Protest and Resistance in an Era of Austerity: Lessons from Europe

The prolonged crisis of neoliberal capitalism in Europe has been marked by policies of austerity. These include dramatic reductions in social safety nets; cutbacks in a broad range of entitlements; a decline in access to affordable healthcare services, education and housing; and a lessening of revenue for the development and maintenance of critical infrastructure. At the same time, we have been witness to a significant rise in long-term unemployment, part-time and temporary work and informal labor and overall to an increasing privatization of the public sector as corporate power seeks new terrain in which to cultivate profit and accumulate capital, as David Harvey has observed. This crisis has had manifold social, economic and political implications throughout the continent. Among the most salient have been the formation of social movements across the political spectrum and the emergence of different forms of resistance. This panel focuses on these responses to the crisis, theorizing their origins, illustrating their dimensions from an ethnographic perspective and considering the possible directions in which they may be leading.

If you are interested in participating in this panel, please contact Gerard Weber at Gerard.Weber@bcc.cuny.edu.