Randall Amster

Contemporary Anarchist Studies brings together an amazing selection of articles by some of todays most prominent anarchist theorists covering an array of topics in relation to anarchist studies from animal liberation to disability studies. It is written from a theoretical perspective, but for activists and academics alike. It is clear that the editors of this book carefully considered what was needed for the new and young anarchist academic community, and what would be respected by the anarchist activist community. The introduction sets the stage by acknowledging the importance of activism, and the book strives to assist those anarchists resisting global capitalist domination on the streets.

This text is well organized into five sections placed in a logical order: Theory, Methodologies, Pedagogy, Praxis, and The Future. It is a perfect volume for a social justice reading group, any college library, and a must for any political theory course. Because of the diversity of articles, sections of the book are also useful for such fields as women’s studies, critical animal studies, environmental studies, education, philosophy, criminology, economics, anthropology, sociology, peace and conflict studies, ethnic studies, and political science.

A groundbreaking article in this book is “Dis-abiling capitalism and an anarchism of ‘radical equality’ in resistance to ideologies of normalcy,” by Liat Ben-Moshe, Dave Hill, Anthony J. Nocella, II, and Bill Templer. This article discusses disability studies as a field that changes capitalism, normalcy, competition, and has a great deal of similarities among anarchism. To this day disability rights is a highly marginalized social justice cause. Another remarkable article was Steve Best’s “Rethinking revolution: total liberation, alliance politics, and a prolegomena to resistance movements in the twenty-first century.” The other twenty-six articles are outstanding and open new doors that activists and academics must now consider and be challenged by.

This books aides in legitimizing and providing creditability in the developing the field of study that many today see as a joke, or a threat within the academy. There is a growing intellectual movement on college campuses around the world which is companion to the alternative globalization movement being shaped by, and having a foundation in, anarchism. Profoundly, Contemporary Anarchist Studies supports the ideology of the critical thinkers of tomorrow.… (mehr)