Perspectives on Anarchist Theory
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Contents Spring 1997 The Institute for Comments on the IAS 2 Anarchist Studies The Anarchist Collections 3 Interview with Martha Ackelsberg: Anarchist Scholarship and Feminist Critique Martha Ackelsberg's book, Free Women of Spain: documentation there. When I first went to Spain in Anarchism and the Struggle for the Emancipation the mid-seventies, the archives were still run by the of Women, tells the story of Mujeres Libres. military, so they were not in any order that would Formed during the Spanish Revolution, Mujeres have made sense to a historian. They were Libres was an anarchist, feminist group dedicated cataloged by where the materials had been found; to the liberation of women from "their triple thus there was no way of saying, "Okay, we want to enslavement to ignorance, as women, and as find out something on collectivization — which producers." Free Women explores the struggles folder do we look at?" No, you had to go through faced by Mujeres Libres as anarchist women and all of it to see what was there. It was a ridiculous offers insights for contemporary feminism on research process. issues such as community, diversity, Later, in the early 80's, I also confronted this empowerment, and autonomy. It makes important post-Franco fear. Lots of people were still very contributions to both anarchism and feminism. afraid to talk. Franco was only just dead and the I met with Ackelsberg on January 6, 1997, to political situation in Spain, from their point of talk with her about the difficulties of researching view, hadn't changed that much. From the outside anarchist history, her work as a radical social there looked like there had been this incredible theorist, and feminist perspectives on anarchism. transition to democracy, but they looked at it and ~ Rebecca DeWitt saw all the same people in power, supposedly democratically elected. TJT/'as it especially difficult to acquire archival YY or historical material on the Spanish rT1he Mujeres Libres were essentially an anarchist, anarchists as a result of their intense political JL feminist group. Were the methods you used to repression? research, analyze, and explore the Mujeres Libres It was difficult to meet these women, or find structured by similar anti-authoritarian con out about them, because my initial informants were victions? men and they really didn't take gender issues I was using the techniques of social and oral seriously. I don't think they were being deliberately history. The whole field of social history that has obstructionist, but they just didn't think it mattered developed in the last 30 years has been about — they couldn't get their minds around it. studying what used to be called marginalized or As for the archives, was a different situation. subordinated groups, e.g. workers, and saying that The archives were created by Franco's armies and one can't look only at official documents, but has secret police. They took all the documents from to spread a much wider net. places they captured and used them after the war to People like E.P. Thompson and Hobsbawm prosecute people for treason. There was incredible really created this field in the 60's, and continued on page 4 IAS Grant Awards The IAS awards a total of S6000 annually in chronicled the Spanish anarchist movement from grants to writers whose work is important to the 1868 to 1936, by exploring the period from die anarchist critique of domination, who exhibit a outbreak of social revolution in 1936 to Franco's clear financial need, and whose piece is likely to victor}' in 1939. It will conclude with a discussion receive wide distribution. On January 11, 1997, of lessons to be drawn from the entire Spanish the IAS Board of Directors awarded the first IAS experience. grants to the following individuals: $1000 to Alan Antliff for his book, The Culture $1000 to Murray Bookchin for the completion of of Revolt: Art and Anarchy in America. This his book, The Spanish Anarchists. This new book book will clarify the pivotal role played by will complement the first volume, which Continued on Pazc 6 PerspectivesJLon on anarchist anarchist theorytheorv Some Comments on the IAS Perspectives - On Anarchist Theory critically. The IAS also awarded grants to Paul WelcomeAnarchist to the Theory, first issue the biannual of Perspectives newsletter on of Fleckenstein and Kwaku Kushindana, both of Spring 1997, Vol. 1, No. 1 the Institute for Anarchist Studies (IAS). whom will subject contemporary affairs to an anti- Newsletter of the Institute authoritarian analysis. for Anarchist Studies As a new and unusual organization, the IAS deserves some explanation. I will use this article to However, IAS sponsored scholarship will do more Editorial Committee: outline some of our goals and activities. than transform ideals. It will help us build a Rebecca DeWitt, Chuck movement for a free society by generating critical Morse The IAS was founded in the spring of 1996 to fight and Utopian insights into the mechanisms of social for radical, anti-authoritarian scholarship. We are domination, tactics of resistance, and visions of Grammatical Specialists: alarmed by the current scarcity of serious, social freedom. It will help us not only expand our Brian Wells Hay, John politically committed scholarship on social understanding of human potentialities but also Schumacher contradictions and the possibilities of social sharpen and clarify strategies for the realization of transformation. We believe it is necessary and these potentialities. Subscription Rates possible to revitalize this type of theoretical work, (Two issues per year) and that this requires the construction of politically In the future we hope only to intensify and expand IAS Donors - Free engaged organizations dedicated to this purpose. the IAS's activities. In particular, we hope to offer Individuals - $5 larger grants and initiate new projects, and we are Institutions - $10 Thus the IAS was formed to support critical building an endowment to ensure that this can (Please make checks payable to the scholarship on social domination and radical ideals happen and that the IAS can exist for generations. Institute for Anarchist Studies) of freedom - the two constitutive concerns of For the short-term, however, we will add four anarchist theory. The IAS supports this work in a pages to the next issue of Perspectives, post a web variety of ways, although we are focused on page on the Internet, and we are discussing holding IAS Board of Directors: providing financial assistance to writers. Our a conference this fall. Paula Emery assistance takes the form of grants, and we award John Petrovato an annual total of $6000. The future of the IAS cannot be considered without Maura Dillon first recognizing that its existence is the result of a Dan Chodorkoff We initiated the IAS grant program to ease the tremendous collective effort made by those who Cindy Milstein economic burdens imposed upon authors who helped build the organization since it was founded Paul Glavin question social hierarchies. While material rewards last spring. Those who donated to the IAS enabled Michelle Matisons are generously allocated to writers who justify it not only to give out its first set of grants but also social domination or shrink from social to emerge into a functioning organization. There IAS Coordinator: contradictions, those who struggle to articulate are many others who may not have contributed Rebecca DeWitt radical ideals are often forced to abandon or dilute financially but generously gave of their time and their work in order to survive. This, of course, is other resources. Brian Wells Hay deserves special General Director: neither accidental nor a permanent condition of recognition in this regard for helping create the Chuck Morse advanced intellectual work, but one way among IAS's elementary legal and tax structure (and for others that social criticism is suppressed. actually comprehending the state's arcane laws and regulations). For more information about Our grants will challenge this. They will give the IAS or a grant application, authors some relief from the brutalities of The IAS is only a small part of the movement we please send a self-addressed, economic necessity and thus help them write pieces must build, but it is an essential part that will help stamped envelope to: that confront the existing order. IAS grants will deepen both the critique of the existing order and enable writers to do things such as take time off of the vision of a free society. Like all radical Institute for work, hire childcare, or purchase a plane ticket to projects, its success pivots on one overriding Anarchist Studies an archive, thus affording them time and/or factor: the willingness of large groups of people to PO Box 7050 research materials that would otherwise be fight for radical ideals, radical institutions, and, Albanv, New York unavailable. ultimately, for social freedom. 12225 -USA ~ Chuck Morse This will help writers produce rigorous works that Phone:(518)465-3062 sustain and deepen radical social criticism. For E-mail: [email protected] example, this January the IAS awarded grants to Murray Bookchin and Alan Antliff, whose The IAS is a nonprofit, tax- inquiries into anarchist history will help us hold on exernpl organization. to the anarchist tradition and engage it more Perspectives-L on anarchist theory Preserving Our Past: The Anarchist Collections What's Happening: by Jerry Kaplan Books & Events and desires. These collections allow us, as well as In individuals,different parts groups, of the and world both a public small and number private of others, to learn from anarchism's rich history. Bound Together Books will institutions are actively collecting and cataloging hold the Second Annual Bay anarchist related materials. There are also others The existing collections of anarchist-related Area Anarchist Book Fair on who have taken on the less exciting but equally materials can be grouped in a variety of ways.