Doing Democracy: Activist Art and Cultural Politics Praxis: Theory in Action

Details about Doing Democracy: Activist Art and Cultural Politics Praxis: Theory in Action:

Demonstrates how activists and others use art and popular culture to strive for a more democratic future. Doing Democracy examines the potential of the arts and popular culture to extend and deepen the experience of democracy. Its contributors address the use of photography, cartooning, memorials, monuments, poetry, literature, music, theater, festivals, and parades to open political spaces, awaken critical consciousness, engage marginalized groups in political activism, and create new, more democratic societies. This volume demonstrates how ordinary people use the creative and visionary capacity of the arts and popular culture to shape alternative futures. It is unique in its insistence that democratic theorists and activists should acknowledge and employ affective as well as rational faculties in the ongoing struggle for democracy. Nancy S. Love is Professor of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University. She is the author of several books, including Musical Democracy, also published by SUNY Press. Mark Mattern is Professor of Political Science at Baldwin Wallace University and the author of Putting Ideas to Work: A Practical Introduction to Political Thought and Acting in Concert: Music, Community, and Political Action.