From: Alex Prichard [mailto]A.Prichard@lboro.ac.uk[/mailto]
Report from the Anarchist Studies Network (formerly Specialist Group for the Study of Anarchism SGSA)
The UK Political Studies Association (PSA) Specialist Group for the study of anarchism (SGSA) has recently been renamed the Anarchist Studies Network (ASN). We thought we would take this opportunity to inform the broader anarchist academic community of our activities, the nature of the group and plans for the future.
The ARN is a PSA 'Specialist Group' [url]http://www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/Default.asp[/url]
We recently changed our name to reflect the concerns in the group that the term 'specialist' implied 'elitism'.
We are simply a group of academics and activists who share an interest in anarchism. There is no requirement that our membership support any activist groups or actually 'be' an anarchist. The PSA has made it quite clear that their charitable status would be jeopardized should the group become involved in 'political activities'. Our main aims are to broaden the appeal of anarchism in the academy, bring those in the academy with an interest in anarchism together, and share our research, support one another's values and put an end to the alienating experience of being an isolated radical in the neo-liberal university.
We also aim to help bridge the gap between academia and the broader anarchist movement. Progress has been slow on this front but we are only a year old and there is plenty of time!
At present we have over sixty members from across the world, but a sizeable proportion are based in the UK. There are no membership requirements, and we keep in touch and organise ourselvesvia our email list and an interactive wiki site. Decision making is open to all and is consensus-based.
As a specialist group the ARN has access to £1500 in funding from the PSA to conduct research related activities. Over the past twelve months the ARN has subsidised delegate attendance at the main PSA conference. Here members presented 9 papers on aspects of anarchist theory, history and practice. Some of the papers are available on our website [url]http://www.sgsa.org.uk[/url] will be redirected once the new domain name is registered). This conference followed an equally successful turnout at a panel on Anarchism and World Politics at the British International Studies Association (BISA) conference at St Andrews last December.
At this year's BISA conference ASN members will be presenting papers on anarchist approaches to violence, terrorism and war. ASN memeber Uri Gordon was awarded a £500 visiting scholar award by BISA to enable him to give his paper at the conference. Next year's PSA conference has a couple of panels on classical anarchism and the relationship between anarchism and Marxism.
We also sponsored a talk by John Zerzan who came over to the UK in May of this year.
This November the ASN is sponsoring a mini-conference in Leeds entitled 'Anarchism and Sexuality: Ethics, Relationships and Power', and another in Manchester next February on 'Art and Radical Politics'. Details and calls for papers can be found on our website.
The ASN will also be convening a meeting at this month's Anarchist Bookfair in London. If you want to know more about what we do and get involved in directing the group please come and join in the discussion.
if you'd like to know more about the group please contact alex prichard at the above email address and if you'd like to join the group please contact Carissa Honeywell at [mailto]c.honeywell@sheffield.ac.uk[/mailto]
In solidarity
alex prichard
(ASN secretary)