Prefigurative Democracy: Protest, Social Movements and the Political Institution of Society

In the wake of protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the Spanish 15-M movement, the past decade has seen an increased interest in prefigurative politics: the attempt of activists to already realise or embody their ideal of a future society within their own movements and practices. Engaging with the concept and its history, this book establishes a radical-democratic theory of prefiguration. Van de Sande builds on the work of political theorists as diverse as Hannah Arendt, Ernesto Laclau, Claude Lefort, Rosa Luxemburg, and Judith Butler to reveal the radical and representative role of protest and social movements today. He gives various accounts of how prefigurative practices and movements may continue to have political relevance long after they have ended. Cover Half-Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Introduction: ‘It’s prefigurative, so to speak’ 1. A New Society in the Shell of the Old 2. Beginnings Without Ends 3. From the Assembly to Council Democracy: Towards a Prefigurative Form of Government? 4. Embodiment: Prefiguration and Synecdochal Representation 5. Sedimentation and Crystallisation: Two Metaphors for Political Change Conclusion: What Is Prefigurative Democracy? Notes Bibliography Index This article addresses first the political identity and policy of Finland as a member of the European Union. History matters; but unlike the preliminary expectations in Brussels alluded to, the more long-term historical identities tend to strengthen Finland's European engagement rather than challenge it. Second, the article focuses on the implications of Finland's EU membership for the country in general and in particular for its political system and public opinion Substantive, Peer-reviewed, And Regularly Updated, The Oxford Research Encyclopedia Of Politics Combines The Speed & Flexibility Of Digital With The Rigorous Standards Of Academic Publishing.