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Occupying Language
Huffington Post
“A fascinating new book… Anti-capitalism, this book reminds us, is a politics of walking and of love.”
The New York Times
“By occupying language, we can expose how educational, political, and social institutions use language to further marginalize oppressed groups; resist colonizing language practices that elevate certain languages over others; resist attempts to define people with terms rooted in negative stereotypes; and begin to reshape the public discourse about our communities, and about the central role of language in racism and discrimination. As the global Occupy movement has shown, words can move entire nations of people — even the world — to action. Occupy Language, as a movement, should speak to the power of language to transform how we think about the past, how we act in the present, and how we envision the future.”
Barbara Epstein, University of California, Santa Cruz
“A beautiful and insightful evocation of an emergent radical perspective...Occupying Language uses the vocabulary of new and emergent movements around the world to highlight the striking similarities of their practices and visions.... crucial reading for those who would like to understand why so many in the new movements are more interested in occupying public spaces and institutions, and remaking them through democratic participation, than in making demands on governments dominated by remote and resistant elites."
Antonio Negri
"There are words that are rocks. Rocks, like geological layers, which have accumulated over decades of struggles, and are colored with meanings irreducible to capitalist power. Rocks heavy with hope. Marina Sitrin and Dario Azzellini show how these rocks are moved—rolling them against masters, police and the ideologists of neoliberalism. Occupy language!"
Sitrin and Azzellini introduce the reader to the theory and practices of the new global movements and explore linkages connecting widespread struggles for justice, democracy and emancipation. Poetic and concrete, Occupying Language is a map toward new forms of democratic community.
Marina Sitrin is an author and activist. An active participant and advocate for social movements around the world, she has been featured on MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Democracy Now! and more.
Dario Azzellini is an activist, writer, and filmmaker. He is a lecturer at the Johannes Kepler University (Linz, Austria). His latest book, together with Immanuel Ness, is Ours to Master and to Own.
“A fascinating new book… Anti-capitalism, this book reminds us, is a politics of walking and of love.”
The New York Times
“By occupying language, we can expose how educational, political, and social institutions use language to further marginalize oppressed groups; resist colonizing language practices that elevate certain languages over others; resist attempts to define people with terms rooted in negative stereotypes; and begin to reshape the public discourse about our communities, and about the central role of language in racism and discrimination. As the global Occupy movement has shown, words can move entire nations of people — even the world — to action. Occupy Language, as a movement, should speak to the power of language to transform how we think about the past, how we act in the present, and how we envision the future.”
Barbara Epstein, University of California, Santa Cruz
“A beautiful and insightful evocation of an emergent radical perspective...Occupying Language uses the vocabulary of new and emergent movements around the world to highlight the striking similarities of their practices and visions.... crucial reading for those who would like to understand why so many in the new movements are more interested in occupying public spaces and institutions, and remaking them through democratic participation, than in making demands on governments dominated by remote and resistant elites."
Antonio Negri
"There are words that are rocks. Rocks, like geological layers, which have accumulated over decades of struggles, and are colored with meanings irreducible to capitalist power. Rocks heavy with hope. Marina Sitrin and Dario Azzellini show how these rocks are moved—rolling them against masters, police and the ideologists of neoliberalism. Occupy language!"
Sitrin and Azzellini introduce the reader to the theory and practices of the new global movements and explore linkages connecting widespread struggles for justice, democracy and emancipation. Poetic and concrete, Occupying Language is a map toward new forms of democratic community.
Marina Sitrin is an author and activist. An active participant and advocate for social movements around the world, she has been featured on MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Democracy Now! and more.
Dario Azzellini is an activist, writer, and filmmaker. He is a lecturer at the Johannes Kepler University (Linz, Austria). His latest book, together with Immanuel Ness, is Ours to Master and to Own.
- GenresLanguage
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 29, 2013
I bought this piece as a resource for an essay for university. I didnt cite it in the end, but I'm very glad I bought it. It introduced me to the notion of horizontalism as coined by Marina Sitrin (One of the authors of this pamphlet). It's an easy read as far as scholarly writings go, and its not too long. Its made up of nineteen seven (or so) page mini essays that present a sociological understanding of the possibilities of the future; namely, where we can go, and what methods we can use to get there. It's one of those pieces of writing for those who seek to change the world (or maybe just their community) - not just in a literal sense, but in the sense that all those who seek positive social change and growth will find some enjoyment in this pamphlet.
September 30, 2017
An important read for anyone who wants to understand the internal workings of activist movements and political organising around the world. By studying and elaborating on the language and important terms and concepts used in the context of social movements, the authors also provide a deeper understanding on what the movements are really about. Very informative read, I was especially surprised by how connected movements and organising are, breaking geographical as well as temporal barriers. Wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews