Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland: Applied Studies in Communication Theory
Author(s): Renee Guarriello Heath (Editor), Courtney Vail Fletcher (Editor), Ricardo Munoz (Editor), David Osborn (Foreword), William Barnes (Contributor), Keeler Brynteson (Contributor), Priya Kapoor (Contributor), Jennette Lovejoy (Contributor), erin daina mcclellan (Contributor), Majia Holmer Nadesan (Contributor), Doug Tewksbury (Contributor)
- Publisher: Lexington Books
- Publication Date: 28 Aug. 2013
- Language: English
- Print length: 264 pages
- ISBN-10: 0739183214
- ISBN-13: 9780739183212
Book Description
Given the centrality of economics and communication in the Occupy movement, Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland uses economic insights and contemporary theories of communication to better understand the movement at this current juncture in history. This collection is organized by complementary theoretical and methodological perspectives: the global-critical cultural and economic understandings of Occupy; the local-interpretive ethnographic examinations of a local site-Occupy Portland, Oregon; and mediated perspectives-analyses of the words of officials and media. The contributors also examine social movement phenomena by stepping outside of social movement theory to analyze the macro- and microprocesses of the Occupy movement, demonstrating the saliency of communication theory. Throughout the volume are in-depth case studies that examine universal narratives about Occupy. One of the challenges of studying Occupy is that members of this movement are committed to not allowing any one person (or entity) to define it. One way the editors acknowledge this and attempt to honor the individualism and postmodern fragmentation of this movement is to consider their findings in light of the three interpretive lenses of the romantic, functional, and critical. This informative and comprehensive text provides a critical lens on the constantly evolving Occupy movement.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Understanding Occupy from Wall Street to Portland uses multiple communication perspectives to understand this critically important development in social movements. One of the many strengths of the volume is that it investigates Occupy at the broader cultural and economic context, the mediated context, and at the level of everyday, on-the-ground organizing. The book is a must-read for students and scholars in communication, social movements, organizational studies, political science, and economics, and anyone else interested in the dynamics of social contention in late capitalism.
The “Occupy” movement presents novel and rich complexities as the first postmodern social movement. This volume goes significantly beyond popular commentary on the movement and typical social movement analyses to the internal micro-practices of development and struggle. The results are fresh, insightful and compelling.
This book on Occupy reminds us of the important ways the movement connected local to global issues and vice versa. The collection of chapters appropriately represent diverse voices from and perspectives on the movement. This volume will provide a valuable resource for students, scholars, and all those who are considering Occupy’s influences on movements to come.
About the Author
Jennette Lovejoy is associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Portland.
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