Urban Social Movements in the Age of Neoliberal Austerity: A Case Study of Philadelphia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Keywords

social movements, austerity, Link, class

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3917/rfea.148.0052

Abstract

This article explores the role of communication in building contemporary class identity in urban America by exploring the dynamics at play within a network of organizations in Philadelphia. In particular, the authors delve into the history and practices of the Media Mobilizing Project (MMP), a community communications and media infrastructure, and a network of organizations in the Philadelphia area. The vision and objectives of MMP come from two converging traditions of the voluntary sector around the issues of poverty and communication: first, the Poor People's Campaign(PPC) -organized by Martin Luther King and the SCLC-whose goal was to forge a movement of the poor and workers aimed at creating a declaration of economic rights; Then, the technological advances of the Indymedia movement, born during the protests against the Seattle summit of the WTO in 1999. For the authors, this historic intersection can identify different strategies and relationship to capitalism, the State and the technology that emerged from social movements XXth century. For them, it has also led to what they define as a critical strategy to fight against urban austerity in the era of neoliberalism.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Revue Française D’Études Américaines, v. 3, no. 148, p 52-66

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS