commons
The two faces of the common? Communal forms of government from below as counter-hegemonic alternatives
Common(s) or communal? Introductory remarks
It is necessary to differentiate a community practice later turned functional by capital, from one that is created, from the onset, for the capital. (Raquel Gutiérrez and Huascar Salazar)
Materialities and socialities of postcapitalism: Commons, peer to peer sharing and solidarity (POSTPONED)
Organizers: Chris Giotitsas, Lena Olaison, Ozan Nadir Alakavuklar and Karolina Mikołajewska-Zając
The commons and their im/possibilities
In recent years a familiar mantra has been recited through media channels, government reports and related sources, namely that of austerity. By now, the images of protest movements of various stripes have been well-documented, which has given the Left a renewed notion of opposition and resistance to a seemingly unperturbed neoliberal encroachment on almost all areas of life (e.g. Bonefeld, 2012, this issue; also Hamann, 2009; Read, 2009).
The commons and their im/possibilities
This open issue addresses the question of the (im)possibilities of the commons within contemporary capitalism. It considers the commons within a variety of manifestations, including the Open Software movement, Open Education movement, housing, academia, the arts and art education. The contributions of this issue discuss specific concerns and tensions around capitalist exploitation and commodification of practices of political and creative organizing that go beyond commodification and logics of strategic exchange.