David Graeber undertakes the first detailed ethnographic study of the global justice movement. The case study at the center of Direct Action is the organizing and events that led to the one of the most dramatic and militant mass protests in recent yearsagainst the Summit of the Americas in Québec City. Written in a clear, accessible style (with a minimum of academic jargon), this study brings readers behind the scenes of a movement that has changed the terms of debate about world power relations. From informal conversations in coffee shops to large spokescouncil” planning meetings and tear gas-drenched street actions, Graeber paints a vivid and fascinating picture.
Direct Action: an Ethnography
The first part of the book provides a window into the way direct democracy networks and movements coalesced around a major protest in Quebec City in 2001. It is written in the tradition of deep ethnography, with detailed descriptions and rich material without ever becoming overwhelming or dry. The second part of the book translates ethnography into theory in an exemplary fashion. In it, David articulates some of the arguments he continued to develop in later books and articles such as the political role of imagination, theory of direct action and the significance of representation.
by Andris Suvajevs
English
Title:
First Published: 2009
ISBN: 9781904859796
Publisher: AK Press
Translators:
Pages: 600
German
Title: Direkte Aktion. Ein Handbuch
First Published: 2013
ISBN: 9783894017750
Publisher: Edition Nautilus
Translators: Sophie Deeg
Pages: 352
Italian
Title: Rivoluzione: istuzioni per l'uso
First Published: 2012
ISBN: 9788817060318
Publisher: Rizzoli
Translators: Ilaria Katerinov
Pages: 454