Re: [xmca] New Book: Zones of Proletarian Development

I think we are agreed here.
There will be a margaret et al led discussion on xmca and an anglo-finnish
book review
(subject to editorial approval!!!).

Meantime, there is a very interesting, wide ranging, article on
play/creativity up for discussion with lots of provocative ideas in it.

What creative ideas do people have regarding THAT topic, while others are
our ordering books?

mike

On Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 3:21 AM, Bruce Robinson <BRUCE@brucerob.eu> wrote:

>
>
>
>
>> Why not. Maybe Bruce and I can do a review for MCA together? First we read
>> the book and then get organized - ok?
>>
>> Jonna
>>
>
> The thought of doing a joint review (or possibly two reviews focusing on
> different aspects of the book) also occurred to me in the course of
> yesterday afternoon (BST). So yes, let's see what comes out of the
> discussion and go from there. But, Margaret, I don't want that to pre-empt
> anyone else making a major contribution and like the idea of a dialogic or
> dialectical electronic multi-review / discussion.
>
> Bruce (eagerly awaiting the postman)
>
>
>
> Mike Cole kirjoitti 24.7.2008 kello 17.10:
>>
>> How about a full fledged review in MCA, Jonna? AND a discussion?
>>> There are many interested in this line of "non-discussion" so perhaps
>>> its
>>> time to make a not not not not.
>>> mike
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 6:44 AM, BRUCE ROBINSON <BRUCE@brucerob.eu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Jonna,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for this description. I have ordered the book from Amazon. It
>>>> may be
>>>> a little while before I can get down to reading it in detail so in the
>>>> meantime carry on with any other observations you may have. I took part
>>>> in
>>>> both the London events she mentions in case that's a qualification ;).
>>>> I
>>>> don't know the author either.
>>>>
>>>> You raise some important issues about the absence of this kind of topic
>>>> from CHAT. If I remember rightly, there were a couple of articles in
>>>> 'Historical Materialism' a couple of years ago that made some relevant
>>>> links. I will try and dig them out.
>>>>
>>>> Bruce
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonna Kangasoja" <
>>>> jonna.kangasoja@helsinki.fi>
>>>> To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:48 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [xmca] New Book: Zones of Proletarian Development
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bruce, Mike and others,
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I got the Mastaneh Shah-Shuja book yesterday and after a quick look it
>>>>> seems well written and a fun read. Most importantly, like Bruce said,
>>>>> after
>>>>> a long time of waiting this book breaks the crying silence inside the
>>>>> CHAT
>>>>> field concerning research on contemporary political organization,
>>>>> e.g. the
>>>>> anti-capitalist movement (why not also the environmental movement)
>>>>> and by
>>>>> doing that opens up several lines of 'non-discussion'.
>>>>>
>>>>> One of the key arguments of the book is that the current phase of
>>>>> capitalism consists of four methods of surplus value extraction: real
>>>>> and
>>>>> formal, supplemented by 'pre-formal' and 'post-real'. The 'pre-
>>>>> formal'
>>>>> represents the forms that could be called 21st century slavery (e.g.
>>>>> child
>>>>> labor) and 'post-real' involve the application of computing, cyber,
>>>>> genetic
>>>>> and biotechnologies to labor power. The post-real mode of extraction
>>>>> will
>>>>> be completely original and may come to dominate and shape the
>>>>> interaction
>>>>> within this four-runged matrix.
>>>>>
>>>>> She writes:
>>>>> "It is the the enterity of the this four-runged evolving hierachical
>>>>> matrix (i.e. pre-formal, formal, real, post-real), with all its
>>>>> tensions
>>>>> and potential for joint activity, that I have termed the surreal phase
>>>>> of
>>>>> domination. [...] It is my argument that collectivities, and perhaps
>>>>> especially those that turn riotous or carnevalesque (i.e. those that
>>>>> transgress routine) provide transformative space 'in which
>>>>> subjectivity is
>>>>> unfurled, through the re-appropriation of of communication and the
>>>>> experience of co- operation, a transformation in which the material
>>>>> operation of reappropriation is also a moment of self- awareness'
>>>>> (Negri,
>>>>> 1989:138)."
>>>>>
>>>>> The two case studies discussed in the chapter 'Activity theory and
>>>>> Social
>>>>> Movements' are the 1990 anti-poll tax riots in Trafalgar Square and
>>>>> the
>>>>> Anti-war demonstration of February 2003 in London with over million
>>>>> demonstrators.
>>>>>
>>>>> The chapter also presents critique of activity theory and reflects on
>>>>> utility and limitations of it for the present analysis. (I think that
>>>>> this
>>>>> type of section is too often missing in CHAT inspired studies.)
>>>>>
>>>>> Why this contribution comes, what it seems, completely outside of the
>>>>> 'CHAT-field', is also an important question. Or has someone come across
>>>>> the
>>>>> author before?
>>>>>
>>>>> I hope she can join the discussion after people get the book in their
>>>>> hands. Bruce promised in the previous note to start it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jonna
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> BRUCE ROBINSON kirjoitti 21.7.2008 kello 18.27:
>>>>>
>>>>> Like London buses, you wait a long time for writings on CHAT and
>>>>> radical
>>>>>
>>>>>> political consciousness and two come along at once (well, nearly -
>>>>>> Wayne
>>>>>> Au's paper on Lenin & Vygotsky has been out for about a year.) I
>>>>>> imagine
>>>>>> this takes a very different much more 'spontaneist' view of the
>>>>>> zoped. I
>>>>>> will get hold of a copy and post about it here. I haven't also
>>>>>> forgotten my
>>>>>> offering to write about Au and will when I get a bit more time. Maybe
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> comparison.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Bruce R
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Chappell" <
>>>>>> philchappell@mac.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To: <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 12:26 AM
>>>>>> Subject: [xmca] New Book: Zones of Proletarian Development
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Apologies for cross-posting
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Phil
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> New Book Information (An OpenMute Publication)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Zones of Proletarian Development
>>>>>>> Mastaneh Shah-Shuja
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In this book, Mastaneh Shah-Shuja presents a novel approach for the
>>>>>>> study-extension of the social movement. Employing conceptual tools
>>>>>>> from Marx,Vygotsky, Bakhtin and Activity Theory she examines the
>>>>>>> interaction
>>>>>>> of individuals within crowds in a variety of settings including
>>>>>>> London
>>>>>>> May Day celebrations, riotous Iranian carnivals, the anti-poll-tax
>>>>>>> rebellion, the
>>>>>>> great anti-war demonstration of 15 February 2003 and a number of
>>>>>>> historical and contemporary political organisations. She identifies
>>>>>>> ?zones of
>>>>>>> proximal development? (Vygotsky) where people learn from each other,
>>>>>>> solve
>>>>>>> social problems, develop consciousness and engage in collective
>>>>>>> meaning-
>>>>>>> making.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Crucially, she demonstrates how capitalism is metamorphosing at a
>>>>>>> number of fronts simultaneously. She shows how new methods of
>>>>>>> exploitation and
>>>>>>> accumulation are being challenged by an emerging universal class
>>>>>>> unencumbered by some of the limitations of previous struggles. The
>>>>>>> reactionary
>>>>>>> nature of liberalism, social democracy, fascism and bolshevism are
>>>>>>> examined
>>>>>>> whilst the once-radical ideologies of left communism, council
>>>>>>> communism,
>>>>>>> anarchism,
>>>>>>> autonomist marxism, libertarian socialism and situationism are
>>>>>>> subjected to critical interrogation.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Imaginatively presented, with a collection of illustrations, Zones
>>>>>>> of Proletarian Development captures the increasing complexities of
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> class struggle in the twenty-first century and offers concrete
>>>>>>> suggestions for organising against capitalism.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Table of contents
>>>>>>> Introduction
>>>>>>> Chapter one - Epistemology, Methodology and Method
>>>>>>> Chapter two- Vygotskian May Days
>>>>>>> Chapter three- Iranian football riots as Bakhtinian
>>>>>>> carnivalesque
>>>>>>> Chapter four- Activity Theory and Social Movements: Two case
>>>>>>> studies
>>>>>>> Chapter five- Towards a new kind of revolutionary organising
>>>>>>> Appendix 1- Mindful Thuggery and the Spectacularisation of
>>>>>>> Drama
>>>>>>> Appendix 2- The Glorious Proletarian Siege of Oxford Street
>>>>>>> References
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Subjects:
>>>>>>> Political Science-History & Theory - Radical Thought;
>>>>>>> Psychology-Social Psychology;
>>>>>>> Social Science-Sociology - Social Theory
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ISBN: 978-1-906496-06-7 pbk.
>>>>>>> May 2008, 244x170 mm, c. 360 pages
>>>>>>> Recommended retail price: ?15/?21/$30
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Author's biography: Mastaneh Shah-Shuja is an independent researcher
>>>>>>> from an Afghani-Iraqi background although she has also lived
>>>>>>> extensively in both Iran and Russia. She is currently living in the
>>>>>>> United Kingdom with her two children. Mastaneh has been involved in
>>>>>>> anti-capitalist politics since her early teens. Please send reviews/
>>>>>>> comments to Mastaneh Shah-Shuja at: m.shahshuja {AT} yahoo.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This book can be ordered from all good bookshops including Amazon:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For Amazon in UK go to
>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zones-Proletarian-Development-Mastaneh-Shah-Shuja/dp/1906496064
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For Amazon in USA go to
>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/Zones-Proletarian-Development-Mastaneh-Shah-
>>>>>>> Shuja/dp/1906496064/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209735928&sr=1-1
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For Amazon in Canada go to
>>>>>>> http://www.amazon..ca/Zones-Proletarian-Development-Mastaneh-Shah-
>>>>>>> Shuja/dp/1906496064
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For Amazon in Japan go to
>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.co.jp/Zones-Proletarian-Development-Mastaneh-Shah-
>>>>>>> shuja/dp/1906496064/ref=sr_1_8/503-4060494-
>>>>>>> 3574325?ie=UTF8&s=english-books&qid=1209735460&sr=1-8
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Other bookshops you can order it from:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The New Social Worker Online go to
>>>>>>> http://shop.socialworker.com/Poverty-11294-1906496064-
>>>>>>> Zones_of_Proletarian_Development.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Eruditor.com go to
>>>>>>> http://www.eruditor.com/books/item/9781906496067.html.en
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Blackwell go to
>>>>>>> http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/jsp/display_product_info.jsp;jsessio
>>>>>>> nid=9518B86EDF540D371C4B07D9AF52CB10.bobcatt1?isbn=9781906496067
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- End forwarded message -----
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> xmca mailing list
>>>>>>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>>>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>> ---
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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>>>>>> 7/15/2008 6:03 PM
>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
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Received on Fri Jul 25 10:06 PDT 2008