On dual outcomes in social movement research
The dissertation for my MRes in Geography, available here, was research with London Renters Union into member engagement during a […]
What does community organising mean when there’s no community?
I have been interested in community organising for some time, and am currently part of an organisation trying to do […]
On Participatory Action Research as a burden
I’ve just finished my first attempt at Participatory Action Research within a social movement organisation, specifically London Renters Union. I […]
Poor people’s movements and how to win
I have been re-reading a classic of social movement studies ‘Poor people’s movements: Why they succeed and how they fail’ […]
Organising to develop members: who to have 121s with
There isn’t much academic work on deepening the involvement of new members in a social movement organisation. Since I am […]
A mental health check-in for activists
The world is messed up and that’s why a lot of people do politics. Saying the world is messed up […]
Up the Quaggy: a coronavirus cycle ride
It was the first truly warm day of spring and the fourteenth day since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown. […]
The story of enclosures in Britain had a (sort of) happy ending – why don’t we talk about it?
The left in Britain has a great narrative of loss in the story of enclosures. The rich stole the land […]
The control gap: why we obsess about what we obsess about
Some of the most curious ideas a society develops will rarely be remarked upon. Once an idea is commonplace it […]
David Smail: Therapy doesn’t work (caveats apply)
David Smail, a dissenting psychologist writing in the 90s, was prone to making sweeping statements about the uselessness of therapy. […]