Without the State
Self-Organization and Political Activism in Ukraine
Published on 2. November 2022
Book
Paperback/Softback
302 pages
978-1-4875-0974-3 (ISBN)
Description
Without the State explores the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests - a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine - through in-depth ethnographic research with leftist, feminist, and student activists in Kyiv. The book discusses the concept of "self-organization" and the notion that if something needs to be done and a person has the competence to do it, then they should simply do it.
Emily Channell-Justice reveals how self-organization in Ukraine came out of leftist practices but actors from across the spectrum of political views also adopted self-organization over the course of Euromaidan, including far-right groups. The widespread adoption of self-organization encouraged Ukrainians to rethink their expectations of the relationship between citizens and their state. The book explains how self-organized practices have changed people's views on what they think they can contribute to their own communities, and in the wake of Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has also motivated new networks of mutual aid within Ukraine and beyond. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, including the author's first-hand experience of the entirety of the Euromaidan protests, Without the State provides a unique analytical account of this crucial moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history.
Emily Channell-Justice reveals how self-organization in Ukraine came out of leftist practices but actors from across the spectrum of political views also adopted self-organization over the course of Euromaidan, including far-right groups. The widespread adoption of self-organization encouraged Ukrainians to rethink their expectations of the relationship between citizens and their state. The book explains how self-organized practices have changed people's views on what they think they can contribute to their own communities, and in the wake of Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has also motivated new networks of mutual aid within Ukraine and beyond. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, including the author's first-hand experience of the entirety of the Euromaidan protests, Without the State provides a unique analytical account of this crucial moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history.
Reviews / Votes
"This book is of interest to anyone who studies protest or civil society, providing valuable insight into how activists navigate diverse and sometimes hostile spaces, adapt their tactics, and make pragmatic decisions about engaging with actors and ideologies they disagree with. It also offers an excellent example of how to write an ethnography of a protest movement: it is rigorously researched, remains compelling to read, and centers the voices of those it studies." - Emma Mateo, Columbia University (American Ethnologist) "As an academic who writes about Ukraine, I have read many accounts of the Euromaidan. What this book delivers that no other book has offered is an intimate portrait of the activists who executed the revolution on Kyiv's potholed pavement, and the view from 30,000 feet. Channel-Justice accomplishes these objectives simultaneously within the covers of a single book." - Greta Uehling, University of Michigan (Slavic Review) "Anchored in events in Kyiv in 2013-2014, Without the State offers insights relevant for other societies that were once part of the Soviet Union and that may be currently engaged in their own efforts to extricate themselves from Moscow's grasp. This book sheds needed light on the ideational struggles of people worldwide seeking participatory alternatives to the neoliberal economic order." - Jessica Pisano, New School for Social Research (The Russian Review)More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
35 colour illustrations, 1 b&w illustration
Dimensions
Height: 227 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-0974-3 (9781487509743)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Emily Channell-Justice is the director of the Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program at the Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University.
Content
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on Language
Introduction: "we provide the content of Maidan!"
1. Without Any Help from the State: Self-Organization in Ukraine
2. Twenty-First Century Leftists
3. Decommunization and National Ideology
4. #LeftMaidan: Violence, Repression, and Re-creation
5. "For free education": Education Activism and Maidan
6. "These aren't your values": Gender and Nation on Maidan
Conclusion: Volunteerism after Maidan
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on Language
Introduction: "we provide the content of Maidan!"
1. Without Any Help from the State: Self-Organization in Ukraine
2. Twenty-First Century Leftists
3. Decommunization and National Ideology
4. #LeftMaidan: Violence, Repression, and Re-creation
5. "For free education": Education Activism and Maidan
6. "These aren't your values": Gender and Nation on Maidan
Conclusion: Volunteerism after Maidan
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index