organise our response.
>>
>> I fear that many of us will sit in stunned silence and not know what to
>> do about the attack on our public services and the poorest people in our
>> society, while the very richest continue to legally evade making their
>> proportionate contribution.
>>
>> I do not want to be one of the silent ones.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Wendy
>>
>> ___________________________________ The Community Psychology List has a
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>
> --
> *********************************************************
> John Cromby
> Psychology Division, SSEHS
> Loughborough University
> Loughborough, Leics
> LE11 3TU England
> Tel: 01509 223000
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Personal webpage: http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~hujc4/
> Co-Editor, "Subjectivity": www.palgrave-journals.com/sub/
> *********************************************************
>
> ___________________________________
> The Community Psychology List has a new website/blog at:
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> To post on the website blog, forum or twitter feed, contact Grant or David
> at the email addresses below.
> David Fryer ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey
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> To unsubscribe or to change your details on this COMMUNITYPSYCHUK list,
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___________________________________
The Community Psychology List has a new website/blog at:
http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/
There is a threaded discussion forum:
http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi
There is a twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/CommPsychUK
To post on the website blog, forum or twitter feed, contact Grant or David at the email addresses below.
David Fryer ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe or to change your details on this COMMUNITYPSYCHUK list, visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
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