Oppositional Consciousness
Assignment is a minimum of 5 chapters read fairly closely. The three *’s items are the overviews. I recommend skimming all the articles and then reading several more closely. I have provided summaries of the key points of each.
Chapters in Mansbridge & Morris, Oppositional Consciousness
- *Mansbridge, J. (2001). The making of oppositional consciousness. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 1-19.
Overview, the problem of opposing dominant structures, bringing dominance back in, and the problem of resisting when oppressed. Liberation vs other movements. The rest of the chapter summarizes thepoint of the rest of the chapters. - *Morris, A. and N. Braine (2001). Social movements and oppositional consciousness. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 20-37.
Argues that liberation movements against domination differ in key ways from social problems movements. - *Mansbridge, J. (2001). Complicating oppositional consciousness. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 238-264.
Analysis of oppositional consciousness, 4 components of minimal opp consc (identify, see injustice, demand rectification, see shared interest). Recognition of injustice is central. More mature opp consc includes other elements. A continuum, not dichtomy, with many different relations depending on structural context. Activists more important in opp consc. But opp culture is more diffuse. - Harris, F. C. (2001). Religious resources in an oppositional civic culture. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 38-64.
Bible stories & other Black church imagry the basis for oppositional civic culture. Distinguishes oppositional consciousness from oppositional culture. - Groch, S. (2001). Free spaces: creating oppositional consciousness in the disability rights movement. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 65-98.
Disability movement, conscious creation of images, slogans etc drawing on deaf & blind culture in segregated residential schools + civil rights movemetn. Deaf culture stronger because more autonomous spaces. Segregation as part of oppositional consciousness. - Marshall, A.-M. (2001). A spectrum in oppositional consciousness: sexual harassment plaintiffs and their lawyers. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 99-145.
Many different individual motives, some individuals very politicized, others not. But all borrowed on feminist interpretive frame regardless of own motives. - Rodriguez, M. S. (2001). Cristaleño consciousness: Mexican-American activism between Crystal City, Texas and Wisconsin, 1963-80. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 146-169.
Mexican American movement in Crystal City linked two strands, traditional Texas resistance linked with outside progressive labor politics, especially the farmer-labor culture in Wisconsin & Minnesota. Processes of synthesis and historical contingency. - Waite, L. G. (2001). Divided consciousness: the impact of black elite consciousness on the 1966 Chicago Freedom Movement. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 170-203.
MLK in Chicago 1966. Blacks for and against him all had oppositional consciousness, but not unity. Had different material & ideological interests. Interests had effects not directly but through interpretive schemas. Concept of internally differentiated oppositional consciousness. - Stockdill, B. C. (2001). Forging a multidimensional oppositional consciousness: lessons from community-based AIDS activism. Oppositional consciousness: the subjective roots of social protest. J. Mansbridge and A. Morris. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press: 204-237.
AIDS activists struggle against dominance by sex, race, class; are both oppresed and oppressor. Multidimensional consciousness, experience of oppression does not easily generalize.