Primitive Accumulation, Global Capitalism, and Resistance: Enclosures and Discontents

This volume explores Marx's concept of primitive accumulation in diverse empirical contexts globally, examining resistance and dispossession from various political perspectives. It reconsiders urban and rural mappings, engaging with theoretical reformulations and correcting Marx from specific sites.

Format: Hardback
Length: 112 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Inc

In this comprehensive volume, scholars from diverse empirical contexts worldwide revisit and reimagine Marx's concept of primitive accumulation in the contemporary global age. The chapters present research drawn from various global locations, including Gaza, Syria, Greece, the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Yucatan. These sites share common experiences of dispossession forced by violent conflict, crisis, austerity politics, and corporate expansion. Each chapter delves into evolving forms of resistance across the political spectrum, showcasing the deeply entrenched, historically specific, class, race, and gendered relations inherent in contemporary capitalist expansion. This collection of original work challenges traditional distinctions between urban and rural spaces by comparing dispossession and resistance within and outside cities and within sites that demand a reconceptualization of "the urban."

Through their rich and detailed research, the scholars included in this volume offer various perspectives on correcting and adapting Marx's theories from their specific study sites. They engage with theoretical reformulations spanning from modernity/coloniality to autonomous Marxism, contributing to a nuanced understanding of capitalist development.

The chapters originally published as a special issue in City: Analysis of Urban Trends, Culture, Theory, Policy, Action provide a valuable contribution to the field of urban studies. They shed light on the complex dynamics of dispossession, resistance, and the reimagining of urban spaces in the context of global capitalism. By exploring these themes, the book offers insights into the ongoing struggles and challenges faced by communities around the world and contributes to the ongoing dialogue about social justice, inequality, and the future of urban life.

Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815381754