Occupying Political Science

Occupying Political Science is a collection of critical essays by New York based scholars, researchers, and activists, which takes an unconventional look at the Occupy Wall Street movement through concepts found in the field of political science. Both normative and descriptive in its approach, Occupying Political Science seeks to understand not only the origins, logic, and prospects of the OWS movement, but also its effect on political institutions, activism, and the very way we analyze power. It does so by asking questions such as: How does OWS make us rethink the discipline of political science, and how might the political science discipline offer ways to understand and illuminate aspects of OWS? How does social location influence OWS, our efforts to understand it, and the social science that we do? Through addressing topics including social movements and non-violent resistance, surveillance and means of social control, electoral arrangements, new social media and technology, and global connections, the authors offer a unique approach that takes seriously the implications of their physical, social and disciplinary location, in New York, both in relation to Occupy Wall Street, and in their role as scholars in political science.

"Occupying Political Science is provocative, thoughtful and well-informed. Best of all, it is a pleasure to read!" Frances Fox Piven, Professor of Political Science and Sociology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and author of Who's Afraid of Frances Fox Piven, the Essential Writings of the Professor Glenn Beck Loves to Hate. "This cleverly conceived and carefully curated volume will be welcomed by those interested in Occupy and social movements as well as scholars of 'civic culture,' citizenship, social justice, governmentality, and those interested in how passionate individuals struggle to join and work together as collectivities to realize their common hopes, dreams, and desires. Along with recent works by Wood, Sitrin, and Khasnabish and Haiven, this is destined to be a crucial text in the emergent activist social science literature.' Eric Selbin, Professor of Political Science & University Scholar, Southwestern University

Susan Kang, Nick Zukowski, Devin Balkind, Stephen Froese, Alex Jeffrey, Victoria Measles, Violet Fredericks, Ron Hayduk