DOCSLIB.ORG

Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia Carolyn Jong A Thesis In the Humanities Program Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada January 2020 © Carolyn Jong CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Carolyn Jong Entitled: Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: _________________________________________ Chair Dr. David Howes _________________________________________ External Examiner Dr. Greig De Peuter _________________________________________ External to Program Dr. Beverley Best _________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Mia Consalvo _________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Darren Wershler _________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor Dr. Bart Simon Approved by: _________________________________________________ Dr. Erin Manning, Graduate Program Director 9 April 2020 _________________________________________________ Dr. André G. Roy, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science iii ABSTRACT Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia Carolyn Jong, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2020 This dissertation explores the structural and ideological roots of GamerGate and the Alt- Right within the game industry and academia. The analysis draws on the author’s personal experiences engaging in feminist community organizing, an examination of online materials associated with GamerGate, as well as various strands of critical theory, to interrogate the material reproduction of liberal ideology and meritocracy within neoliberal capitalism. Using the recent “culture wars” in videogames and academia as an example, the author argues that liberal capitalist institutions pave the way, both materially and ideologically, for the rise of fascist movements during periods of capitalist crisis, creating a social context that is oriented towards scapegoating oppressed people and reinforcing existing hierarchies. While the specific targets, symbols, and strategies used by fascist movements may change to reflect the changing circumstances, there are also many similarities that can be found between early 20th-century fascism, and contemporary neo-fascist movements like the Alt-Right. The problems marginalized people encounter in both games and academia are a product of capitalism and its historical development, including the international division of labour created by imperialism and patriarchy. Whether we’re talking about targeted harassment, the emergence of reactionary movements like GamerGate, institutionalized discrimination, exclusionary and constrained definitions of play and games, or the culture of overwork, capitalism and the drive for profit lies at the root. Previous attempts to address these issues through corporate diversity initiatives, indie game entrepreneurialism, consumer activism, and merit-based selection processes are limited by the fact that they do not directly challenge capitalist social relations. In order to both expose those limits and move past them, feminist organizers need an anti-capitalist political strategy that leverages the latent power of the international working class to challenge imperialism, colonialism, and patriarchy. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my parents, Cathy and Michael Jong, for supporting me through this entire process. Without their tireless efforts and enduring love, none of this would have been possible. Thanks also to my partner and co-organizer, Joachim, for always believing in me, helping me to develop and refine my theoretical perspective, and standing alongside me through thick and thin. It is in large part because of him that I found the strength and conviction to carry through to the end. I also owe a great deal to the large community of students, organizers, workers, collaborators, friends, and researchers that surround me, including past and current members of the Mount Royal Game Society, Game Curious Montreal, the Tree House, Game Workers Unite, QPIRG- Concordia, Food Against Fascism, the Industrial Workers of the World, and the many other organizations and collectives I have participated in or interacted with throughout the years. Not only have they provided invaluable feedback as I worked through the various drafts of my dissertation, but many have been there organizing alongside me, providing support, encouragement, and advice, and helping me to grow as a person and an organizer. Everything I know I have learned from other people, and this dissertation exists thanks to their collective efforts. It is as much theirs as it is mine. Thanks also to the many workers at Concordia, in Montreal, and around the world. It is the labour of the working class that sustains all academic research, and it is thanks to these workers that I was able to pursue a doctoral degree and devote so much time to reading and writing in the first place. Whether it took the form of scholarships distributed by the publicly- funded Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the administrative aid provided by workers at Concordia, or the labour that went into creating the laptops I used to conduct my research and write this dissertation, I have benefited in countless ways from the efforts of others. At base it is not the institutions, or the individual authors, but the workers who build and sustain them that deserve the credit. Labour is entitled to all it creates. Finally, I want to give thanks and recognition to the Indigenous caretakers of the land, the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, whose unceded territory I currently occupy. This island, known as Tiohtià:ke in the language of the Kanien’kehá:ka, has long been a gathering site for many Indigenous peoples, including the Anishinaabe, Huron/Wendat, and Abénaki nations. I also owe a great deal to the Innu and Inuit of Labrador, my birthplace, for caring for the land and waters and developing many of the technologies that settlers living in that area continue to rely on to this day. The history and struggles of Indigenous peoples is an ongoing source of inspiration for me, and I expect will remain so for as long as I live. v Table of Contents Introduction: The View from the Intersection ........................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 - Two Industries and a Crisis .................................................................................10 Chapter 2 - Git Gud: Liberalism and Meritocracy ...................................................................40 Chapter 3 - GamerGate and Neo-Fascism ............................................................................72 Chapter 4 - Organizing Community .......................................................................................97 Conclusion: The Ruthless Criticism of All that Exists ........................................................... 127 Key Concepts ...................................................................................................................... 132 Capitalism ........................................................................................................................ 132 Class ................................................................................................................................ 137 Fascism ........................................................................................................................... 138 Imperialism and Colonialism ............................................................................................ 153 Historical Materialism ....................................................................................................... 156 Liberalism ........................................................................................................................ 159 Neoliberalism ................................................................................................................... 168 References .......................................................................................................................... 183 Appendix ............................................................................................................................. 233 Against Grading ............................................................................................................... 233 Capitalism, games, and diversity work ............................................................................. 235 Demystifying Activism – A 101 guide to getting involved .................................................. 237 Fighting Fascism .............................................................................................................. 242 GamerGate and the Right ................................................................................................ 244 Merit is a Myth ................................................................................................................. 248 The Limits of “Free Speech” ............................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Reactionary Postmodernism? Neoliberalism, Multiculturalism, the Internet, and the Ideology of the New Far Right in Germany

    Reactionary Postmodernism? Neoliberalism, Multiculturalism, the Internet, and the Ideology of the New Far Right in Germany

    University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM UVM Honors College Senior Theses Undergraduate Theses 2018 Reactionary Postmodernism? Neoliberalism, Multiculturalism, the Internet, and the Ideology of the New Far Right in Germany William Peter Fitz University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses Recommended Citation Fitz, William Peter, "Reactionary Postmodernism? Neoliberalism, Multiculturalism, the Internet, and the Ideology of the New Far Right in Germany" (2018). UVM Honors College Senior Theses. 275. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses/275 This Honors College Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in UVM Honors College Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REACTIONARY POSTMODERNISM? NEOLIBERALISM, MULTICULTURALISM, THE INTERNET, AND THE IDEOLOGY OF THE NEW FAR RIGHT IN GERMANY A Thesis Presented by William Peter Fitz to The Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts In European Studies with Honors December 2018 Defense Date: December 4th, 2018 Thesis Committee: Alan E. Steinweis, Ph.D., Advisor Susanna Schrafstetter, Ph.D., Chairperson Adriana Borra, M.A. Table of Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One: Neoliberalism and Xenophobia 17 Chapter Two: Multiculturalism and Cultural Identity 52 Chapter Three: The Philosophy of the New Right 84 Chapter Four: The Internet and Meme Warfare 116 Conclusion 149 Bibliography 166 1 “Perhaps one will view the rise of the Alternative for Germany in the foreseeable future as inevitable, as a portent for major changes, one that is as necessary as it was predictable.
  • Gretchen Bakke Curriculum Vitae

    Gretchen Bakke Curriculum Vitae

    Gretchen Bakke curriculum vitae CONTACT: Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys) Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin GERMANY [email protected]; www.bakkeconsolidated.org EDUCATION: Doctor of Philosophy, University of Chicago – Cultural Anthropology 2007 Master of Arts, Indiana University – Russian and East European Studies 1997 Bachelor of Arts, The Evergreen State College – Sovietology; Photography 1993 CURRENT POSITIONS: 2018-2020 Guest Professor, Chair of Social Anthropology, Institute for European Ethnology and Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems, Humboldt University, Berlin 2018-2021 Anthropocene Working Group, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin 2019- Section Editor, Systems and Futures, Public Books, New York, USA RESEARCH AND HONORARY AFFILIATIONS: 2020-2021 Honorary Research Fellow, School of Social Science, University of Aberdeen, Scotland UK 2019-2022 Status Professor, Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto Canada PREVIOUS POSITIONS: 2012-2020 Assistant Professor, Anthropology, McGill University, Montréal QC (on-leave 2018-2020) 2009-2010 Research Fellow, Science in Society Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown CT 2008-2009 Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for the Humanities, Wesleyan University, Middletown CT 2005-2007 Editorial Assistant/Staff Photographer, American Anthropological Assoc., Arlington VA 1999-2000 Editorial Assistant, Public Culture, Chicago IL 1998-1999 Research Assistant /Translator
  • Blast Off Broken Sword

    Blast Off Broken Sword

    ALL FORMATS LIFTING THE LID ON VIDEO GAMES Broken Sword blast off Revolution’s fight Create a jetpack in for survival Unreal Engine 4 Issue 15 £3 wfmag.cc TEARAWAYS joyful nostalgia and comic adventure in knights and bikes UPGRADE TO LEGENDARY AG273QCX 2560x1440 A Call For Unionisation hat’s the first thing that comes to mind we’re going to get industry-wide change is collectively, when you think of the games industry by working together to make all companies improve. and its working conditions? So what does collective action look like? It’s workers W Is it something that benefits workers, getting together within their companies to figure out or is it something that benefits the companies? what they want their workplace to be like. It’s workers When I first started working in the games industry, AUSTIN within a region deciding what their slice of the games the way I was treated wasn’t often something I thought KELMORE industry should be like. And it’s game workers uniting about. I was making games and living the dream! Austin Kelmore is across the world to push for the games industry to But after twelve years in the industry and a lot of a programmer and become what we know it can be: an industry that horrible experiences, it’s now hard for me to stop the Chair of Game welcomes everyone, treats its workers well, and thinking about our industry’s working conditions. Workers Unite UK, allows us to make the games we all love. That’s what a a branch of the It’s not a surprise anymore when news comes out Independent Workers unionised games industry would look like.
  • European Semiotics and the Radical Right Christian Maines Feature

    European Semiotics and the Radical Right Christian Maines Feature

    feature / 1 Crusaders Past and Present: European Semiotics and the Radical Right Christian Maines In a Tortoiseshell: In his Writing Seminar R3, Christian Maines puts the discourse we see today in the news regarding the Alt-right into historical context, letting his research guide his understanding of the group, rather than the other way around. His use of structuring elements—purposeful orienting, definitions of key terms, clear topic sentences, consistent tie back sentences—sets his argument up for success. Motivating his thesis from the beginning to the end, Christian is able to not only sustain his topic, but make an insightful contribution to our understanding of the Alt-right. Feature Between Aug. 11th and 12th of 2017, crowds swarmed the streets of Charlottesville wearing plate armor, carrying torches, and calling out battle cries—chants of “You will not replace us!” and “Deus Vult!” echoed through the streets.1 By sundown on the 13th, there was a memorial of flower wreathes on the ground for Heather Heyer, struck down by a car in the midst of the protests.2 Coverage of the violence largely associated the protests with the “Alt-Right,” a loosely- defined collection of radical American nationalists with undertones of racism and extremism.3 Immense violence and tragedy came about in this single instance of conflict spurred on by the Alt-Right. However, in recent months, the consensus in news media has been that the movement is dead, as authors claim that the Alt-Right “has grown increasingly chaotic and fractured, torn apart by infighting and legal troubles,” and cite lawsuits and arrests, fundraising difficulties, tepid recruitment, counter protests, and banishment from social media platforms.4 1 Staff, “Deconstructing the symbols and slogans spotted in Charlottesville,” accessed 14 April 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville- videos/?utm_term=.370f3936a4be.
  • Subcultural Appropriations of Appalachia and the Hillbilly Image, 1990-2010

    Subcultural Appropriations of Appalachia and the Hillbilly Image, 1990-2010

    Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2019 The Mountains at the End of the World: Subcultural Appropriations of Appalachia and the Hillbilly Image, 1990-2010 Paul L. Robertson Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the American Popular Culture Commons, Appalachian Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, and the Other Film and Media Studies Commons © Paul L. Robertson Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5854 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Robertson i © Paul L. Robertson 2019 All Rights Reserved. Robertson ii The Mountains at the End of the World: Subcultural Appropriations of Appalachia and the Hillbilly Image, 1990-2010 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. By Paul Lester Robertson Bachelor of Arts in English, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2000 Master of Arts in Appalachian Studies, Appalachian State University, 2004 Master of Arts in English, Appalachian State University, 2010 Director: David Golumbia Associate Professor, Department of English Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia May 2019 Robertson iii Acknowledgement The author wishes to thank his loving wife A. Simms Toomey for her unwavering support, patience, and wisdom throughout this process. I would also like to thank the members of my committee: Dr. David Golumbia, Dr.
  • By Omission and Commission : 'Race'

    By Omission and Commission : 'Race'

    National Library Bibliothbque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographic Services Branch des services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (Ontario) KIA ON4 KIA ON4 Your hie Votre ri2ference Our Me Notre reference The author has granted an L'auteur a accorde une licence irrevocable non-exclusive licence irriivocable et non exclusive allowing the National Library of permettant a la Bibliotheque Canada to reproduce, loan, nationale du Canada de distribute or sell copies of reproduire, prGter, distribuer ou his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa these in any form or format, making de quelque maniere et sous this thesis available to interested quelque forme que ce soit pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette these a la disposition des personnes interessees. The author retains ownership of L'auteur conserve la propriete du the copyright in his/her thesis. droit d'auteur qui protege sa Neither the thesis nor substantial these. Ni la these ni des extraits extracts from it may be printed or substantiels de celle-ci ne otherwise reproduced without doivent &re imprimes ou his/her permission. autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. ISBN 0-315-91241-3 BY OMISSION AND COMMISSION: 'RACE' AND REPRESENTATION IN CANADIAN TELEVISION NEWS by Yasmin Jiwani B.A., University of British Columbia, 1979 M.A., Simon Fraser University, 1984 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Communication @ Yasmin Jiwani 1993 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July, 1993 All rights reserved.
  • 1394 White Terrorism and Willful Ignorance

    1394 White Terrorism and Willful Ignorance

    #1394 White Terrorism and Willful Ignorance JAY TOMLINSON - HOST, BEST OF THE LEFT: [00:00:00] During today's episode, I am going to be telling you about a new podcast I think you should check out. It's called Unf-ing the Republic, but they don't say f-ing. It'll help level up anyone's poliDcal arguing game. So hear me out mid-show, when I tell you more about it. And now, welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the LeI Podcast in which we shall learn about our long history of ignoring domesDc right-wing terrorism, from the Oklahoma City bombing through to the predictable acDons of miliDa groups in 2020 and beyond. Clips today are from the PBS News Hour, It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Democracy Now!, AJ+, The David Pakman Show, the Washington Post, MSNBC and The Real News. Tracing the roots of the America's biggest domesKc terror aLack - PBS News Hour - Air Date 2-17-20 MAN: [00:00:47] There's heavy damage done. JEFFREY BROWN - HOST, PBS NEWSHOUR: [00:00:51] April 19, 1995. MAN: [00:00:56] About a third of the building has been blown away. JEFFREY BROWN - HOST, PBS NEWSHOUR: [00:00:56] A Ryder rental truck with 5,000 pounds of explosives ripped through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; 168 people were killed, 19 children among them. WOMAN: [00:01:08] Who has come in here and done this terrible thing? BARAK GOODMAN: [00:01:12] I knew very liale of the story.
  • Gamergate, Eine Retrospektive

    Gamergate, Eine Retrospektive

    GamerGate Eine Retrospektive November 2020 @KeinenPixel_de [email protected] keinenpixel.de @KeinenPixel_de GAMERGATE, EINE RETROSPEKTIVE Abstract: GamerGate war eine 2014 beginnende anti-feministische und rechtsextreme Bewegung, die große Teile der Computer- und Videospielszene sowie angrenzende Bereiche der Popkultur erfasste und weitreichende politische Folgen nach sich zog. Anhand von Primär-, wie auch Sekundärquellen zeichnet diese Retrospektive die Entwicklung von GamerGate in drei Phasen nach: Wie sich 1.) aus persönlicher Rache und den unkoordinierten Angriffen auf Einzelpersonen eine 2.) breite, anti-feministische Bewegung herausbildete, die sich 3.) mit rechtsextremen Elementen zu einer politischen Bewegung vereint. Diese wurde maßgeblich von Steve Bannon initiiert, der damit den Wahlkampf von Donald Trump in den USA unterstützte. Wie der vierte und letzte Teil darstellt, nimmt GamerGate deshalb noch heute eine Schlüsselposition in der Entwicklung der neuen Rechten ein, die Popkultur mit rechtsextremer Politik verbindet. Bestehende Tendenzen und kleinere Strömungen haben sich in GamerGate vereinigt, weshalb die Bewegung einen neue Möglichkeit zur Rekrutierung und Radikalisierung am rechten Rand gebildet hat. Obwohl GamerGate bereits oft in Artikeln thematisiert wurde, gibt es nur wenige Gesamtüberblicke über die Entwicklung der Bewegung. Die Retrospektive will als ausführliche deutschsprachige Ressource zukünftige Arbeit mit dem Thema erleichtern. Hinweis: Aufgrund rechtsextremer Inhalte ist es vielfach nicht möglich auf Originalquellen zu verlinken. In diesen Fällen werden Sekundärquellen genutzt, die die kritischen Inhalte kontextualisiert wiedergeben. Über die Autor*innen: " ForschungskollektivenKeinen Pixel den Faschisten! und Entwicklerstudios ist eine Initiative aus der von Computerspielekultur, Webseiten, Medienschaffenden, die sich durch antifaschistische Arbeit für ein inklusives Klima in ihren Communitys stark machen wollen. Zum Statement mit mehr Informationen über das Netzwerk: Hier klicken.
  • 2020 HERA Conference Program

    2020 HERA Conference Program

    2020 HERA Conference Program Humanities Education & Research Association March 4-7 2020 Chicago Conference Headquarters: The Palmer House Wednesday, March 4 Sessions and Registration 1-5:00 PM Room: Crystal HERA Board Meeting 6:15-9:30 PM Room: Honoré Session I 2:00-3:15 PM 1. Humanistic Power: Values and Critical Thinking Room: Wilson Chair: Thomas Ruddick “What Does It Mean to Have Value? Exploring the Problematic Term at the Center of the ‘Humanities Debate,’” Brian Ballentine, Rutgers University “The Power of the Humanities: Are We Aiding or Adding to Our Struggles?” Jessica Whitaker, Winthrop University “Critical Thinking Matters. Humanities Should Care,” Thomas Ruddick, HERA Board Member 2. Inspiring New Creativities and Modes of Consciousness Room: Marshfield Chair: Maryna Teplova “The Awakening of Mythic Consciousness in Immensely ‘Charged’ Places,” Arsenio Rodrigues, Bowling Green State University "Selfish Plants and Multispecies Creativity," Abigail Bowen, Trinity University “Constructing Utopia in Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness” Maryna Teplova, Illinois State University 2 Session II 3:15-4:30 PM 3. PANEL: Like a God, the Humanities Makes or Breaks Everything It Touches Room: Wilson “Like a God, the Humanities Makes or Breaks Everything It Touches,” Jared Pearce, William Penn University, Iowa “Disrupting ‘Normative Processes’: Queer Theory and the Critique of Efficiency and Balance in the Composition Class,” Wilton Wright, William Penn University, Iowa “Something for Everyone: Humanities and Interdisciplinarity,” Samantha Allen, William Penn University, Iowa “Making Do: A Community-Focused Methodology for Institutional Change,” Chad Seader, William Penn University, Iowa 4. PANEL: Corporate Discourse and Image Repair Room: Marshfield “Wells Fargo: An analysis of CEO Timothy Sloan’s discourse to repair confidence during a banking scandal,” Ashlee Carr, Southeastern Oklahoma State University “Samsung Galaxy Note 7: An Exploration of Administrative Discourse During a Crisis Episode,” Spencer Patton, Southeastern Oklahoma State University 5.
  • Who Are the “Dreamers”? by Sofia Calleja • Page 1 Community Organizer

    Who Are the “Dreamers”? by Sofia Calleja • Page 1 Community Organizer

    forsooth: (adv.) in truth, in fact, indeed (archaic) Volume 28, No. 7 A publicationFOR of the Louisville Chapter of the Fellowshipsooth of Reconciliation www.LouisvilleFOR.org November 2017 DACA. To qualify for DACA, individuals must have been under 31 years old as of WHO ARE June 15, 2012. Additionally, the applicant must provide THE documentation of their continuous presence in the United States as of June 15, 2007. DACA applicants are subjected “DREAMERS”? to rigorous FBI background checks. By Sofia Calleja Applicants who have committed a felony, any significant misdemeanor, three or For several weeks, the media has covered more minor misdemeanors, or failed to the president’s decision to rescind the show general good moral character will immigration program known as Deferred be precluded from the DACA program. Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). An additional requirement is the DACA was an Obama-era executive order attainment of a high-school diploma implemented because of Congress’ failure or GED. This requirement can be to pass any of the many versions of the alternatively satisfied by enlisting in DREAM act. The DREAM act and DACA the Coast Guard or Armed Forces. sought to protect undocumented people DACA does not grant access to any Tent city in Arizona, credit: Joe A. image source: http://theslot.jezebel.com/jane-sanders- who were brought to the United States as federally funded aids such as Medicaid visits-arizona-sheriff-joe-arapios-infamou-1764982008 or Medicare. This also means that children and have no other path to legal “good immigrant” rhetoric that makes Pardoning Joe Arpaio and then permanent residence or any other legal individuals protected under DACA who are striving for higher education do not a small demographic of the community rescinding DACA paints a picture people protection.
  • Volume 7 Issue 5 + 6 2020

    Volume 7 Issue 5 + 6 2020

    F. A. Hayek, Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, Globalization and Digitalization STEFAN KOLEV Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.hwwi.org/ueber-uns/team/autor/stefan-kolev.html INTRODUCTION alism”. Regarding the ruptures among “Austrians”, putting Boettke’s warning call that “liberalism is liberal” (Boettke Peter Boettke has written a truly multifaceted book 2017) in the context of the two megatrends that can make it (Boettke 2018) on one of the most complex liberal think- even more effective for today and tomorrow. ers of the 20th century. As I have reviewed the plenty of the book elsewhere (Kolev 2019a), in this essay I would like to DISCONTENT WITH GLOBALIZATION: focus on one specific aspect which I believe is crucial for F. IS THIS TIME DIFFERENT? A. Hayek’s reception today: the perennial tension between the logic of the small group and the logic of the extended Why are so many citizens—in the West and also elsewhere 42 order, a tension which humans have had to endure ever —currently turning their back on the order of liberal glo- COSMOS + TAXIS COSMOS since we entered modernity. While famously depicted by balism? This question is of course anything but new, it could Ferdinand Tönnies with the terms “Gemeinschaft” and “Ge- have been (and was) posed at very diverse junctures during sellschaft” (Tönnies 1887) to capture the duality of living in the 19th and 20th century: during the upcoming of aggres- a community and living in a society, this duality is certainly sive nationalism in the late 19th century, on the paths tak- not Tönnies’ invention—instead, it has occupied the atten- en in Russia post-1917 and in Germany post-1933, or amid tion of what Boettke has called elsewhere “mainline econo- the anti-globalization movement at the turn to the new mil- mists” (Boettke 2012) at least since the Scottish Enlighten- lennium.
  • Gwuzine Remaster.Pdf

    Gwuzine Remaster.Pdf

    Labour conditions and mass layoffs in the game industry have made the news for years, but despite outcries precious little has changed in that time — in fact, things seem to be getting worse. A year ago, we took matters into our own hands and started Game Workers Unite (GWU) to collectively fight for better conditions. Are you tired of crunch? Are you struggling to pay bills? Do you lack basic benefits like health care insurance or paid sick and parental leave? Are you made to endure harassment at work? Do you suspect you’re paid less than your coworkers because of your race or gender? As game workers, we recognize that these widespread issues will persist as long as we have to depend on management to address them. It is only through workers of the game industry organizing on our own terms and in order to defend our collective interest as workers that any progress will be possible. GWU is comprised exclusively of workers — no bosses! — and has chapters across the globe. We are building a movement of pro-union solidarity and helping game workers organize for better conditions at their workplace wherever they may be. The game industry is making record profits, yet very little of that is flowing into the hands of the people who actually create the games. Together, we have the power to change this. Table of Contents How Can Unions Help? 6 Owners versus Workers 16 Gamer Rage Leveraged Against Workers 22 Boss Fight: Tips & Tricks 30 Workers’ Co-ops: A New Way of Making Commercial Games 41 Strategy Guide: Start Organizing your Workplace 46 UnionFAQs