The following event will take place, as part of the “What is radical politics today?” project, directed by Jonathan Pugh (Newcastle University).
Newcastle University, 5th Dec. 2008 (12.30-1.30pm)
What is radical politics today?
Speakers:
Will Hutton
Chief Executive of The Work Foundation
Professor Lord Giddens
Member of the House of Lords
Venue to be confirmed
Note: admission is free, but you are asked to apply for tickets (tel: 0191 222 6136) from 9am on Monday 3 November 2008
www.ncl.ac.uk/events/public-lectures
Take care,
Jonathan Pugh
Senior Academic Fellow
Director "The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space" network
School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University
5th Floor Claremont Tower
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
United Kingdom
Honorary Fellow, The Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster
The “What is radical politics today?” project explores the nature and character of radical politics today. It examines what it means to be engaged in radical politics. It explores how radical politics works to shape and frame what we think of ourselves, issues and debates. Themes include:
What is signified as “radical politics” today? This examines how those who signify themselves as being involved in radical politics today understand the nature of the political subject. In answering the question, different models of radical politics are explored. For example, what are the differences and similarities between issue-based politics (GM foods, human or animal rights), anarchic models, and stakeholder politics, and how do they understand the constitution of the political s
ubject?
Another theme focuses upon the tensions that are being foregrounded as a result of the pluralisation and diversification of different ways of “being political” (internet activism, local, national and international pressure groups, representative government, and so on). For example, what are the tensions between different post-territorial movements (human rights, environmentalism, anti-war campaigns) and more traditional elected, representative institutions. What does the nature and character of such tensions reveal about the character of radical politics today?
The third theme examines the changes and transformations that have been brought about through radical politics today. How do movements like the anti-war coalition or the anti-capitalist movement effect change, in practice? Do they represent a significant challenge to the status quo? How is political expression sought, articulated and a
chieved?
Those involved in this project include/ have included: Tony Benn, Clare Short, Zygmunt Bauman, Nigel Thrift, Ed Soja, Peter Osborne, Jo Littler, Mary Mellor, Jenny Pickerill, Jim Martin, Gregor McLennan, JP Jones III, Sallie Marston, Keith Woodwood, AbdouMaliq Simone, Tariq Modood, Tahir Abbas, Alejandro Colas, Tom Bentley, Gregory Ulmer, Angana Chatterji, David Harvey, Carl Mitcham, Swapna Banerjee-Guha, Sheila Jasanoff, Michael Watts, Neal Lawson, Sian Glaessner, Neera Chandhoke, Nick Cohen, Saskia Sassen, Jason Toynbee, Paul Kingsnorth, David Featherstone, James Heartfield, David Boyle, Dora Apel, Catherine Fieschi, Peter Hallward, Christopher Fynsk, Hugh Silverman, Amir Saeed, Clive Barnett, Omar Al-Qattan, Terrell Carver, Daniele Albertazzi, Frank Furedi, David Oswell, Debora Halbert, David C Wood, Hilary Wainwright, Ke
n Worpole, Plane Stupid Press, Susie Orbach, and David Chandler.
END
