Emergent Publics: An Essay on Social Movements and Democracy

by Ian Angus

Recently, much of the Left has shifted emphasis away from issues of class, toward "democracy." Indeed, democracy is now emerging as an overarching label for the goals of anti-globalization activists. What is the relationship between such social movements and democracy? In Emergent Publics, Ian Angus wrests the concept of democracy away from the notion that the citizen's only real activity is voting, and argues for a radical and participatory model. This short and accessible book looks back to the roots of democratic institutions, showing how they originated in social movements and the new forms of communication and interaction within those movements.

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ian Angus is a Canadian independent Marxist writer, educator, and ecosocialist activist.

Reviews

[Oscar Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful little book on the workings of social movements and the historical context. The "Further Reading" section is particularly useful for someone coming to it fresh (like me).

It seems to have a little bit of a blind spot regarding conservative social movements (published pre Trump and Covid I guess), but the Further Reading section is helpful there.

[Abigail Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book if you want to delve into social movements/democratic theory for the first time.