Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 10:37:21 -0500
From: "Janet M. Atwill" <jatwill-AT-utk.edu>
Subject: Re: Bourdieu on Seattle


Lene, J.C., and Paul:

I would also love to have a transcript of Bourdieu's paper. Edward Said
would be the only person I could know to contact about a transcript. . .
perhaps one of the MLA departmenst would help us out.

You ask about other examples of coalitions--and I have so few notes.
Between the "link-up" and Bourdieu's accent, I had to focus all my
attention on trying to hear sentence by sentence what he was saying. 

A couple of issues were crytal clear, however. And they address, in
part, some of your questions about alliances, strategies, and dynamics. 

1. Labor/academic coalitions: He specifically enjoined left academics to
forge alliances with labor. [A bit of encouragement that I needed as we
are having a Labor Teach-in at my illustrious institution of the U of
Tennessee (with Richard Trumka, Elaine Bernard, and Bill Fletcher).
Upper administration is beginning to pull all sorts of tricks--this in a
place that isn't even organized enough to synchronize the campus
clocks.] As many are presently observing, one of the unique features of
the Seattle event was the construction of political agency by diverse
and sometimes competing groups--including various unions.  

2. The responsibility of left academics to provide counter-discourse to
the dominant "commonsense" of capitalism. This isn't new Bourdieu news.
Still, this call seemed to be tied to the call for alliances with labor.
In other words, as I took it, Bourdieu was suggesting that an effective
counter-discourse requires serious engagement with communities outside
academia. 

E. Said announced that Bourdieu could not attend the conference on his
doctor's orders--that he was having surgery two days or so after the MLA
event. Does anyone have concrete info. on his health? 

Janet

Paul Dillon wrote:
> 
> janet, dennis, all,
> 
> This discussion has taken a very interesting turn for me.
> 
> Janet wrote,
> 
> "I was also at the MLA session mentioned by Dennis. Bourdieu was
> unequivocal in maintaining that a resistance movement had to be
> international. Ironically, on this panel focused (supposedly) on
> academics and commitment, only Bourdieu pointed to Seattle as an example
> of such a coalition. . . . "
> 
> which surprised and pleased me very much.   The coalition in Seattle brought
> together not only diverse national groups but also a diversity of groups
> within the U.S. itself who have not ever engaged in collective action
> together.  There was a strong presence of NGOs of all kinds which added a
> very important presence within the fields of not-easily-dismissed voices.
> And it was also  the first time in history that a protest was held against
> the expansion capitalist power in itself, unencumbered of the trappings of
> individual corporations, nationalities, social class, etc.  Crocus or
> Morning Glory?  I wonder.
> 
> The fact that Bourdieu pointed it out is truly interesting and I wonder how
> he interpreted it from his perspective.   Was the example you gave the only
> time  he  made reference to potential or actual  international coalitions or
> did he elaborate in greater detail about such coalition/s' composition and
> dynamics?  Any specific examples drawn on Seattle events??
> 
> Paul H. Dillon
> 
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