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Glossary

Action Research

Action research is a particular approach to research that aims to improve practice or have a real world application. In other words, it is research that aims to make a real change or impact in society, and is not simply research in and of itself. Action research itself is not necessarily progressive: oil companies might employ action researchers to assist them in co-opting communities. However, it is generally understood that ‘action research’ contributes to improving the welfare of marginalised communities and those working for progressive social change, and not the interests of powerful elites, including those within higher education.

Alter-globalisation movement

The ‘alter-globalisation’ movement is a descriptive term normally used by activists themselves who are critical of, or opposed to ‘neoliberalism’ and ‘capitalist globalisation’ (see below) but who are also not against the globalisation of human relationships. They propose an ‘alternative globalisation’, one based on people’s needs and qualities, and not profit. It is more commonly used in continental European debates on globalisation and is associated with the ATTAC network.

Anarchism

Anarchism is a political philosophy and a way of organising society, from the Greek -without rulers. It is a belief that people can manage their own lives, and so rulers are undesirable and should be abolished. For many anarchists, this also includes institutions of authority, such as the state and capitalism.

Autonomism

Autonomism is a political and intellectual movement linked heavily to the Italian autonomist Marxist tradition. In its most basic sense, autonomism rejects the centrality of the revolutionary party and the traditional hierarchical structures of trade unionism, and instead embraces the autonomous self-organisation of the working class as the key to revolutionary change. There are many different strands within this tradition, however. An excellent and indispensable guide to Italian autonomism is Steve Wright’s (2002) book, Storming Heaven: class composition and struggle in Italian Autonomist Marxism (Pluto Press). For a similar introduction to German autonomism, see George Katsiaficas…

Autonomy

Although stemming from the Greek to mean ‘self-legislation’, the term autonomy has different political meanings and heavily contextual. At its root it is a belief system that values freedom from external authority. This can occur at both the individual and collective level. Political autonomy is associated with modern independence and liberation movements, from the former colonies of European empires to Basque separatism in Spain. However, this project is attached to a radical anti-capitalist belief in autonomy, influenced by anarchist and autonomist thought, and strongly linked to the praxis of the Zapatista communities in Chiapas. Autonomous politics in this vein is characterised by: a rejection of hierarchy and power; a belief in mutual aid and solidarity as opposed to competition and independence; a commitment to direct action and radical change rather than policy reform; creative forms of resistance which are independent from parties and union structures; and a reworking of the idea of revolution from seizing state power to ‘changing the world without taking power’ and ‘being the change we want to see’ in the everyday.

Affinity Group

An affinity group is a small group of activists (3-20) who work together on direct action. Affinity groups organise using non-hierarchy and consensus, often made up of friends or like-minded people. They provide a method of organization that is responsive, flexible and decentralised.

Appropriate Technology

Appropriate technology questions excessive technology and the problems of industrialism and has mainly been used in so-called ‘developing countries’ or less developed rural areas. It uses the simplest and most benign technologies and responds to community need rather than those of the state or private interests.

Capitalist Globalisation

Capitalist globalisation can be understood as the internationalisation of capital and the world economy through the global activities of multinational companies, the neoliberal policies of governments and the dismantling of national economic protections through technology and markets.

Commons

Traditional usage referred to traditional rights such as animal grazing. More recently, it refers to common rights for other resources and public goods for a community such as water, oil, medicinal plants and intellectual knowledge. Many social movements are struggling so that these remain in common ownership.

Composting

Compost is when organic matter, especially kitchen and garden waste, is recycled and reused. Compost bins allow this matter to quickly decompose. Composting is a popular way to reuse household waste to produce usable compost for garden use and growing food and also cuts out using landfill (a major source of greenhouse gases).

Consensus

Consensus is a way of making decisions which aims to include everyone in the decision making process and resolve any objections. It is a form of grassroots or direct democracy and rejects representative forms of democracy associated with voting and hierarchy which can ignore the views of minorities.

‘Do it Yourself’ (DIY) Politics

A broad term referring to a range of grassroots political activism with a commitment to an economy of mutual aid, co-operation, non-commodification of art, appropriation of digital and communication technologies, and alternative technologies such as biodiesel. DIY culture became a recognised movement in the 1990s in the UK made famous by direct action and free party scene.

Direct Action

Direct action is a form of political activism which rejects reformist politics such as electing representatives as ineffective in bringing about change. It involves taking responsibility ourselves for solving problems and includes strikes, occupations and blockades.

Enclosure

Enclosure is the process of subdivision of communally held land for individual ownership, mainly associated with 12th to 19th century England. Contemporary movements against the privatization of land and the sale of public goods are regarded as struggles against the new enclosures.

Hacklab

A hacklab, or media hacklab, is an autonomous technology zone used for the promotion, use and development of emancipatory technologies such as free software and alternative media. Hacklabs promote active participation and creative use of technology.

Hierarchy

A hierarchy is a system of ranking and organising things or people, where each element of the system is subordinate. Many inequalities in our society stem from the fact that most social organisations, such as businesses, churches, workplaces, armies and political movements are hierarchical.

Indymedia

Indymedia means Independent Media. It also refers to a global network of independent journalists and alternative media which use an open source publishing model to empower people to bypass corporate media. Started in 1999, there are now over 190 Indymedia outlets around the world.

Judicial Review

Judicial Review is the power of a court to review a law or an official act of a government employee or agent for constitutionality or for the violation of basic principles of justice. In many jurisdictions, the court has the power to strike down that law, to overturn the executive act, or order a public official to act in a certain manner if it believes the law or act to be unconstitutional or to be contrary to law in a free and democratic society.

Movements of Movements

This is a term used to describe loose grouping often called the global justice, or the alter/anti-globalization movement. It has been used to refer to large gatherings like the World Social Forums, and large convergences at global summits since Seattle. It emphasises the diversity of aims and tactics of participants and challenges Marxist-Leninist organizations who call for a unified programme for social change.

Mutual Aid

Mutual aid describes a principle central to libertarian socialism or anarchism, and signifies the economic concept of voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit. It is a key idea within the anarcho-communist, co-operative and trade union movements.

Participatory Action Research

Participatory Action Research involves working in bottom-up ways with grassroots groups to help them meet their aims and so break down some of the traditional barriers between ‘expert researcher’ and the ‘researched community’.

Peak Oil

Also known as Hubbert’s peak, Peak Oil refers to the peak of the entire planet’s oil production. After Peak Oil, where predictions range from now to 2025, the rate of available oil on Earth will enter a terminal decline every year. It signifies massive changes for our oil dependent societies.

Permaculture

Coined by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren during the 1970s, permaculture is a contraction of permanent agriculture. It is an ethical design system applicable to food production, land use and community building which seeks sustainable ways of living.

Popular education

Popular education is a participatory educational process designed to raise the consciousness of its participants and allow them to become more aware of how an individual’s personal experiences are connected to larger societal problems. Participants are empowered to act to effect change on the problems that affect them.

Revolution

A revolution is usually a drastic, rapid change, in social or political institutions, or a major change in a society’s culture or economy. It is often associated with violence and seizing state power, but it can also refer to incremental radical change happening at the everyday level.

RSS

RSS (most commonly said to be an acronym for ‘Really Simple Syndication’) is an XML-based system that allows users to subscribe to their favorite websites. Using RSS, webmasters can put their content into a standardized format, which can be viewed and organized through RSS-aware software or automatically conveyed as new content on another website.

Squatting

Squatting is the act of reclaiming and occupying abandoned or unoccupied spaces that the squatters do not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use. It includes land squats, shanty towns, homes, social centres, gardens or protest sites.

Social Centres

Social Centres are community spaces used for a range of not-for-profit activities such as support networks for prisoners or refugees, cafes, free shops, public computer labs, meetings and gatherings, art projects and benefits advice. They are managed collectively by participants and can be rented, bought or squatted.

Solidarity

Solidarity refers to the feeling of unity based on common goals, interests, and sympathies. It is a term which is promoted by many social movements to help create social relationships based on justice and equality.

Solidarity Action Research

Solidarity Action Research is a term we use to define our particular approach to Action Research. It is based on the belief that there is no such thing as value-free or neutral research. It is open about where the anti-capitalist objective of the researcher and aims to be organically connected to, and not distinct from, social movement struggles. It is committed to making interventions that increase the success of social movements by developing the capacity for ‘self-empowerment’ through leaving a legacy of skills, tools and critical understanding that could lead to social transformation rather than the production of accurate knowledge. Solidarity Action Research does not privilege the university as the primary site for learning and thinking but sees the knowledge for emancipation rooted in ordinary working people.

Spokescouncil

A collection of affinity groups who meet together for a common purpose. It is named after the ‘spokes’ of a bicycle wheel. Each spokesperson represents the affinity group in the spokescouncil which makes decisions via consensus.

Subvertising

Subvertising makes spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements. This can take the form of a new image, or an alteration to an existing one. A subvertisement can also be referred to as meme hack, social hacking or culture jamming.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development aims to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It aims to overcome environmental degradation without forgoing the needs of economic development, social equality and justice.

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