Tag: ritual
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re: Left fragmentation in USA, circa 1968-present (rough notes for future writing)
And I’m back to posting very rough notes… (1) Conceptual shift over past half century from civic/political framework to hobby/elective framework (i.e. “activism”). (2) In concert with broader cultural and structural shift away from “the commons”, toward individualism. (3) The implosion and fragmentation of the Left in the early 1970s. (4) Consolidation of radicals across…
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sacrifice in movements (and ritualistic tactical hierarchies)
lunch counter sit-in Sacrifice is a collective value typically esteemed in social movements (as well as in human societies), one that can profoundly benefit movements (and societies). Personal sacrifice can be a dramatic expression of collective values, such as sharing, solidarity, and mutual aid. A movement participant’s willingness to make a personal sacrifice or take…
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when ritual replaces strategy
In utopianism and the would-be political group I explored a layer of utopianism within intense social change movements like Occupy Wall Street, and I suggested that the utopian drive in these situations may be at least as much about immediate participant experience as it is about an envisioned ideal future. That is to say the…
Jonathan Matthew Smucker 