Pedagogy from and for Social Movements: A Conversation Between Theory and Practice

Much radical writing on academia is grounded in a mystified view of knowledge in which an ecosocialist pedagogy would be “theory from above.” This article argues for a different understanding of knowledge as materially situated in social and ecological relationships; oriented towards practice; developmental and contested from below, demystifying third-level education from the perspective of movement-generated knowledge. Concretely, this means starting from participants’ existing praxis and “learning from each other’s struggles”—using “frozen” movement theory and activist experience—to move towards a wider, more radical understanding. In Ireland such pedagogy is rooted in working-class community self-organising, rural environmental justice alliances, women’s and GLTBQ activism, and the anti-capitalist “movement of movements,” encapsulating Audre Lorde’s dictum, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” The article focusses in particular on a “Masters for activists.” The course supports movement participants to deepen and develop their activist practice but also to situate it within these wider and more radical understandings and emancipatory alliances. Taking movement praxis—rather than “contemplative” knowledge—as a starting point raises very different questions about theory and practice, forms and distribution of knowledge and the purpose and shape of learning.     

Undercover policing: A psychological and operational guide

Undercover policing carries a tremendous responsibility for interdicting crime and political violence by preventive infiltration of criminal organizations to disrupt their operations and bring their perpetrators to justice. As much of this process involves the skillful manipulation of human relationships, psychology has a vital role to play in all major phases of undercover work. This article will describe the role of psychological services in team formation, selection and training of undercover officers (UCOs), preparation for undercover operations, deployment and monitoring, termination and reintegration, and managing deployment stress and post-operation psychological syndromes.     

Holding Parents to Account: Tough on Children,Tough on the Causes of Children?

This paper examines the intellectual basis for New Labour's policy of holding parents to account for the misconduct of their children. It argues that the government has relied too heavily on an ill-defined conception of responsibility, whilst failing to address the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour. By way of illustration, the government's strategy is considered in the light of the author's empirical study of anti-social behaviour measures and their impact on families in a disadvantaged area.     

Judgeships in the U.S. courts of appeals and in the U.S. district courts: Characteristics of democratic and republican presidential appointees from 1963–1990

The present study examined the characteristics of presidential appointees to the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts from 1963–1990. An over‐representation of white, protestant men is noted, regardless of the political party of the appointing administration. Appointees of Democratic and Republican administrations did not differ significantly in terms of law school attended, occupation at nomination or appointment, or American Bar Association rating. The conclusion calls for a more diverse judiciary.     

Public Administration in the Twenty-First Century

Books reviewed in this article:
Donald F. Kettl, The Transformation of Governance: Public Administration for the Twenty-First Century America
Lester M. Salamon (ed.), The Tools of Government: A Guide to the New Governance
H. George Frederickson and Kevin B. Smith, The Public Administration Theory Primer     

Taking Nazi Law Seriously

Book reviewed in this article:
Michael Stolleis, The Law Under the Swastika: Studies on Legal History inNazi Germany