The Dictionary of Alternatives: Utopianism and Organization book cover

The Dictionary of Alternatives: Utopianism and Organization

Author(s): Martin Parker (Author), Valerie Fournier (Author), Patrick Reedy (Author)

Publisher: Bloomsbury 3PL
Publication Date: 8 Aug. 2007
Language: English
Print length: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 184277333X
ISBN-13: 9781842773338

Book Description

'There is no alternative to free market liberalism and managerialism', is the orthodoxy of the twenty-first century. All too often, ordinary people across the world are being told that the problem of organization is already solved, or that it is being solved somewhere else, or that it need not concern them because they have no choices. This dictionary provides those who disagree with the evidence.

Using hundreds of entries and cross-references, it proves that there are many alternatives to the way that we currently organize ourselves. These alternatives could be expressed as fictional utopias, they could be excavated from the past, or they could be described in terms of the contemporary politics of anti-corporate protest, environmentalism, feminism and localism.

Part reference work, part source book, and part polemic, this dictionary provides a rich understanding of the ways in which fiction, history and today's politics provide different ways of thinking about how we can and should organize for the coming century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Great fun...Here's your toolbox for hammering out a new vision." --Amory Starr, author of Naming the Enemy and Global Revolt

"The Dictionary of Alternatives reveals a splendidly rich and dazzling array of other possibilities, other dreams, other truths and other worlds. At a time when so much intellectual discourse is slavishly conformist, this book dares to be different." --Christopher Grey, University of Cambridge

About the Author

Martin Parker is Professor of Organisation and Culture in the Management Centre at the University of Leicester.

Valérie Fournier is Senior Lecturer in Organisation Studies in the Management Centre at the University of Leicester.

Patrick Reedy lectures in organizational behaviour and human resource management at the Business School of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Dictionary of Alternatives

Name: The Dictionary of Alternatives: Utopianism and Organization
Author: Martin Parker (Author), Valerie Fournier (Author), Patrick Reedy (Author)
ISBN: 9781842773338

Utopianism and Organization

By Martin Parker, Valérie Fournier, Patrick Reedy

Zed Books Ltd

Introduction, ix,
ABBEY OF THELEME, 1,
AGORA, 2,
ALTERNATIVE GEOPOLITICS, 3,
AMAZONS, 5,
AMERICA, 5,
AMISH, 7,
ANABAPTISTS, 8,
ANARCHISM, 9,
ANTI-CAPITALISM, 13,
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, 15,
ARCADIA, 16,
ARTS AND CRAFTS, 16,
ATLANTIS, 18,
ATTAC, 18,
AUROVILLE, 19,
AUTO-DIDACTICISM, 20,
AUTONOMIA, 21,
BAKUNIN, MIKHAIL, 23,
BALL, JOHN, 24,
BARTERING, 25,
BATTLE OF SEATTLE, 26,
BLAC(K) BLOC, 27,
BLAKE,WILLIAM, 28,
BOOKCHIN, MURRAY, 29,
BOURNVILLE, 31,
BRAY, JOHN FRANCIS, 32,
BRETHREN OF THE FREE SPIRIT, 34,
BROOK FARM, 35,
BUREAUCRACY, 35,
CAPTAIN SWING, 38,
CARNIVAL, 39,
CATHARS, 40,
CENTRI SOCIALI, 42,
CHIPKO MOVEMENT, 42,
CHRISTIANIA, 43,
CHRISTIANOPOLIS, 44,
CITY OF THE SUN, 45,
CITY STATE, 47,
COCKAIGNE, 49,
COLLECTIVISM, 49,
COMMONS, 51,
COMMONWEALTH, 52,
COMMUNE, 52,
COMMUNISM, 54,
COMMUNITARIANISM, 57,
COMMUNITY, 57,
COMMUNITY GARDENS, 59,
COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE, 60,
COOPERATIVES, 61,
COOPERATIVE CITY, 63,
CREDIT UNIONS, 64,
CRYSTAL WATERS, 65,
CUBA, 65,
CULT, 67,
DECROISSANCE / DEGROWTH, 69,
DEEP ECOLOGY, 70,
DEMOCRACY, 71,
DIGGERS, 73,
DIRECT ACTION, 75,
DISOBBEDIENTI, 76,
DISPOSSESSED, THE, 77,
DISSENTERS, 79,
DISSENTING ACADEMIES, 79,
DYSTOPIA, 80,
ECOFEMINISM, 83,
ECOTOPIA, 84,
ECOVILLAGES, 84,
EDEN, 86,
EL DORADO, 86,
EMPOWERMENT, 86,
ENVIRONMENTALISM, 88,
EREWHON, 89,
ESOP, 90,
FAIR TRADE, 91,
FARMERS' MARKETS, 92,
FASCISM, 92,
FEDERALISM, 93,
FEMINISM, 95,
FEMINIST UTOPIAS, 98,
FINDHORN, 100,
FOCOLARE, 101,
FOURIER, CHARLES, 102,
FREELAND, 104,
FREE SCHOOLS, 106,
FREE STATE PROJECT, 106,
FREIRE, PAULO, 107,
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES, 108,
GANDHI, 110,
GARDEN CITIES, 111,
GODWIN, WILLIAM, 113,
GOLDEN AGE, 114,
GOLDMAN, EMMA, 115,
GRAMEEN BANK, 117,
GRASSROOTS, 119,
GUERRILLA, 120,
GUILDS, 121,
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, 122,
HAYDEN, DOLORES, 125,
HERLAND, 127,
ILLICH, IVAN, 129,
INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY, 130,
INDYMEDIA (INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE), 131,
INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY, 132,
INTERNATIONALS, 132,
ISLAMIC FINANCE, 135,
ISLAND, 137,
ISLE OF PINES, 138,
JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP, 140,
KALMAR, 142,
KIBBUTZ, 143,
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON EARTH, 145,
KROPOTKIN, PETER, 146,
LE CORBUSIER, 150,
LENIN,VLADIMIR ILYICH, 151,
LETS, 155,
LEVELLERS, 156,
LIBERALISM, 157,
LLANO DEL RIO, 160,
LOCALIZATION, 161,
LOOKING BACKWARD, 163,
LUDDITES, 165,
LUXEMBURG,ROSA, 166,
MANAGEMENT, 168,
MAO TSE-TUNG, 169,
MARKETS, 171,
MARX, KARL, 174,
MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY, 179,
MECHANICS' INSTITUTES and MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES, 179,
MILLENARIANISM, 181,
MONASTICISM, 181,
MONDRAGON, 183,
MST, 184,
MULTITUDE, 185,
MUTUALISM, 186,
NETWORK, 189,
NEW ATLANTIS, 190,
NEW DISCOVERY OF TERRA INCOGNITA AUSTRALIS, 192,
NEW JERUSALEM, 193,
NEW LANARK, 194,
NEW MODEL ARMY, 195,
NEWS FROM NOWHERE, 196,
NON-CONFORMISM, 197,
NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE, 198,
NOZICK, ROBERT, 199,
OCEANA, 201,
ONEIDA, 202,
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE, 204,
OWEN, ROBERT, 205,
PARADISE, 208,
PARIS COMMUNE, 208,
PEASANTS' REVOLT, 209,
PERMACULTURE, 211,
PIRATE UTOPIA, 212,
PLUTARCH, 213,
POLIS, 215,
PORTO ALEGRE, 216,
PORT SUNLIGHT, 218,
PROTECTIONISM, 218,
PROUDHON, PIERRE-JOSEPH, 220,
QUAKERS, 224,
QUALITY OF WORKING LIFE, 225,
RAND, AYN, 227,
RANTERS, 228,
RAWLS, JOHN, 229,
REPUBLIC, THE, 230,
REVOLUTION, 232,
ROBINSON CRUSOE, 236,
ROCHDALE PIONEERS, 237,
ROMANTICISM, 237,
ROUSSEAU, JEAN-JACQUES, 240,
RUSKIN, JOHN, 241,
SADE, MARQUIS DE, 243,
SAINT-SIMON, CLAUDE-HENRI DE ROUVROY, COMTE DE, 244,
SALTAIRE, 245,
SCHUMACHER, ERNST, 246,
SCIENCE FICTION, 247,
SCOTT BADER COMMONWEALTH, 249,
SECRET SOCIETIES, 249,
SELF-SUFFICIENCY, 251,
SHAKERS, 252,
SHANGRI-LA, 253,
SITUATIONIST, 254,
SLOW FOOD, 255,
SMALLNESS, 256,
SMALL STATES, 256,
SMITH, ADAM, 258,
SOCIAL CAPITAL, 259,
SOCIAL ECOLOGY, 261,
SOCIAL ECONOMY, 262,
SOCIALISM, 264,
SOVIETS, 266,
SOVIET UNION, 267,
SPANISH ANARCHIST MILITIAS, 269,
SQUATTING, 271,
STIRNER, MAX, 271,
SUBSISTENCE WORK, 272,
SUMA, 273,
SUMMERHILL, 274,
SUPPLEMENT TO BOUGAINVILLE'S VOYAGE, 276,
SUSTAINABILITY, 277,
SYNDICALISM, 279,
TERRORISM, 281,
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES, 283,
TIME BANKS, 284,
TOLSTOY, 285,
TOWER COLLIERY, 287,
TRADE UNIONS, 288,
TRAVELLERS, 292,
TWIN OAKS, 294,
UTOPIA, 296,
VIA CAMPESINA, 302,
VILLAGES, 302,
VOYAGE TO ICARIA, 303,
WALDEN, 306,
WALDEN TWO, 307,
WELLS, HERBERT GEORGE, 310,
WIKIPEDIA, 313,
WOMAN ON THE EDGE OF TIME, 314,
WORKER SELF-MANAGEMENT, 316,
WORLD SOCIAL FORUM, 317,
ZAKAT, 319,
ZAPATISTAS, 319,
Further Reading, 321,
Index, 327,

CHAPTER 1

ABBEY OF THELEME The last chapters of book one of Histories of Gargantua and Pantagruel, a bawdy satire written by François Rabelais between and 1532 and 1553, describe an Abbey that reverses the assumptions about religious orders that pertained in sixteenth-century France. It has no walls, both men and women are admitted, and members can marry, become rich and come and go as they please. There are no clocks, because 'the greatest nonsense in the world was to regulate one's life by the sound of a bell, instead of by the promptings of reason and good sense'. There is considerable architectural detail about the six-storey hexagonal tower which contained 9,332 apartments (each with chamber, closet, wardrobe and chapel), all opening onto a central hall. Inside were also libraries of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, Italian and Spanish books, galleries painted with histories and views, a riding ring, a theatre, swimming baths, falconry facilities, stables, orchards, perfumeries, barbershops and so on. Above the great gate was an inscription noting the various characters who were not welcome (hypocrites, swindlers, lawyers, usurers, the poor, old and sick) as well as those who were (witty and wealthy gentlemen, vigorous preachers and upright modest ladies). They could all, men and women, read, write, sing and play musical instruments. Both women and men dressed exceptionally well, no doubt assisted by the 'smart and well-arranged' block of houses nearby, which contained 'goldsmiths, jewellers, embroiderers' and so on working at their trade. Most importantly, 'in their rules there was only one clause: do what you will, because...

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The Dictionary of Alternatives: Utopianism and Organization